Race Report W/E 31 March
Another gorgeous weekend has flown by, and this can only mean one thing – it will snow this summer.
Fortunately, all of our club racers managed to decide exactly what it was they wanted this week, and managed to complete it all by the end of March too. Though, we had a shorter list of events to review this week.
Cranleigh 15 & 21 miles
Three of the club took on this event in Cranleigh, Surrey (sort of the other side of the lumpy bit we cycle through): Gina Siebler; Ursula Hankinson (Faux); and, Ceri Ruzzi. Both distances are on roads, but undulating. With a 9am start, it is a very good, low key, and apparently well organised event.
The final results aren’t out just yet, but all three completed the long distances: Ursula taking on the 21 miler, with the other two finishing the 15. And with some very respectable times too, despite the hills.
Kingston Spring Race Day 8 & 16 miles
Another two of the club stuck closer to home, with a shorter and flatter 8 mile race. This used to be known as the Kingston Breakfast Run, and features a 60-70% picturesque course. Starting in Kingston Market Place, runners cross the bridge before following the tow path along the river and past Hampton Court. A slightly more suburban stretch takes them back into Kingston to finish an 8 mile loop.
Nathan Sweeney and Emma O’Neile both ran the 8 mile version of the race. A bit of a mixture finding the results – Emma ran as Ful-on-Tri, and Nathan under a completely different name. However, a scour of Strava suggests that Nathan would have come first for the club – even running with a pushchair for part of the course! Emma then finished in a fantastic time of 1hr 1 min (literally side by side with former club member Nicole Elliott).
Addendum – a late spot on Instagram revealed that John Borton was also out and about on the course – though running for Thames Valley Harriers and doing the 16 mile event. He came 5th overall, in a speedy 91 minutes. Keep up the fantastic clandestine work!
Stroud Mothering Sunday Wife Carrying Contest
And lastly, new member Avril Witze, joined her other half for the inaugural Stroud wife carrying contest. Inspired by the long running event in Sonkajarvi, Finland, the official course is slightly over 250m and features three obstacles (one is a metre deep water ditch). The rules are pretty simple – carry your wife (or a volunteer wife) over the course in the fastest time. The Witzes apparently smashed the race – using the Bulgarian carrying technique – and may well have qualified for the World Championships in Finland!
And Finally…
Triathlon season is nearly upon us!!!! One of the first races, Thames Turbo Sprint 1, is a fantastic intro to the sport, doesn’t require a wetsuit (as it’s run in Hampton Outdoor heated pool), and features the familiar flat roads between Hampton Court and Shepperton, and a scenic flat 5k around Bushy Park to finish. Really well worth checking out if you are new to Triathlon.
Apparently, we now have 29(!!) for the Club Sprints at Eton Dorney in May. That is fantastic news, and should turn this into a great friendly competition with people you train with. If you want to advertise your entry please visit the Race Calendar (we’ll have the start list anyway, so this is more for other club members’ encouragement).
Remember, new BTF rules come in this year, imposing penalty points for misuse of kit. Prominent examples include wearing an Aero helmet at average speeds below 30kph and wearing national age group kit outside of championship events. These come in as BTF also considers the mandatory installation of racing bells on all tri bikes to avoid collisions when overtaking. Keep watching this space.
Also, don’t forget the London League races. Next up is the Kingfisher Aquathlon on 14th April. Only 4 people claim to have signed up for this event so far, so please do consider it – it means points for the club and you may even provide yourself with a chance to win an individual award if you do well enough across enough of the race schedule!
And… the weekend before the Aquathlon, 7th April, is the next Time Trial – 25 miles (same as last time). These are great tests of individual speed (no chance to hide behind others like you might do on the club rides) and great value for money. Talk to Phil Roker about entering!
As usual, if I’ve forgotten you or a great piece of news do email me on fixtures@fulontri.com
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