The great and the good of the triathlon world will be descending on a venue in London in just a few days’ time for the star-studded event that is the annual 220 Triathlon Awards. What’s more, tickets are now on general sale, so if your triathlon club fancy a night to remember, you have the chance to join us!
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The awards will be held on Saturday 9th April at Stratford Old Town Hall and will celebrate the very best of our sport. With 300 athletes, coaches and industry names attending, as well as the 220 Triathlon team, you’ll have the chance to mix with many familiar (and new!) faces from triathlon.
The evening includes a drinks reception, three-course dinner and fantastic entertainment including an inspirational talk from Olympian Derek Redmond. You’ll also have the chance to see the winners announced live as they take to the stage to receive their awards from Derek Redmond and 220 Editor Helen Webster.
Tickets are priced at £75 each, but we’re offering triathlon clubs the chance to reserve a table of 10 for just £500. Availability is on a strict first-come first-served basis, so don’t miss out!
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Email [email protected] to find out more and to reserve your tickets.
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American triathlete Gwen Jorgensen continued her dominating winning streak with a win at the 2016 ITU World Cup in New Plymouth, with Kiwi triathlete Andrea Hewitt coming second and Kirsten Kasper (USA) coming third.
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“I have been in New Plymouth for a couple weeks now because my coach is originally from here and it has been great, the community has been so welcoming. I have loved being here,” Jorgensen said.
“I came here, there was a lot of good and tough athletes, a lot of fast swimmers so it was a good test. We were really pushing it on the swim, the bike and the run, so it was a really hard race. Next week I will start my WTS debut I guess for 2016 in Gold Coast, but the sole focus for me in August 20th, the Rio Olympics, so all of this has just been kind of training for that.”
South Africa’s Marie Rabie, Gwen Jorgensen (USA) AND Carolina Routier (ESP) led the 750m swim and a front pack of 22 led the tight, technical 20km bike course.
The front pack worked well to consolidate the break over the chasing group and after the second lap was out to 35sec. On the final 5km of the bike it was clear the winners would come from the front group with Hewitt at the head along with Rabie, Routier, Emma Jeffcoat (AUS) and Jorgensen keeping the pace high.
Jorgensen dismounted from the bike in 13th place but made short work of the run to get to the front where she battled with Hewitt for victory.
How to run like Gwen Jorgensen
“I did not know what to expect today, this was my first race of the season for me,” said Hewitt. “My training has gone really well and I came here wanting a good result. I was pleased that Gwen was racing; we had a good battle out there, especially on the first lap of the run.
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“I started on the left on the swim and I tried to stay on Carolina Routier’s feet, but it didn’t happen because I was just in the back of the front group getting on the bike. But I felt really strong today; we worked really hard on the bike to stay away from that second group.”
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American triathlete Gwen Jorgensen continued her dominating winning streak with a win at the 2016 ITU World Cup in New Plymouth, with Kiwi triathlete Andrea Hewitt coming second and Kirsten Kasper (USA) coming third.
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“I have been in New Plymouth for a couple weeks now because my coach is originally from here and it has been great, the community has been so welcoming. I have loved being here,” Jorgensen said.
“I came here, there was a lot of good and tough athletes, a lot of fast swimmers so it was a good test. We were really pushing it on the swim, the bike and the run, so it was a really hard race. Next week I will start my WTS debut I guess for 2016 in Gold Coast, but the sole focus for me in August 20th, the Rio Olympics, so all of this has just been kind of training for that.”
South Africa’s Marie Rabie, Gwen Jorgensen (USA) AND Carolina Routier (ESP) led the 750m swim and a front pack of 22 led the tight, technical 20km bike course.
The front pack worked well to consolidate the break over the chasing group and after the second lap was out to 35sec. On the final 5km of the bike it was clear the winners would come from the front group with Hewitt at the head along with Rabie, Routier, Emma Jeffcoat (AUS) and Jorgensen keeping the pace high.
Jorgensen dismounted from the bike in 13th place but made short work of the run to get to the front where she battled with Hewitt for victory.
How to run like Gwen Jorgensen
“I did not know what to expect today, this was my first race of the season for me,” said Hewitt. “My training has gone really well and I came here wanting a good result. I was pleased that Gwen was racing; we had a good battle out there, especially on the first lap of the run.
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“I started on the left on the swim and I tried to stay on Carolina Routier’s feet, but it didn’t happen because I was just in the back of the front group getting on the bike. But I felt really strong today; we worked really hard on the bike to stay away from that second group.”
Horton celebrated victory after completing the sprint distance course in 54:16 to finish 10 seconds clear of Calum Johnson in 54:26, while former Commonwealth Games representative, Liam Lloyd, clocked 54:35 to take the final podium spot.
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Horton said: “Being crowned national champion feels really good, it’s taken a while to become a senior champion but it’s a big relief to finally win this event. I knew that there would be some strong boys racing today such as Calum Johnson and Liam Lloyd, along with a number of others, but a group of seven of us got away on the bike and we worked together really well.
“The course was really cool, it was challenging but a really interesting venue compared to previous National Duathlon Championships.”
>>> First ever Windsor Duathlon route revealed
In the women’s event, reigning ITU Duathlon World Champion, Emma Pallant, won for for the third year in succession in a time of 1:02:57, over a minute clear of former Olympian and Pallant’s coach, Michelle Dillon who finished in 1:04:02. Gillian Palmer took bronze in 1:04:14.
Pallant said: “It was a great experience to be racing with my coach (Michelle Dillon), I had fun out on the course and the event went really well. This year I’m aiming to defend my World Duathlon Championship title as well as having a go at 70.3 racing. I’ve got a huge amount to learn, having never time-trialled before but I’m really excited about getting a year of experience in.”
In the British Elite Paraduathlon Championships, Bret Crossley (PT1) was the first across the line, finishing the race in 1:04:30 to fend off Mark Conway, who finished in second. Lizzie Tench picked up the women’s PT1 honours.
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Tench said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to bits with the win today. Having just found out that PT1 racing will be involved in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, it’s a real goal to aim for and races like this are great to prepare. I really enjoyed it. It’s a beautiful park. A tough course, but I enjoyed it.”
PT4 athlete, Chris Frost, won his category, as did Faye McClelland (PT4) in the women’s race; pipping Ruth Wilson to the post.
McClelland said: “It was a really tough race today, I had Ruth (Wilson) by my side the whole way which kept me on my toes. The bike was undulating, so that was quite challenging, but all in all it was really good.”
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Related:
Windsor Duathlon to host five British Championship titles
Duathlon race day: 12 tips for success
12-step guide to mastering duathlon
Horton celebrated victory after completing the sprint distance course in 54:16 to finish 10 seconds clear of Calum Johnson in 54:26, while former Commonwealth Games representative, Liam Lloyd, clocked 54:35 to take the final podium spot.
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Horton said: “Being crowned national champion feels really good, it’s taken a while to become a senior champion but it’s a big relief to finally win this event. I knew that there would be some strong boys racing today such as Calum Johnson and Liam Lloyd, along with a number of others, but a group of seven of us got away on the bike and we worked together really well.
“The course was really cool, it was challenging but a really interesting venue compared to previous National Duathlon Championships.”
>>> First ever Windsor Duathlon route revealed
In the women’s event, reigning ITU Duathlon World Champion, Emma Pallant, won for for the third year in succession in a time of 1:02:57, over a minute clear of former Olympian and Pallant’s coach, Michelle Dillon who finished in 1:04:02. Gillian Palmer took bronze in 1:04:14.
Pallant said: “It was a great experience to be racing with my coach (Michelle Dillon), I had fun out on the course and the event went really well. This year I’m aiming to defend my World Duathlon Championship title as well as having a go at 70.3 racing. I’ve got a huge amount to learn, having never time-trialled before but I’m really excited about getting a year of experience in.”
In the British Elite Paraduathlon Championships, Bret Crossley (PT1) was the first across the line, finishing the race in 1:04:30 to fend off Mark Conway, who finished in second. Lizzie Tench picked up the women’s PT1 honours.
Tench said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to bits with the win today. Having just found out that PT1 racing will be involved in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, it’s a real goal to aim for and races like this are great to prepare. I really enjoyed it. It’s a beautiful park. A tough course, but I enjoyed it.”
PT4 athlete, Chris Frost, won his category, as did Faye McClelland (PT4) in the women’s race; pipping Ruth Wilson to the post.
McClelland said: “It was a really tough race today, I had Ruth (Wilson) by my side the whole way which kept me on my toes. The bike was undulating, so that was quite challenging, but all in all it was really good.”
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Related:
Windsor Duathlon to host five British Championship titles
Duathlon race day: 12 tips for success
12-step guide to mastering duathlon
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With a one-mile ice swim event being considered for inclusion at future Winter Olympics researchers at Winona State University in Minnesota and the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) have investigated the performance and human physiological response in water -5° Celsius or less.
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The scientists analysed more than 80 ice swimmers ((71 male, 17 female) who completed ice mile swims, in an attempt to understand how age, gender and environmental factors such as wind chill affected performance.
Ice swimming was a demonstration sport at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and is being considered as a permanent addition to the event line-up in future Winter Olympic games.
“It’s amazing to see how a ‘silly’ idea eight years ago has taken off,” said Ram Barkai, IISA founder and board chairman.
“Our study of the IISA data set wonderfully describes how much we as humans can ask our bodies to do while in an adverse environment (water that is 5° C or less) and how we can train our minds to accomplish these goals,” said Spencer Treu, a member of the research team.
The team found a slight correlation between age and swim speed: The older the swimmers were, the slower they swam. However, the correlation was modest and suggests that ice swimming could be a sport in which individuals could be competitive in well into their 30s and 40s.
The research team also noted improvement in swim times among those who participated in more than one ice mile. Out of 24 one-mile swimmers who swam two or more swims, 15 were faster on their second swim.
Among the eight swimmers who did three or more swims, six improved their speed from their first to third swim. “We also discovered that for one-mile ice swimmers, wind chill did not greatly affect swim speed. Finally, we discovered that statistically, gender does not influence the effect of age on swim speed,” Treu said.
Swimming in such cold water is not without risk, but it is possible to compete safely with the proper training and safety measures in place. “This is a potentially dangerous sport, although in the world of RedBull racers, ironman competitions and the like, perhaps the word ‘extreme’ is a more appropriate term,” Treu said. “The reason many swimmers can successfully complete these swims is most likely due to the intense training and preparation they put themselves through to prepare their bodies and minds.”
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What do you think? Should ice swimming be an Olympic sport?
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With a one-mile ice swim event being considered for inclusion at future Winter Olympics researchers at Winona State University in Minnesota and the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) have investigated the performance and human physiological response in water -5° Celsius or less.
Advertisement
The scientists analysed more than 80 ice swimmers ((71 male, 17 female) who completed ice mile swims, in an attempt to understand how age, gender and environmental factors such as wind chill affected performance.
Ice swimming was a demonstration sport at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and is being considered as a permanent addition to the event line-up in future Winter Olympic games.
“It’s amazing to see how a ‘silly’ idea eight years ago has taken off,” said Ram Barkai, IISA founder and board chairman.
“Our study of the IISA data set wonderfully describes how much we as humans can ask our bodies to do while in an adverse environment (water that is 5° C or less) and how we can train our minds to accomplish these goals,” said Spencer Treu, a member of the research team.
The team found a slight correlation between age and swim speed: The older the swimmers were, the slower they swam. However, the correlation was modest and suggests that ice swimming could be a sport in which individuals could be competitive in well into their 30s and 40s.
The research team also noted improvement in swim times among those who participated in more than one ice mile. Out of 24 one-mile swimmers who swam two or more swims, 15 were faster on their second swim.
Among the eight swimmers who did three or more swims, six improved their speed from their first to third swim. “We also discovered that for one-mile ice swimmers, wind chill did not greatly affect swim speed. Finally, we discovered that statistically, gender does not influence the effect of age on swim speed,” Treu said.
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Swimming in such cold water is not without risk, but it is possible to compete safely with the proper training and safety measures in place. “This is a potentially dangerous sport, although in the world of RedBull racers, ironman competitions and the like, perhaps the word ‘extreme’ is a more appropriate term,” Treu said. “The reason many swimmers can successfully complete these swims is most likely due to the intense training and preparation they put themselves through to prepare their bodies and minds.”
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What do you think? Should ice swimming be an Olympic sport?
Increasing your anaerobic capacity in addition to your aerobic capacity help long distance runners improve their times new research shows.
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The researchers from Simon Frasier University (SFU) in British Columbia measured aerobic and anaerobic capacity in 10 male mountain marathon runners and found a runner’s pre-race anaerobic fitness capacity is a key factor in determining who will have the fastest finishing times.
Aerobic fitness refers to how the body uses energy when there is enough oxygen, such as the energy burn that occurs when running at a comfortable pace. Anaerobic fitness refers to the body’s ability to exercise when there’s not enough oxygen, such as during a sprint to the finish line at the end of a race.
The 10 runners were of similar age, weight and height and aerobic capacity was measured by having the subjects run to the point of exhaustion on a treadmill, while anaerobic capacity was assessed through seated cycling ergometer.
“All our participants finished the race. The regression results indicated that those with higher anaerobic capacity were predicted to have a faster finishing time. This prediction of race finishing time was significant at a five percent level and explained 54 percent of the variance in finishing times,” said Michael Rogers, a member of the SFU research team. However, he added that the findings suggest the need for further research to explain the remaining 46 percent variance in finishing results.
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The results suggest that long distance runners should aim to increase their anaerobic capacity in addition to their aerobic capacity.
“Typically, anaerobic capacity can be improved with high-intensity, shorter-duration training, such as in repetitive uphill sprint training,” Rogers said. The team also made a new observation: High-intensity efforts at greater than about 80 to 85 percent of maximal age-predicted heart rates can be being maintained for several hours in these mountain ultra-marathons. This is novel because “these are races that are typically thought to be performed at considerably lower exercise intensities,” Rogers said.
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Four hill running sessions to boost your triathlon race speed
For more running advice check out our run training section
we decided to take a look at some of the other difficult open-water swims around the UK, starting with a brisk dip north of the border in the Firth of Forth.
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Rat Race City to Summit
What it is: A newish point-to-point triathlon that starts outside Edinburgh and finishes with a run to the summit of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Why the swim’s tough: The race starts with a 3.8km swim in the Firth of Forth, which flows into the decidedly nippy North Sea. The water at last year’s event was a lower-than-expected 9ºC, causing the organisers to shorten the swim leg down to 1km.
Age-group blog: preparing for City to Summit
Rat Race City to Summit website
The Brutal
What it is: With half, full and double-Iron distances on offer, and all requiring a run up Mount Snowden, this is viewed by many UK triathletes as the country’s hardest race.
Why the swim’s tough: Cold, long (in the case of the double, very long) yet undeniably scenic late season swim in Snowdonia.
We also rate The Brutal as the toughest ironman distance race in the world
The Brutal website
Celtman
What it is: Organised by the same people behind Norseman and Swissman, this Iron-distance race sends athletes across some of Scotland’s most challenging terrain.
Why the swim’s tough: A swim so chilly the distance was shortened in both 2012 and 2013, this Western Highlands epic is one for the hardcore only.
Celtman Triathlon 2015 – in pics
Racing Celtman for the ‘Wild Lady of Lochbroom’ – blog
Celtman website
Ironman Wales
What it is: With a punishing course across the Pembrokeshire countryside that involves a constantly changing gradient, this is seen as one of the hardest IM races going.
Why the swim’s tough: Two-laps of choppy sea and a mass of bodies before a long yet memorable run to transition.
We rated Ironman Wales the 4th toughest Ironman distance race in the world
Ironman Wales website
Perranporth Triathlon
What it is: The ‘Perranporth Extreme Surf Triathlon’ to give it its full name, this is one of the UK’s oldest triathlons and is hosted by the local lifesaving club every year.
Why the swim’s tough: The name’s a good clue: the race starts with a 1km swim off the rugged Cornish coast, where you’ll be glad to be within reach of the local lifesavers.
Perranporth website
The Snowman now known as Snowdonia Triathlon
What it is: One of the UK’s most iconic races, this takes place in rugged north Wales and includes both Iron distance and sprint events.
Why the swim’s tough: Last year saw lots of choppy waves, making the chilly swim in the lake of Llyn Mymbyr even tougher than normal.
Snowdonia Triathlon website
The Bastion
What it is: This new-for-2014 Iron distance event will take place at Hever Castle in Kent this July, looping sections of the existing Gauntlet route and taking athletes on a 140mile journey.
Why the swim’s tough: Participants will swim two loops of the Gauntlet swim course along the river Eden, facing strong currents and multiple choke points.
Gallery: The Bastion
Bastion website
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Castles Triathlon
What it is: Taking place in the shadow of Northumberland’s mighty Bamburgh Castle, this middle distance race starts with a beach standing start and connects some of the region’s best landmarks.
Why the swim’s tough: A dip in the North Sea is never one to be taken lightly. Throw in waves and rival triathletes taking your line, and you have a 1.9km battle of mind and body.
Castles Triathlon website
Helvellyn Triathlon
What it is: With a finishing line described by the Guardian as “like a depiction of hell”, this monstrously difficult race takes in some of the country’s most beautiful scenery.
Why the swim’s tough: It takes place in Ullswater, just down the road from Davina’s nemesis Windermere, where plenty of shady spots can make the temperature plummet and rumours of giant pike trouble the mind.
Helvellyn Triathlon 2015 – in pics
Helvellyn Triathlon website
Enjoyed this? Check out Iron-distance races: the 7 toughest?
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How many of these races have you done? Let us know in the comments below!
Grandstand tickets for the 2016 Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds, are now on sale. Ticketholders will be able enjoy unsurpassed views of the thrilling racing action from seats overlooking the finish-line in the heart of Millennium Square.
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The much-anticipated Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds, will provide the British public with a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch local heroes Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, as well as other leading GB triathletes including Non Stanford and Vicky Holland, battle for glory against some of the world’s best triathletes in their last race on home soil ahead of Rio.
Ticket holders will see the elite athletes pass them seven times on the bike and four times on the run, before witnessing the race finale, which often end with a thrilling sprint finish. A big screen will be located opposite the Grandstand showing the live BBC coverage so that ticket holders can stay up to speed with the race whilst it momentarily goes out of view.
Jack Buckner, Chief Executive of British Triathlon, said: “The Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds is the final opportunity to watch Britain’s world-class triathletes race on home soil before they travel to Rio and we are expecting the city of Leeds to come out in force. The Grandstand is located in the heart of the action and will provide the perfect location to watch the stars of our sport cross the finish line and deliver an atmosphere to remember.”
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Tickets will be priced at £30 for adults and £20 for children (U15s). With the women’s race starting at 13:00 and the men’s at 15:45, ticket holders can expect well over four hours of live triathlon action.
Routes announced for World Triathlon Leeds
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