After a hiatus in 2016, the premier off-road triathlon series Xterra is to return to Britain in June 2017. Xterra UK will be taking place on June 4 at UWC Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
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The race will be contained to the college’s campus, with a two-lap sea swim starting from their slipway, while the four-lap bike leg will take in all of the 166 acres of the campus, including prime woodlands, open spaces and costal fields.
The bike trail has been designed by Dafydd Davis, who is a MTB Hall of Famer, with the international off-road series returning to Wales for the first time since 2008 (Vachery in Surrey, pictured, had been the recent host of Xterra UK).
The trail run will be a brutal three lap course that takes you up the steep steps through the formal gardens and through the castle, around the campus and through a small section of woods. Confirmed athletes competing so far include 2015 Xterra European Champion Lesley Paterson, Ben Allen and Jacqui Slack.
Xterra: 16 tips for race day from Ben Allen & Jacqui Slack
All the proceeds from the event will go towards funding two student scholarships at Atlantic college, one for a youngster from Wales and the second for a Syrian refugee.
After a hiatus in 2016, the premier off-road triathlon series Xterra is to return to Britain in June 2017. Xterra UK will be taking place on June 4 at UWC Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
Advertisement
The race will be contained to the college’s campus, with a two-lap sea swim starting from their slipway, while the four-lap bike leg will take in all of the 166 acres of the campus, including prime woodlands, open spaces and costal fields.
The bike trail has been designed by Dafydd Davis, who is a MTB Hall of Famer, with the international off-road series returning to Wales for the first time since 2008 (Vachery in Surrey, pictured, had been the recent host of Xterra UK).
The trail run will be a brutal three lap course that takes you up the steep steps through the formal gardens and through the castle, around the campus and through a small section of woods. Confirmed athletes competing so far include 2015 Xterra European Champion Lesley Paterson, Ben Allen and Jacqui Slack.
Xterra: 16 tips for race day from Ben Allen & Jacqui Slack
All the proceeds from the event will go towards funding two student scholarships at Atlantic college, one for a youngster from Wales and the second for a Syrian refugee.
The line up for Challenge Roth on 17 July line up to include World Champion Daniela Ryf from Switzerland, who is number 10 in our top 10 female triathletes of all time. She will join fellow world champion Jan Frodeno, who is aiming to beat the iron-distance world record at Roth. Roth will be the only race outside of the Ironman World Championships at Kona, Hawaii where both current world champions will race.
Ryf entered Roth after being unable to finish Ironman Frankfurt due to health reasons.
“After I unfortunately couldn’t finish the race in Frankfurt for reasons already known, we changed our plan. I’m really looking forward to being on the Roth start line and being able to experience the legendary atmosphere of this race!”
For Challenge Roth organiser, Felix Walchshöfer, the last-minute entry from the world champion is most welcome. “I can’t put into words how happy I am to have both world champions at this legendary race. Daniela brings even more to our already strong women’s field. The eyes of the triathlon world will be on us as we celebrate triathlon and the 15th anniversary of Challenge Roth on 17 July, together with the best athletes in the world.”
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Are you heading to Roth? Check out our Challenge Roth race tips
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The line up for Challenge Roth on 17 July line up to include World Champion Daniela Ryf from Switzerland, who is number 10 in our top 10 female triathletes of all time. She will join fellow world champion Jan Frodeno, who is aiming to beat the iron-distance world record at Roth. Roth will be the only race outside of the Ironman World Championships at Kona, Hawaii where both current world champions will race.
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Ryf entered Roth after being unable to finish Ironman Frankfurt due to health reasons.
“After I unfortunately couldn’t finish the race in Frankfurt for reasons already known, we changed our plan. I’m really looking forward to being on the Roth start line and being able to experience the legendary atmosphere of this race!”
For Challenge Roth organiser, Felix Walchshöfer, the last-minute entry from the world champion is most welcome. “I can’t put into words how happy I am to have both world champions at this legendary race. Daniela brings even more to our already strong women’s field. The eyes of the triathlon world will be on us as we celebrate triathlon and the 15th anniversary of Challenge Roth on 17 July, together with the best athletes in the world.”
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Are you heading to Roth? Check out our Challenge Roth race tips
Related
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey Reigning Ironman world champions conquer in Dubai Jan Frodeno’s 10 top tips for stepping up to iron distance
Swallow led from the first. She was the first woman out of the water in a time of 00:24:18, and was 8th overall after catching the male pros.
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On the bike she hung on to the top spot but fellow country woman Kimberley Morrison came close and they continued their bike ride shoulder to shoulder. Morrison made it to the transition first—but only three seconds ahead of chasing Swallow who had a faster transition and was first on the run course.
On the half marathon Swallow increased the gap and simply ran away toward the finish line. She took the victory in Jönköping in 04:19:19. Morrison stayed in second position for a while but was unable to keep the pace, she was overtaken by Swedish hope Asa Lundström who slowly but surely came closer from behind. Lundström finished took home a second place finish in 04:24:58, while Morrison rounded out the podium in third with a time of 04:25:20.
The one-lap swim was held in the spectator friendly Lake Munksjön, the flat bike course lead through the beautiful villages and lakes around Jönköping. While the two and half loop run was held in the city centre with crowds of spectators cheering on an exciting race.
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Top 5 Pro Men
1
Dreitz, Andreas
DEU
0:24:27
2:05:59
1:14:22
3:49:45
2
Van Lierde, Frederik
BEL
0:23:38
2:09:32
1:14:47
3:52:40
3
Cunnama, James
ZAF
0:23:41
2:09:02
1:15:54
3:53:01
4
Dirksmeier, Partrick
DEU
0:23:36
2:16:55
1:10:49
3:55:55
5
Seifert, Florian
DEU
0:24:23
2:09:11
1:18:08
3:56:13
Swallow led from the first. She was the first woman out of the water in a time of 00:24:18, and was 8th overall after catching the male pros.
Advertisement
On the bike she hung on to the top spot but fellow country woman Kimberley Morrison came close and they continued their bike ride shoulder to shoulder. Morrison made it to the transition first—but only three seconds ahead of chasing Swallow who had a faster transition and was first on the run course.
On the half marathon Swallow increased the gap and simply ran away toward the finish line. She took the victory in Jönköping in 04:19:19. Morrison stayed in second position for a while but was unable to keep the pace, she was overtaken by Swedish hope Asa Lundström who slowly but surely came closer from behind. Lundström finished took home a second place finish in 04:24:58, while Morrison rounded out the podium in third with a time of 04:25:20.
The one-lap swim was held in the spectator friendly Lake Munksjön, the flat bike course lead through the beautiful villages and lakes around Jönköping. While the two and half loop run was held in the city centre with crowds of spectators cheering on an exciting race.
Ironman 70.3 Hefei will offer 50 age group slots and Ironman 70.3 Xiamen will offer 40 allocated proportionally for the 2017 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. The remaining 10 slots will be awarded to top performing athletes who complete both races.
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The move, declared by Ironman CEO Andrew Messick in an email to all registered Ironman athletes, makes them the only Ironman 70.3 (1.9km swim/90km bike/21km run) triathlons in the world to provide standard age-group qualification slots for Ironman’s flagship 3.8km/180km/42.2km event, held in Hawaii since 1978.
Ironman 70.3 Hefei takes place in an iconic capital city in the eastern China Anhui Province. Hefei boasts a local culture and history that dates back more than 2,000 years. Well known both at home and abroad as a historic site famous for the Three Kingdoms Period, it’s also the hometown of Lord Bao.
Located between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River and beside the Chaohu Lake, the city boasts an impressive collection of botanical gardens, temples, and other historical sites to help make your visit truly memorable.
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At Ironman 70.3 Xiamen, located on the southeast coast of China, athletes will be treated to the picturesque Island Ring Road and coastal avenues on the mainland that reflect the seaside city. The city’s name means “Garden of the Sea,” and it is both a modern port city and a prestigious tourist destination.
Ironman 70.3 Hefei will offer 50 age group slots and Ironman 70.3 Xiamen will offer 40 allocated proportionally for the 2017 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. The remaining 10 slots will be awarded to top performing athletes who complete both races.
Advertisement
The move, declared by Ironman CEO Andrew Messick in an email to all registered Ironman athletes, makes them the only Ironman 70.3 (1.9km swim/90km bike/21km run) triathlons in the world to provide standard age-group qualification slots for Ironman’s flagship 3.8km/180km/42.2km event, held in Hawaii since 1978.
Ironman 70.3 Hefei takes place in an iconic capital city in the eastern China Anhui Province. Hefei boasts a local culture and history that dates back more than 2,000 years. Well known both at home and abroad as a historic site famous for the Three Kingdoms Period, it’s also the hometown of Lord Bao.
Located between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River and beside the Chaohu Lake, the city boasts an impressive collection of botanical gardens, temples, and other historical sites to help make your visit truly memorable.
Advertisement
At Ironman 70.3 Xiamen, located on the southeast coast of China, athletes will be treated to the picturesque Island Ring Road and coastal avenues on the mainland that reflect the seaside city. The city’s name means “Garden of the Sea,” and it is both a modern port city and a prestigious tourist destination.
Ironman UK is the original UK long-distance race, with colourful crowds and a famous finish line experience. But how do you conquer the logistics, lumpy bike and lapped run of Bolton?
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Our step-by-step pre-race, swim, bike and run guide is provided by 2015 finisher Janine Doggett (click here to visit Janine’s ‘Triathlove’ blog!) and you’ll find various useful titbits from other finishers, plus stats and a bike course profile too…
PRE-RACE
Lanzarote it isn’t, yet modest Bolton provides an incredible Ironman race. The locality and calm lake swim make it an ideal first-time choice, while the bike course will challenge the toughest of riders. We named Ironman UK 7th in our top 10 European iron-distance races suitable for first timers.
It’s a good idea to recce the course before, and Pennington Flash offers swimming every Saturday morning before the big day. On race day, getting to the start is easy, but leave time to find the nutrition and post-race bag drop area as this isn’t immediately obvious.
THE SWIM
The race kicks off at 6am with a two-lap swim and, despite the quiet nervousness of over 2,000 people in neoprene, the well-organised start pens help to calm you before setting off.
The Flash is a decent temp (19°C in 2015) and there’s plenty of space to find your rhythm, but the water can be choppy. The buoys are easy to spot and the Aussie exit between laps is great for mentally breaking down the swim.
Go to page two to continue reading our mega guide to Ironman UK
THE BIKE
After a short run to T1, a two-lap course through beautiful Lancashire countryside awaits. With 1,641m of ascent, Sheep House Lane is a tough 3km star of the show. There’s a technical bit at the foot of the descent that can catch people out – it’s marked but stay on guard (and ideally on your bike!).
Some sections are spookily quiet, but there’s sensational sporadic support en route, with locals sporting some outrageous outfits! At the Macron Stadium and T2 (it’s a split transition) there’s no assistance in racking your bike so be ready to find your number. The T2 tent offers a slightly larger privacy screen than T1, so if you want fresh kit for the run you can strip off.
The Bolton Bike course – provided by Veloviewer
A graphic showing the route and elevation profile of the Ironman UK bike course. Click here to see the full breakdown on veloviewer.com
The Ironman UK 180km bike course starts with a 22km ride from Pennington Flash to Anderton, where the first of two bike laps begins. The route flows over Rivington Reservoir before the ‘fun’ starts with the Sheep House Lane climb at 30km, which rises to an elevation of 327m. From 35km there’s a long, mostly downhill section before a tricky ascent at High Moor at 78km before lap two starts at the 100km point. T2 is the Macron Stadium in Bolton.
Go to the last page to find out some invaluable Ironman UK run tips
THE RUN
There’s a 10km point-to-point route before the lapped 8km course, which makes it up to 42.2km. It’s mostly flat but the laps are mentally challenging and, as it’s in a built-up area, there aren’t many nice views. The aid stations every 4km offer bananas, sugary drinks and a bucket-load of cheers!
Lucy Gossage, who stormed to victory in 2015, takes on the Bolton run course. Credit: Getty Images
Having visited it three times already, the finisher funnel will feel like an old inflatable friend by the time you reach it. Ironman UK finishes at 11pm before it’s packed up fast, as if it were all just a beautiful dream of lactic acid, Lycra and ecstatic tears!
Ironman UK stats and figures
Average water temp: 16-19°C Bike elevation: 1,641m Run elevation: 290m 2015 DNF rate: 8% 2015 median finish time: 13:44:21
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Ironman UK kicks off on Sunday July 17th 2016, more information can be found on the Ironman UK website. A big thanks goes to Janine, Veloviewer and all our other contributors for helping 220 put this guide together. Do you have some need-to-know tips of your own, or anything else to add? Let us know in the comments!
Ironman UK is the original UK long-distance race, with colourful crowds and a famous finish line experience. But how do you conquer the logistics, lumpy bike and lapped run of Bolton?
Advertisement
Our step-by-step pre-race, swim, bike and run guide is provided by 2015 finisher Janine Doggett (click here to visit Janine’s ‘Triathlove’ blog!) and you’ll find various useful titbits from other finishers, plus stats and a bike course profile too…
PRE-RACE
Lanzarote it isn’t, yet modest Bolton provides an incredible Ironman race. The locality and calm lake swim make it an ideal first-time choice, while the bike course will challenge the toughest of riders. We named Ironman UK 7th in our top 10 European iron-distance races suitable for first timers.
It’s a good idea to recce the course before, and Pennington Flash offers swimming every Saturday morning before the big day. On race day, getting to the start is easy, but leave time to find the nutrition and post-race bag drop area as this isn’t immediately obvious.
THE SWIM
The race kicks off at 6am with a two-lap swim and, despite the quiet nervousness of over 2,000 people in neoprene, the well-organised start pens help to calm you before setting off.
The Flash is a decent temp (19°C in 2015) and there’s plenty of space to find your rhythm, but the water can be choppy. The buoys are easy to spot and the Aussie exit between laps is great for mentally breaking down the swim.
Go to page two to continue reading our mega guide to Ironman UK
THE BIKE
After a short run to T1, a two-lap course through beautiful Lancashire countryside awaits. With 1,641m of ascent, Sheep House Lane is a tough 3km star of the show. There’s a technical bit at the foot of the descent that can catch people out – it’s marked but stay on guard (and ideally on your bike!).
Some sections are spookily quiet, but there’s sensational sporadic support en route, with locals sporting some outrageous outfits! At the Macron Stadium and T2 (it’s a split transition) there’s no assistance in racking your bike so be ready to find your number. The T2 tent offers a slightly larger privacy screen than T1, so if you want fresh kit for the run you can strip off.
The Bolton Bike course – provided by Veloviewer
A graphic showing the route and elevation profile of the Ironman UK bike course. Click here to see the full breakdown on veloviewer.com
The Ironman UK 180km bike course starts with a 22km ride from Pennington Flash to Anderton, where the first of two bike laps begins. The route flows over Rivington Reservoir before the ‘fun’ starts with the Sheep House Lane climb at 30km, which rises to an elevation of 327m. From 35km there’s a long, mostly downhill section before a tricky ascent at High Moor at 78km before lap two starts at the 100km point. T2 is the Macron Stadium in Bolton.
Go to the last page to find out some invaluable Ironman UK run tips
THE RUN
There’s a 10km point-to-point route before the lapped 8km course, which makes it up to 42.2km. It’s mostly flat but the laps are mentally challenging and, as it’s in a built-up area, there aren’t many nice views. The aid stations every 4km offer bananas, sugary drinks and a bucket-load of cheers!
Lucy Gossage, who stormed to victory in 2015, takes on the Bolton run course. Credit: Getty Images
Having visited it three times already, the finisher funnel will feel like an old inflatable friend by the time you reach it. Ironman UK finishes at 11pm before it’s packed up fast, as if it were all just a beautiful dream of lactic acid, Lycra and ecstatic tears!
Ironman UK stats and figures
Average water temp: 16-19°C Bike elevation: 1,641m Run elevation: 290m 2015 DNF rate: 8% 2015 median finish time: 13:44:21
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Ironman UK kicks off on Sunday July 17th 2016, more information can be found on the Ironman UK website. A big thanks goes to Janine, Veloviewer and all our other contributors for helping 220 put this guide together. Do you have some need-to-know tips of your own, or anything else to add? Let us know in the comments!