<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Duathlon - Tri247</title><link>http://www.tri247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest duathlon articles from Tri247</description><item><title><![CDATA[Two reports from the TuffMan]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9606.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Back from his overseas duties, Jim McConnel made the trip down to East Grinstead to race the TuffMan in conditions that were brutally cold for the duathletes and positively outrageous for the sole triathlete... Also lining up to protect her position at the head of the leaderboard was Kate Robson and her report forms the second half of this bumper edition.



Jim McConnel&#039;s report
What a great day to be out and living life!

On possibly the coldest day of the year so far (my car thermometer said -5&amp;deg;C at 8am), a healthy herd of post-Christmas off-road duathletes gathered at Pippingford Park in East Sussex for the penultimate round of Human Race&#039;s Asics Off-road Series.

Aptly named TuffMan, one of the hardest jobs was getting changed at the back of the car and deciding on just how many layers to wear. Scolded for rocking up at the line by my friends with bare knees showing above my long socks, I was keen to get racing and get warmed up properly.

We headed off on the first 8km run loop at a frantic pace - and still warm from a training camp in Lanzarote, Paul Davies showed the rest of the field a clean pair of heels and dragged out a small gap. The run continued and every person was delicately making their way over the hard rutted ground, trying to avoid twisted ankles and get the blood flowing everywhere including fingers and toes.

By the end of the undulating 8km, the positions had mixed up with strong favourite Richard Stannard languishing nearly a minute off the pace. Getting into his stride on his 29er race bike though, he soon cleaved through to the top five and started to pull away. The race lead swapped hands on the icy course several times, with poor line choices, traffic and tricky sections putting riders under pressure. Fortunately I was strong enough to put on a bit off pressure later in lap two, but ultimately the big Stannard lungs shone through and he led into T2.

Following on in the men&#039;s race, the jostle for third to sixth was tight with several regular faces battling it out and some new blood mixing it up. Meanwhile in the women&#039;s race, Kate Robson was smashing the field to pieces and threatening an impressive top 20 overall performance in the field of around 190.

After another 4km undulating dash down into the valley Stannard led home to secure victory in the race and take the series overall. No one can catch him now with three wins and one second on the scoreboard. I was pleased to put a marker down in second showing me that the winter training is on track and the bigger summer challenges I have planned with XTERRA France and the Inferno will be a good chance to really deliver.

Regular podium-maker Colin Dixon pulled out a great second run to claim third place although he cited the course as &#039;too technical&#039; for his biking skills. Got to be grateful for small mercies as the way he runs downhill is akin to a real fell runner.

Kate Robson piled home in first place and the only other word I heard  from the women&#039;s race was from poor Fay Cripps who was forced to retire after taking an unscheduled full body dip in the freezing lake whilst on the bike leg.


Kate Robson&#039;s report
After swearing last year that I&rsquo;d never do Tuffman again after coming off my bike three times and practically crying all the way around the gruelling bike course, I found myself getting up bright and early, travelling down on the icy motorway towards Pippingford. I was dreading it. But to retain my leading position in the series, I had to do it.

However, the conditions were completely different this year and rather than the very boggy, sticky mud of last year we were faced with freezing temperatures. So, after layering up to the max, my main concern actually turned out to be the frozen solid ground and trying not to sprain my ankle like I did at Mudman. So, with three base layers on, hat gloves, long socks and three quarter length leggings, I had definitely overdressed and was wishing I wasn&rsquo;t such a wimp.

The first run set off and as usual everyone goes for an all out 200m sprint to start. I steadily started overtaking the men, hoping to get a fast first run in, knowing that I would struggle on the technical bike section. All of the old faces had turned up for the men&rsquo;s race which was great to see, making for a fast race for them and Aileen Morrison had also turned up, keeping me in check. The first 8km run was all about keeping upright on the twisty and bumpy paths. It was a great recce of the bike course to come. I felt good and even had some of the top men in sight for much of the way. Nonetheless, the two long steep hills showed us who&rsquo;d been putting in some hill training (not me) and who was still carrying a bit of Christmas weight.

Coming into T1 in about 16th place overall, I was quite well up and then began the mountain bike journey around the 13 km bike course. There were lots of fast descents, technical single tracks and two long, energy sapping climbs. I would like to apologise for anyone who was stuck behind me on any section of the course! As with the previous races, I kept expecting Aileen to come past me on the bike, especially being the most technical of the courses so far, but I must have been going better than expected. To be honest, I was just happy to get round relatively unscathed and only fell off twice!

Going into the final run, I felt really good but it was pretty difficult to get going, running on the bumpy frozen grass and running sideways up hills but I did manage to catch a couple of men back up. Thankfully, it was a nice short final 4km run although the final kilometre took you up the last long hill of the day. Luckily I wasn&rsquo;t in a sprint finish for the end so I could steadily climb the hill although upsetting a lot of the people still cycling by passing them! In the end, I came in 21st overall, first woman and five minutes ahead of Aileen. Farah Azirar did really well to finish third, helping her to climb up the leader board in the overall standings. My thoughts go out to Fay Cripps who had to retire early after falling in the frozen lake on the bike leg. Hope you are recovering well.

In the men&rsquo;s race way ahead, Richard Stannard cited that he had a steady start saying that he didn&rsquo;t really like the twisty turny running conditions but he played to his strengths and soon caught up with the front men on the bike leg. It sounds like he had a pretty epic battle with second placed Jim McConnel but Richard pulled away on the long climb back up to transition. With a very fast second run, Richard won comfortably in the end. Colin Dixon had a very strong final run to finish third. Richard appears to have the race series in the bag but the other positions are all still to play for which will make an exciting race at Trailman!

I&#039;d like to say a massive thank you to all the marshals for braving the freezing temperatures, doing such a fantastic job and for cheering us on.

Full results are online HERE, the top places were:


	
		Pos
		Men
		Women
	
	
		1
		Richard Stannard 1:27:46
		Kate Robson 1:42:24
	
	
		2
		Jim McConnel 1:28:24
		Aileen Anderson 1:47:36
	
	
		3
		Colin Dixon 1:28:54
		Farah Azirar 1:56:43
	
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[City of Durham Duathlon 2012]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9583.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The City of Durham Duathlon is based at Meadowfield Leisure Centre in Durham and will be held on Sunday 29th April. The event comprises undulating runs around the adjacent parkland either side of a testing bike ride through County Durham. The bike split includes a one mile climb from Esh Winning to Stanley Crook, followed by a long fast descent on the return to Brandon.

Helen Tones, Race Organiser from Durham Tri commented, &ldquo;We hope that in Olympic year it will inspire first timers to give the sport a go and challenge themselves to complete a demanding but very do-able course for anyone with reasonable run-bike fitness. We always get good feedback from competitors for being a novice friendly event, so it is ideal as an Olympic year challenge!&rdquo;

Helen continued, &ldquo;As always we expect to attract a strong field from triathlon clubs in the region and the team prize will be hotly contested. We are adding chip timing this year and despite the additional cost the entry fee is only &pound;22 BTF, (&pound;19 for students). This means the City of Durham Duathlon will remain the best value for money race on the 2012 calendar&rdquo;.

Visit www.durhamtri.org for further event details and race briefing notes.
To enter on line visit www.entrylive.com]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Classic is the flavour at the London Duathlon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9581.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Organisers of The London Duathlon have announced that the new race distance introduced for this year&rsquo;s event has exceeded all expectations, and that more people are signed up to race it than any of the other distances on offer. It was announced in November that the Classic distance of 10km run, 40km bike and 5km run would be included for the first time in 2012, offering athletes the chance to race the official duathlon race distance. It has been confirmed that more than 40% of athletes already entered have chosen this race, and this is really promising for things to come.

Kevin Stewart, Managing Director of World Endurance UK said, &lsquo;We were confident that the new race distance was going to be popular,&rsquo; He continues, &lsquo;We have had very positive feedback from a number of athletes already, who appreciate us offering them the opportunity to race the official duathlon race distance. We are excited to welcome everyone along to take part.&rsquo;

Since its launch in 2005, the race has regularly attracted over 3,000 competitors making it the largest duathlon in the world, and it is especially exciting that competitors will get the chance to ride part of the Olympic cycle route, which itself passes through the famous park. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if you are new to the sport or a serious competitor as there are distances to suit everyone. Entrants can choose from a number of different race distances , starting with Fun (5km run, 10km bike, 5km run) up to Ultra (20km run, 80 km bike, 10 km run), and can enter as an individual or rally together some friends and race as a team. Regardless of age, fitness level or personal goals, this is a fun day out to be enjoyed by all.

Kevin confirms this saying, &lsquo;We are honoured to once again return to the stunning surroundings of Richmond Park to host our event. It is a great day out for the whole family and it is possible for everyone to get involved. There will be races for children from age 3 to 14, and any children 15 and over can take part in the Fun Distance race. There is something for everyone&rsquo;

Macmillan Cancer Support will be returning for the second year as the official charity of the event and will be offering competitors the chance to race for &lsquo;Team Macmillan&rsquo; and raise vital funds for people affected by cancer. There are over two million people living with cancer in the UK. Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support and pushing for better cancer care.

The London Duathlon takes place on Sunday 9th September 2012 at Richmond Park in London. For further information about the event and racing for Team Macmillan visit www.londonduathlon.co.uk or visit the Facebook page, London Duathlon.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Race Report: Wildman]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9558.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Despite pre-race concerns over her lack of training and a nagging back strain, Asics Off-Road Series leader Kate Robson made it to the start line at Hankley Common and maintained her unbroken run of wins. Here&#039;s her report:



After the festivities of Christmas and New Year, WildMan was set to be a real test of who had been putting in a little extra training over the holidays and who had been eating too many mince pies. Not to mention the inevitable colds and bugs going round at this time of year (I&#039;m speaking from personal experience on all of the above!). So turning up at Hankley Common, it was a relief to find some near perfect weather: mild and dry (if a little windy for some). The course had the usual Asics Off-road Series mixture of lots of very steep hills and waterways which seemed to be made more grueling by the sandy and rocky terrain.

In hot pursuit of a crocodile (yes, really...) the runners set off first. An impressive turnout in both the 10km and the 15km distances saw a field of over 300 runners soon strung out up the first ascent away from the start area. In the 10km run, David Hellard (a series regular) had a comfortable lead finishing in a quick 42:54, nearly two minutes clear of second place Stephen Winter.

An equally impressive winning margin decided the 15km race with Michael Hiscott taking the win in 59:47. The battle for second and third was settled with a sprint finish with Guy Bowles just getting the better of Sam Baxter on the line.

In the duathlon, it was a return to the format of race one in the series with a 10km run followed by 18km on the bike and a final 5km run. The course proved to be deceptive, although seemingly &lsquo;flat&rsquo; (in comparison to round one and two) the combination of steep inclines, rocky descents and long sandy stretches proved to be a test for even the best. It wasn&#039;t long before the first long steady climb of the day stretched the field of nearly 200 duathletes out and as usual the top men soon pulled out a clear lead over the large pack behind. We didn&rsquo;t see much of them for the rest of the race!



In the women&#039;s race all the series leaders were competing and there was everything to play for. Having had a very disrupted December and January through illness and then managing to sprain my back on Wednesday, I was deliberating whether to race at all and finally made my decision to race after having a tentative warm up before the start of the race. All I wanted to do was get round and finish so that I could contend in the series points leader board. So I set off steadily and didn&#039;t push myself. Whether it was the sandy terrain or just how I was feeling, I never really got going and was sure Aileen or Fay would catch up eventually. The hills were as steep as ever and there was a nice freezing cold pond to wade through up to the thighs for about 10 metres, which I have to say, was a welcome relief on the third lap when the cramp started to kick in.

In first place after the first 10 km run, I felt the burn in my legs on the first stretch of the bike. I personally found the sandy stretches pretty tricky but somehow managed to stay on my bike. I kept looking over my shoulder for Aileen as she is usually a couple of minutes quicker on the bike but she didn&#039;t materialise so I knew I had it in the bag once I got onto the last run and just had to get round. It&#039;ll be interesting to see whether the next two duathlons have a more technical bike course, because then I think I might have a bit more to worry about! So in the end, Aileen came in a strong second and Fay Cripps came in third, an excellent result considering she had a nasty bike crash in November resulting in cracked ribs and nerve damage.

In the men&#039;s race, it was all change at the front with Cedric Lassonde (Tri UK) giving Richard Stannard a run for his money. Cedric led from the word go and had a phenomenally quick first run that saw him enter the bike section over two minutes ahead of second place. A strong bike leg and final run meant he finished 2:48 minutes ahead of Richard in a time of 1:52:01. Paul Davis had his best race of the series, finishing in third in 2:01:48.

With the TuffMan in less than two weeks there is little time to cram in any last minute training; with long climbs, some technical bike sections and the inevitable dollop of mud the TuffMan at Pippingford promises to be an equally exciting and close-fought race. See you on the start line!]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Race Report: Wadenhoe Winter Challenge 3]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9553.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[With no appreciable winter rainfall this third race in the series (January 15th) was set to be another fast one.  Only the frosty  surface made for slightly tricky conditions for the less experienced. The bog alongside the river was pretty tame with barely ankle-deep mud to negotiate.

With a fairly small field (5 in the quad and 20 in the run/bike/run), the r/b/r was always going to be dominated by Jez Cox, a former number 1 in the national duathlon rankings.  Jez led out with 15 year old Tom Stead (racing in the Quad) hot on his heels. The field had spread out a fair bit by the second run lap although positions 2 to 6 were still anyone&rsquo;s with the tough and technical bike leg to come.  Current leader in the r/b/r competition, Steve Giles was holding onto second place with Wadenhoe rookies Dave Briggs, Alex Fernadez-Navamaro and Matt Wootton in hot pursuit.  Dave Rayment (MV40) was also in contention.

Jez stretched out his lead and eventually finished in 56 minutes 38 seconds (a new record!).  Steve Giles finished second in 59 minutes and 9 seconds (also first MV40).  Glen McGowan was first MV50 in 64 mins 24 seconds.

An old hand at Wadenhoe, Patrick Schlabetter, returned for the first time this series and showed us just how strong he (still!) is on a bike posting 35 minutes with a  total time of 1:07:12.

The ladies r/b/r race was won by Hayley Abraham in a time of  1:15:10 while Naomi Brewer came in second in 1:20:24.

The Quad was won by Tom Stead in 1:21:47 with Keith Reid second in 1:30:35.  First lady was Roz Giles in 1:34:22.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[British Elite Duathlon Champs to kick-off 2012 season]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9539.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The British Elite Duathlon Championships will start the 2012 elite season when over 200 athletes race at Prestwold Hall Airfield in Loughborough on Sunday 25 March.

In 2011, trigold graduate Mark Buckingham narrowly beat Todd Leckie to claim his first title in the sport. Mark added his name to an illustrious list of recent winners including current triathlon world champion, Alistair Brownlee and former triathlon world champion, Tim Don.

It was a good year for Mark, who also came fourth in the British Elite Triathlon Championships and finished seventh overall in the hotly contested 2011 edition of the British Triathlon Super Series..

In the women&rsquo;s event, Non Stanford had an equally close finish beating Gillian Saunders to the title by just three seconds. Non went on to have a successful season taking top-10 finishes at the ITU Triathlon World Cup in Ishigaki, the ITU Triathlon European Cup in Antalya and the ITU Sprint Triathlon Pan American Cup in Clermont.

The event will also see some of Britain&rsquo;s finest youngsters compete at the British Elite Duathlon Youth and Junior Championships, which is also the inaugural race of the 2012 British Triathlon Youth and Junior Super Series. Sky Draper and Miles Burton won last year&rsquo;s youth races with Lucy Hall and Matthew Wright claiming the junior titles.

Both Miles and Lucy went on to win the overall 2011 British Triathlon Youth and Junior Super Series titles respectively, proving the early season duathlon can be a good indicator for which athletes to watch for the rest of the season.

Ian Braid, British Triathlon Director for Major and National Events is delighted that the 2012 elite season is getting underway commenting: &ldquo;The British Elite Duathlon Championships have given us some exciting races and I expect 2012&rsquo;s event to be just as memorable. This year is going to be an exciting year for British Triathlon with the Olympic Triathlon events on the 4 and 7 August, and I am confident that our event in March will get the season off to a great start.&rdquo;

The event is organised by Just Racing (UK) on behalf of British Triathlon. For more information or to enter please visit: www.justracinguk.com

]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Appetiser Duathlon report]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9531.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[What a fantastic start to the year for No Fuss Events! Eighty-five participants turned out for the first course of the Winter Feast; the Appetiser Duathlon. The venue, changed for 2012 because of ongoing issues with a bridge on National Trust property in Glencoe and fallen trees, was Glen Nevis. Although cold it was good for January, considering what we could have. As if to remind us that this was winter in the Highlands a group of climbers heading to the ice falls in the corrie behind registration walked through and chatted cheerfully about the day ahead, fully kitted in winter mountaineering kit with ice axes and crampons at the ready.

There was a great vibe around the start area as the hardened event attendees warmed up, selected the best spots in transition and prepared for the day ahead, it was great to see new faces and others who were sticking to New Year resolutions. The race started a couple of minutes late, just to prove this was truly a No Fuss event and of course it was no bother to wait whilst last minute adjustments were made.

The run course was 3.7km and climbed on a nice hill path along the side of the glen, winding its way past the lower falls and the gurgling gorge before crossing the river and descending back down the single-track road to transition.  The top three set out their stalls early, opening a three minute lead in the first section.

With only 30 seconds separating the first three it was all about transition. Henry Blake was first to leave transition closely followed by Tim Brand and Barry Sturrock. Louise Crilley was first lady back from the run, Marie Meldrum had the fastest cycle leg on her new 29er Trek. Marie and Louise went on to finish second and third ladies.

The bike course was a mixture of tar and forestry fire road, bike and tyre choice had been a hot topic of conversation at registration. Ultimately it was the choice of mountain bike with slick tyre and Henry Blake from Strathpeffer onboard, who put in the fastest ride of the day in a little under 26 minutes, he claimed the lead and ultimately the victory on the day. Julie Wilson from Inverness took victory in the female categories with a total time of 1 hour 7 minutes.

All in all it was a great day and the Nevis Centre in Fort William provided a great venue for prize giving and for everyone to eat and reflect, enjoy one another&rsquo;s company and make plans to meet again at the next event. For full results and forthcoming events see the No Fuss website.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Win a Timex GPS with DB Max]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9509.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[To celebrate the launch of the Big Adventure Store Spring Duathlon Series 2012, DB Max have a top-drawer offer to kick off the year. Everyone who enters one of the duathlon races by the end of January will be entered into a prize draw for a Timex Ironman Race Trainer Kit (worth &amp;pound;149.99)! If you enter more than one race in the series you receive a draw ticket for each race.

The three-race duathlon series comprises the TBAS Chilly Duathlon (February 26th), the Stephen Graver Ashton Duathlon (April 1st) and the TBAS Hullavington Duathlon (April 25th). The races will feature DB Max Race Timing, the fastest-lap challenge (Chilly and Hullavington), the &#039;King of the Hill&#039; challenge (Ashton), goody bags, race medals, an on-site multisport shop and bike stand, hot food and refreshments and more!

The Timex Ironman Race Trainer is feature-packed and includes a downloadable HRM system, a digital heart rate sensor and strap, the Data Xchanger USB device and the Timex Ironman online training software powered by TrainingPeaks&amp;trade;.

For more details and to grab a race slot for the Big Adventure Store Spring Duathlon Series 2012, click here. Stay up to date with DB Max race updates on Twitter at @dbmaxwill.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Clumber Classic Duathlon returns]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9479.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Looking for an added bonus - and who isn&#039;t in these tough economic times - then anyone entering the Clumber Classic and Sprint Duathlon from (One Step Beyond), before 15th January will receive in return a &amp;pound;5 voucher to use at Total Fitness Nottingham. The event takes place on Saturday 24th March 2012 in Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire. Full details below.



Athletes looking to get a head start on their summer season  are being offered an extra incentive to enter the Clumber Classic and Sprint  Duathlon events on 24 March 2012. Everyone entering by 15th Jan will receive a &amp;pound;5  voucher for Total Fitness Nottingham, as well as a free entry into the draw to  win a night at the Clumber Park Hotel &amp;amp; Spa worth over &amp;pound;100.

Clumber Park, a beautiful National Trust owned landscape in North Nottinghamshire, has hosted triathlon and duathlon events since 1999. This year&#039;s event will offer seasoned athletes and novices the opportunity to race on a tried and tested course, and first-timers in particular will enjoy a slightly more relaxed atmosphere this year as it&#039;s not hosting the National Championships.

The Classic distance covers a 10km run, 40km cycle and 5km  run, whilst the sprint event covers half of those distances. The run course is  on closed roads around the park; with the bike course using Europe&#039;s longest lime tree lined avenue, and quiet country roads around it. The park itself has over 20 miles of traffic-free cycle routes, offering an ideal day out for  all the family.

Previous winners and top finishers include elite triathlete,  Mark Buckingham, professional long distance athletes, Jon Hotchkiss and Lucy  Gossage, and Great Britain internationals Dan McCarthy and Rich Hobby. Due to the date change this year, the event will not act as the National  Championships, therefore making it friendlier for first timers looking to  sharpen up before the warmer weather and triathlon season arrives.

Lucy Gossage commented: &amp;ldquo;Finishing second at the Clumber  Duathlon last year was a great start to a successful season, and the first of  many battles with Eimear Mullan. It&#039;s always a good measure of how your winter  training has gone to do a duathlon, and focus your mind on the months ahead.  Clumber is a great race in a fantastic location. I hope to be back this  year.&amp;rdquo;

Entries are open and available on www.onestepbeyond.org.uk. Just 500 entries per event will be accepted, so  don&#039;t delay, enter now before this popular event fills up!]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Venue change for TriFerris]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_9466.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Due to the recent death of Earl Bathurst, TriFerris have been informed that no events will be allowed in Cirencester Park until further notice, so they have switched to another venue for their Off Road Duathlon on 12th February: Charlton Park.

Charlton Park is located on the edge of the Cotswolds, near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, with the entrance situated on the A429 Cirencester/Malmesbury Road, SN16 9DG located between Junction 17 of the M4 and Cirencester. This private Estate is the home of The Earl and Countess of Suffolk and Berkshire and extends to 4500 acres which is made up of grassland, woods and gardens.

The off-road course will be very similar to the Cirencester course with a mix of wooded trails, grass and tracks, with a flattish run and undulating bike course over the same distances and same number of laps as previous events and with beautiful views, free parking, chip timing, secure transition, toilets, food vendor, mementos, prizes and ideal for both experienced and novice competitors. 

Please note this park is not open to the public at any other time.

Further details will be available on the TriFerris website.
]]></description></item></channel></rss>
