The racing season traditionally gets fully underway at Easter, and we thought we could celebrate that with the start of a new series of articles aimed at helping you get the inside track on many of the most popular events around the country. First off is that bastion of beginners in the South East, the Thames Turbo series at Hampton Pool where pretty much all of us on the Tri247 crew have participated in one way or another over the years.

If you've got a favourite race that you would like to tell everyone about then email us and we'll send you the template to fill in all the details. Any race, big or small, is eligible -- the only criteria is that it must be on the race calendar for this year and we need the write-up before the race takes place!

Vital facts

Background

The race has undergone a few changes over the years, but its history goes back to the time when a young Spencer Smith, and an even younger Tim Don, were learning their trade. It is based around the open air Hampton Pool complex which includes first class changing and shower arrangements. A special mention must also be made of the on-site café where huge volumes of the local favourite -- bacon and egg baguettes -- are sold. Post race of course!

There is plenty of roadside parking in the area but it can be a case of the early birds getting the worms, particularly if you want to park as close to the pool as possible. Registration is divided between those with a race licence and those without and is always slick and quick.

You are advised to arrive as soon as possible after 6.00am to register and rack your bike, etc, in time for a 6.45am race pre-brief and a 7.00am swim start.

The swim

The swim takes place in an open air, heated pool which is of a non-standard length. The pool is divided into 6 lanes and unusually, you start in one corner of the shallow end and at the end of each two lengths, you duck under the lane rope and negotiate the next lane. With luck, you should end up in the far corner of the shallow end! You will be sent off at 10 second intervals in order of race numbers and swimmers are seeded according to their estimated 400m time (the actual distance is 426m). This helps to minimise the amount of overtaking but, inevitably, there will be the need to overtake so either use the middle of the lane if there is space or tap the ankle of the slower swimmer in front to warn them that you need to go past at the end of the length. Once out of the pool, there is a short walk/run to transition.

The bike

The bike leg is pancake flat, but is no easier because of that. I have variously measured the course at 13.5 or 13.7 miles but, rest assured, it is slightly longer than the standard 20km sprint distance. The first leg of the bike takes you down to Hampton High Street where you make a left turn and head towards Hampton Court. Although traffic will be light at this time in the morning, please take caution and slow down if requested by the marshal at that junction – you are joining a major road so they have priority.

At the end of this section you reach Hampton Court Roundabout where you will turn around and head back the way you just came. Be warned, the roundabout can be dangerous in the wet. After passing through Hampton where, with a bit of luck, you might trigger the 20mph warning signal, you will reach a set of traffic lights outside the water works. You take a left turn here onto Lower Sunbury Road but only proceed if the lights are green. If you come across an amber or red light, there is nothing to prevent you from dismounting and walking to the other side of the lights but what you must not do is either gamble with an amber or ignore a red. There will be a marshal there to take the numbers of any offenders and you will be DQd if found guilty!

You are now on the long road down through Lower Sunbury and Shepperton, heading towards Chertsey. The road is flat, but the surface is poor in places so expect the odd bump. As well as a few roundabouts, there are a dozen or so “sleeping policemen” to negotiate. It’s up to you whether you attempt these at full speed or perhaps ride around them on the nearside. At the end of this dog leg, about half a mile short of Chertsey Bridge, there is another mini roundabout at Littleton Lane where you will turn to re-trace your steps back to Hampton Pool. Caution is once again advised here, particularly in the wet.

You now re-trace your journey back up the road through Shepperton and Lower Sunbury, but the bike course does not actually finish at Hampton Pool. Instead, you complete the bike leg at the water works, about 200-300m before the set of traffic lights. You will be asked to stop and place one foot on the ground. This will signal the end of the bike leg. After that, you will be in the “dead zone”! You will have seven minutes to ride the short distance, which involves two right turns, back to Hampton Pool. Anything over seven minutes will be added to your overall race time.

The run

The run is a 5km course, held mainly within the grounds of Bushy Park. At the exit of Hampton Pool, you take a sharp right and head up the road towards the entrance to the park. At this point, you negotiate a swing gate so please slow down and be courteous towards other competitors and the general public taking their dogs for an early morning walk! Once in the park, the route is flat and well marshalled. The course is a mixture of path and off road which can get a tad slippery in the wet so a bit of tread on your running shoes is advisable. As on the bike leg, there will be photographers out on the run course so don’t forget to breathe in and smile! And, just in case you number isn’t visible, it may help if you shout out your race number as you cross the all important finish line. Refreshments are available while you wind down after a good morning’s workout.

If your legs are still working, the next bit of the race involves a short walk back to Hampton Pool. Here is the opportunity to check your results against your mates or simply take time out to reflect on how the morning’s events unfolded. You will need your race number to gain entry into transition and it will be checked against your bike number before you are allowed to leave. Although you may be tempted to get home ASAP to rest your weary limbs, you are strongly advised to hang around for the post-race food fest in the pool café. You will also get to see the provisional results shortly after the last finisher has crossed the line and if you hang around a bit longer for the prize giving, you may be lucky enough to win one of the many spot prizes on offer. There will of course be prizes for the age group and overall winners which, in my experience, are of a very high standard indeed.

Transitions

Transition is on a grassed area to one side of the pool and you will have a pre-numbered slot to match your race number. The exit from T1 to the mounting point on the road outside of the pool is a good 150m or so and, after a time, can get very wet and slippery. So go easy, particularly if you decide to run out with the bike wearing your cleated bike shoes. As you leave the pool’s car park, your number will be taken to record the end of the swim leg and beginning of the bike. Please shout out your race number as this can help the marshals who cannot guarantee to see everybody’s race number. Once out onto the road, you will be directed to a small layby where you may mount the bike.

For T2, when you arrive back at Hampton Pool, you will be asked to stop and dismount. The marshal will tell you when it is safe to cross the road into the pool’s car park. At this point, you are still in the 7 minute “dead zone”. The clock will start ticking the second you cross the entrance to T2 alongside the registration area. Remember to leave your helmet on until your bike is racked. You leave T2 the same way you entered, being careful not to collide with any cyclists coming the other way!

Other information

This four race series represents a great introduction for those attempting their first triathlon. The racing is serious, but friendly and the experienced race referees and marshals will always take a sympathetic view towards the novice competitors who may not be very familiar with the sport’s rules and conventions. For the more seasoned campaigners, the race series forms part of the London Triathlon league and there are also some fantastic prizes for the overall series winners. It will be of no surprise to anybody who has raced at Hampton that the race series has consistently been voted as the top small event of the year. Try it, you know it makes sense!

David Spencer, a Thames Turbo member, runs a graphic design operation called us2design which specialises in 360° photography. Click here or here to download a Quicktime file showing a shot from the 2007 Easter Monday race or visit his website to see a selection from 2006 and at other events.

Last updated by Bob Holloway (April 2007)