Pop star-turned-West End lead Harry Judd led the way as the amateurs took the stage on Sunday at the London T100 Triathlon, which saw more than 5,000 take part across the weekend.
They ranged from experienced triathletes tackling the T100 distance (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) to first-time swim, bike and run participants taking on Super Sprint (400m swim, 10km bike, 2.5km run), Sprint (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) and Olympic (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run) distance triathlons as well as Team Relays.
Last year it was Team Ramsay including Adam Peaty who made the headlines, this time Judd, who is set to star as Coach Bolton in the upcoming 20th-anniversary of Disney classic High School Musical starting on 12 October.
He completed the Olympic distance triathlon in 2hrs34mins [31:37 swim; 1:12:54 bike; 40:40 run].
“You should just do it [a triathlon],” he said afterwards. “I spoke to people out there today who have never done a triathlon before and they are out there doing it. These things seem so daunting but honestly you can do anything. The atmosphere was great and it’s a brilliantly run event. Don’t think twice, just do it.”
Tour pro getting quicker
Alex Dowsett, the former British professional road cyclist, took on the T100 and enjoyed the experience, finishing in 4hrs01min39secs [31:56 swim; 1:59:29 bike; 1:22:12 run].
“I enjoyed it. It’s my second triathlon of this distance and I managed this much better than I managed the last one.”
“It’s longer. It sounds silly, but it’s like a longer effort at threshold. On the road cycling World Tour you’ve got mountains where you’re doing sustained periods of an hour at threshold, but nothing to this extent.”
“There’s so much polarization in the world at the moment, but sport just has this wonderful ability to bring everyone together and you feel that here. You see it on the Alpe d’Huez at the Tour as well…and that’s magical.”
TV showdown
In the battle of the triathlon’s top TV commentators, it was the T100’s Matt Baker who prevailed ahead of the WTCS’s [World Triathlon Championship Series] Will McCloy.
The younger man finishing in 4hrs31mins38secs [38:13 swim; 2:28:02 bike; 1:19:05 run] and Will in 4hrs38mins27secs [32:42 swim; 2:27:29 bike; 1:30 run].
Debut for rugby star
Meanwhile on Saturday, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw did his first ever triathlon.
Competing alongside his BBC Strictly Come Dancing co-star and professional dancer Julian Caillon, they both did an Olympic distance triathlon, which included a 1.5km swim in Royal Victoria Dock, a 40km bike ride around the Docklands and then a 10km run around London’s Excel Centre.
“I was excited when I got here,” said Robshaw, who finished in 3hrs14mins59secs (38mins13secs swim; 1hr31mins21secs bike; 53mins31secs run).
“But then I got in the water, and honestly, on my first lap, it’s like I forgot how to swim.”
“I couldn’t breathe, and it was so hard. That first lap was so hard. I thought I might not get back in. Then I got back in and the second lap was all right, and the bike and the run were actually the quickest I’ve done. To finish with 3:14:59, I’m really pleased with that, considering I wanted to do sub-four hours.”
“It’s been a great experience. The crowd’s been amazing. I’m still in one piece, which is important…and loved it.”
The two were raising money for the Kerslake-Robshaw Foundation, which funds projects across the UK that help young people facing barriers build confidence, improve wellbeing, find belonging and unlock their potential.
