The first British champions of 2022 will be crowned at the British Standard Distance Duathlon Championships this weekend as Oulton Park hosts the run, bike, run format on Sunday (20 March).
Reverting to its usual spring date in 2022, this early-season championship event provides the opportunity for any British Triathlon or Home Nation member to begin their year by competing for a national crown and British Championship medals.
Over 275 athletes are expected to take to the Cheshire motor racing circuit on Sunday afternoon with British titles the prize for the winners of each age group.
Staged on the racing track at Oulton Park, the British Duathlon Championships will be raced over the standard distance with athletes beginning with an 8.6km run, before transitioning onto the bike for nine laps around the circuit to complete the 38.8km bike. Then it’s a switch from the bike back to their running shoes for one final lap around the track for the final 4.3km run to the finish line.
This year’s championships come just five months after the last duathlon championships were held, with 2021’s event taking place in October due to the lockdown at the start of the year. The start list includes many of last year’s champions who will be returning with the aim of defending their title, while for some athletes it will be their first British Championships.
With some age groups seeing over 40 entries and seven with at least 20 athletes competing, it promises to be a competitive afternoon of racing which will also feature two reigning world standard distance duathlon champions.
Karen Murphy in the F50-54 age group and Alex Doherty, who was the fastest athlete overall en-route to winning the M35-39 age group in Aviles, Spain last year, both won gold medals at last November’s World Triathlon Duathlon Championships and will be looking to add another gold to their medal hauls this weekend. There will also be multiple world and European medallists on the Oulton Park start line.
The British Duathlon Championships is part of a full-on day of multisport at Oulton Park which will also include a 2023 World Championship Sprint Distance Duathlon qualifying event in the morning.
Click below to view the full list of championships and qualifying events in 2022.
