Know someone thinking about trying tri, but worried about what not being fit enough? Give them a gentle introduction to multisport by encouraging them to sign up for British Triathlon’s new campaign, Tri January
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Reigning ITU Paratriathlon World Champion and Strictly star Lauren Steadman is just one of the famous names backing the campaign. Other names include Deborah James and Lauren Mahon from BBC’s award winning You, Me and the Big C podcast, and TV sports presenter and world record holder for trying his hand at the most sports, Mike Bushell.
How to start running
What are the different triathlon distances?
The campaign looks set to encourage over 5,000 people to complete a triathlon in January. Each of the four famous faces will take on a different triathlon distance and encourage others to do the same – showing that triathlon is for everyone, regardless of age, ability or lifestyle.
So challenge your friend, loved one or colleague, to take on Tri January as an individual, or as part of a team.
They can swim or row, bike and run throughout the month by choosing their challenge and completing one of the distances below:
TEAM YOU, ME AND THE BIG C (GO TRI distance – 15km)
TEAM BUSHELL (Sprint distance – 25km)
TEAM STEADMAN (Standard distance – 50km)
There is no set formula for completing the challenge, as long as you achieve the distance. So, swim one day – or jump on the indoor rower if you prefer – bike the next and run the week after. Alternatively, they can complete the whole challenge all in one go. Tri January is designed to fit activity into even the most hectic of lifestyles. Their triathlon; their choice. Who knows they may become hooked and become your Ironman training partner…
Tri January aims to engage new participants and those with a ‘revolving door’ relationship with sport and physical activity with fun and accessible challenges, triathlon-style.
How to get involved
Sign up for free and receive a free Tri January campaign pack to help keep you on track, with a Tri January wall chart, stickers, diary inserts and other goodies from British Triathlon.
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How to train for your first triathlon
Triathlons for beginners: why you should take part
15 training tips for the beginner triathlete
24 frequently asked questions for beginner triathletes
Prepare for your first triathlon
As well as officially opening the show, the brothers will appear on stage for a Q&A session where they will share what it takes to compete at the very highest level in triathlon as well as tips and advice with the audience. From there the brothers will head to the OTE Sports stand to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and offer expertise on everything from nutrition to improving swimming technique.
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What’s next for the Brownlees?
To celebrate the Brownlees opening the event, OTE Sports has teamed up with the show to give visitors a chance to win one of 10 places at an intimate meet and greet with Jonny and Alistair. Visitors booking tickets using special advertised promo codes will be entered in the draw.
Other brands confirmed to be attending the show include Canyon, Sigma Sports, Chain Reaction Cycles, Vitus Bikes, Marin Bikes, Da Rosa, Orro, Argon 18, Muc-Off, Ribble Cycles, Zone 3, Wattbike, Schwalbe, Cannondale, GT, Fabric, Cervelo, Focus, Fulcrum, BKool, Tri UK, Fizik and 2XU.
A full line-up of inspiring cycling and triathlon stars will be announced ahead of the event.
For more information about the London Bike Show and Triathlon Show: London and to purchase tickets, please visit – www.londonbikeshow.co.uk www.triathlonshowlondon.co.uk
The organisers of the multiple-220 Triathlon Award winning Outlaw have announced a new middle-distance event for September 2019.
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The Outlaw X will celebrate the tenth anniversary year of Outlaw (pictured) and will take place in the grounds of Thoresby Hall in north Nottinghamshire on Sunday 22 September. The event, say the organisers, will provide triathletes of all abilities with an opportunity to finish the 2019 racing season on a high.
Following a 1.9km swim in Thoresby Lake, athletes will embark on a 90km ride through the Nottinghamshire countryside before completing the journey with a 21.1km run through 1,000 acres of English countryside within the grounds of the historic Thoresby Hall.
Once the racing is complete and the last athlete has been cheered across the line in front of the Grade 1 listed 19th century hall, the special Outlaw X Awards Party will begin, which will look back on 10 years of the Outlaw and celebrate the special individuals who have been integral to its journey.
The Outlaw Half Nottingham and full Outlaw Nottingham have already sold out, so the organisers are expecting demand for entries to be high. You can pre-register here: www.outlawtriathlon.com/outlaw-x-pre-register/
Derby-based HUUB will be the headline partner for the 2019 Triathlon Relays Championships, as the national event returns to Nottingham for its 29th year in August.
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Competitors on 24 August are invited to a HUUB BBQ (Huubecue) and will have the opportunity to visit a retail stand with special weekend prices. There’s also the opportunity to take advantage of HUUB’s club kit offer with over 2500 different colour options.
The Triathlon Relays were established as a college project in 1991, and have grown from a few hundred lycra-clad friends swimming, cycling and running around the Regatta Lake at the National Watersports Centre into an event that attracts 2000 athletes aiming for national titles.
Dean Jackson of HUUB said: “I was there at the start of the relays and it’s great for HUUB to be involved. The event has so much history, and it’s an opportunity to meet and talk to a core audience of athletes. It’s one of the best and most exciting events in the calendar.”
The opportunity to show off HUUB’s new club kit line is another reason to partner with the event, which is being organised under the banner of the Tri Society for the first time following some internal changes to the structure at OSB Events.
The team remains the same that has won national awards in the past and the event will have Triathlon England national event status once again. The format is also unchanged with four competitors each completing a 500m swim, 15k bike and 5km run tag relay.
Event director, Iain Hamilton said: “The Tri Society name has always existed, but OSB Events grew so fast that we stuck with that name. The concept was that it was a group of people that really cared about triathlon, and so it makes complete sense that Dean and HUUB are involved.”
He added: “The HUUB Triathlon Relay Championships are for competitors, for clubs and most of all for fun. We hope to see lots of teams taking part again this year.”
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Find out more at HUUB Triathlon Relay Championships
Planning to head to the Triathlon Show: London this year? Then don’t miss our exclusive ticket offer! 220 readers can save £5 per adult ticket, giving you entry for just £11 rather than the usual ticket price of £16 by clicking on the link here.
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We are also excited to announce that the magazine will be bringing the 220 Triathlon expert stage back to the show for 2019. This is your chance to attend talks by the experts you see in the pages of the magazine every month, covering a range of topics including beginner advice, Ironman training, swim technique and nutrition. The 220 team will also be on hand to advise you on all things triathlon!
Editor Helen Webster said: “We love being a part of the show and the expert stage is the perfect way for us to bring you more of the advice, coaching and support you see in the magazine each month. We’ll have a full timetable of expert seminars running through the weekend with confirmed experts including the Swim Smooth team, coaches Mark Kleanthous and Joe Beer and nutritionist Kate Percy. We will also be announcing some top name athlete and VIP talks plus autograph signing sessions alongside the show over the next few days too, so watch this space for some very exciting news!”
The Brownlee brothers are already confirmed to attend the show (see full story here), which runs at London’s Excel Centre from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st March. Read more about the show here and click this link to get your discounted entry tickets.
Yee exited T2 in 34th position, around 16 secs adrift of Schoeman and the leading pack, following a solid swim-bike effort.
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And within minutes of the run, Yee had marked down his intent, picking off the field one by one until he reached and overtook the South African. There was no catching the Brit now, and he finished 16secs ahead of his rivals to take the title. The race was then on for silver and bronze with USA’s Tony Smoragiewicz just edging out Portugal’s Joao Silver after a sprint finish. Schoeman would finish fourth.
Yee said: “I came here just to see how I was after four weeks in Stellenbosch training with the GB squad and it’s worked out really well! The bike was tough but kudos to the guys I was with who all worked really hard. I always say that in tri, you need a little luck. Today it went my way.
“I had a nightmare transition but apart form that I’m really happy. The headwind left me flagging in the second half, but I did my best to run strong.”
India Lee was Britain’s sole female representative, finishing 15th in a race won by Japan’s Ai Ueda.
Robin Brew, co-founder of the 220 Race Series: “Graham was one of the original good guys in the early days of triathlon in the UK and Europe. His heart was in the sport for the greater good of athletes and the wider promotion of triathlon. His contribution helped shape the Bath Triathlon and subsequent BBC TV coverage that propelled many of the world’s leading triathletes into the Spotlight. Graham, a modest and kind-hearted man will be very much missed and the era that benefitted owe him a debt of gratitude. On behalf of the athletes of the time, our condolences are lovingly sent to his family.”
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John Lunt, co-founder of the 220 Race Series: “I got to know Graham in the mid 80s helping him deliver some of John Lillie’s ground-breaking 220 races. (Bath, Swindon, Ironbridge). These were the sport’s showcase events and they propelled the sport onto TV. Not only a great athlete himself, but he was also a great person as well as a true pioneer in our sport of triathlon. He will be truly missed.”
Trevor Gunning, co-founder of the 220 Race Series: “Competitor, club official and race organiser. A leading figure in the sport and a great contributor to triathlon, he was also a driving force behind Bath Amphibians. Those early days of triathlon in the UK were fantastic fun and the inter-club rivalry a major part of the sport. Triathlon would not be where it is now if not for the contribution of triathletes like Graham. My sympathies go to his family and close friends.”
Spencer Smith, two-time ITU world champion: “Some of my fondest memories are of Graham screaming words of encouragement along the River Avon with my dad. Graham was always so supportive and loved the competitive spirit that was so strong in the early 90s in our sport. I am deeply shocked and saddened by Graham’s passing, he was a true gent and will be truly missed.”
Rich Allen, former British pro champion: “As a young professional triathlete in the early 90s I remember Graham not only delivering some of the best events in the world, but also his kind support of the young elites like myself. He would often check in with me to see if I needed help, and even after I retired he would message me to share old stories. A great friend to many and a pioneer of British triathlon, who will be sadly missed, but never forgotten.”
Ken Maclaren, athlete and coach: “Graham Matthews was one of the UK’s first triathletes with his first forays into the triathlon world happening pretty much as soon as the events started happening. By the late 1980s he’d started organising triathlons as well as taking part and became one of the foremost race directors who started to take race organisation into the professional era. He later teamed up with 220 founder, John Lillie to put on the 220 series of races which ran for several years through the early 90s. The Bath Triathlon with the BBC coverage became the premier domestic event. I was fortunate to be on the crew at many of those events and along the way shared many laughs, as well as training sessions, coffees, beers and fun times during the five years that I lived in Bath. Twenty years ago he moved out of race directing and re-trained as a chiropractor. We chatted every six months or so and like many of our ilk, hoped that we’d just go on and on and keel over on a run or bike at 99 and 3/4. Sadly not for Graham.”
Steve Trew, coach and commentator: “Being a triathlete in the 80s was like being a teenager in the 60s – you felt a bit special and that there was nothing that you couldn’t do. Graham Matthews epitomised that – ‘Race anywhere, race any distance, need a new race? No worries, I’ll organise it.’ Graham was a leader and a pioneer, we owe him a lot. Rest easy, my friend.”
Jasmine Flatters MBE, early BTA and ETU board member: “I was so sad to hear of the death of Graham Matthews this week. I’d been fortunate enough to have worked closely alongside Graham throughout the 90s on the pioneering 220 Race Series. He was a mild-mannered, softly spoken professional with an eye for detail. He was also the first proper vegan that I’d come across! Some years after the last Bath Triathlon, he tried to reinstate the event every now and again and he spent many hours on the phone to me trying to persuade me to join him. He went on to build a successful chiropractic business in Bath. He will be sorely missed.”
Kes and Carol Aleknavicius, friends and former colleagues: “We are deeply saddened to hear of Graham’s passing. We have great memories of working with Graham at the 220 races in the early days of triathlon. An accomplished triathlete himself, we remember when he completed the Hawaii Ironman in 1987 in a brilliant time of 10:55hrs. We had the pleasure of spending time with him at his second Hawaii Ironman in 1993 – Graham and Kes toughing it out on the Kona lava fields. To relax after the race we went together on a ‘guaranteed’ whale watching boat trip – we saw no whales! We went a second time – still no whales! This caused great hilarity and we laughed about it many times in later years. Graham was a most likeable character and will be sadly missed.”
Steve Rafferty, friend and coach: “It was great privilege to have known Graham when we met in the early days of triathlon, with Bath Amphibians and the famous Bath Triathlon. He was a training partner, mentor and friend, who I enjoyed many long runs, bike rides, swim sessions and many trips to events with. The Denmark Ironman trip in the late 80s was legendary for many reasons! RIP Graham.”
Lorraine Ferris, Tri Ferris Promotions: “Graham contributed a lot to triathlon in the early years, as race director of the 220 Bath Triathlon and helped to set up the first team of Moto officials in the UK. Our thoughts are with his partner and family.”
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Rich James: Graham was ‘Mr Triathlon’. His passion and enthusiasm led me to marshall 220 events with him in the early 90s and started me on my 25-year triathlon journey. He was a great communicator and was driving national events, along with Bath Amphibians Triathlon Club, with whom those of us from Kingswood Tri Club (Bristol) had a healthy rivalry that Graham loved to ‘stoke up’ in a friendly way. His passion led me to see him as immortal, you will be greatly missed Graham.”
The new bike route retains the initial point to point from Wigan to Horwich, however it now takes athletes east in a reversal to the previous version of the course. Athletes will head along Chorley New Road, passing transition located in Queen’s Park, and pass through the cobbles of Le Mans Crescent before heading to Ramsbottom fleeting past the Rake Climb.
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From here competitors will continue north towards Helmshore and Blackburn, where athletes will enter the moorlands with views over Darwen’s Jubilee Tower and multiple reservoirs before descending Sheephouse Lane via Belmont, adding a new dimension to an athlete favourite.
It’s launched an innovative ‘short chute’, is giving short shrift to conventional triathlon wisdom, and will be hosting its first grand final in Singapore this coming weekend. Super League Triathlon has arrived as multisport’s brash new kid on the block and whether a flash in the pan or the future of swim, bike, run, the weekend’s action in the Far East should be another yardstick for its evolution.
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Ahead of the action, 220 Triathlon columnist Tim Heming caught up with its figurehead, the multiple triathlon world champion, Chris McCormack, in Thailand to find out what to expect…
220: How are the preparations going for Singapore?
CM: It’s difficult to deliver events of this magnitude in Asia, but we’re building a nice level of excitement in a region of the world that isn’t dominant in triathlon. Singapore is the most modern city on the planet, but it’s so organised it has a lot of red tape that can delay things longer than other cities we’ve dealt with.
220: What about the course itself?
CM: The venue is magnificent. A mile from the city centre on the private island of Sentosa. If you’re a billionaire and live in Asia, you’ve got a home in Sentosa. It’s home to super yachts. We’re trying to deliver the events around marinas and attach triathlon to that demographic.
The course is relatively flat with four technical left-hand turns. Everyone thinks you need hills, but like any good crit, you can make a parking lot difficult – with wide entries into corners and narrow exits that line athletes out. We pride ourselves on producing challenging courses. In Mallorca, Alistair Brownlee made a lot of changes to the top part of the bike course and that did a lot of damage [to break up the racing].
220: France’s Vincent Luis and USA’s Katie Zafares have healthy leads in the series, but do they have the overall titles wrapped up?
CM: With double points available, both athletes have to be on their game. If Vincent finishes third or fourth, Henri [Schoeman], Richard [Murray] or Jonny [Brownlee] could still win. It’s still wide open. We’re talking about what system we’ll move towards for next season and whether we stay with points or change to accumulated time. We want to make sure that unlike other series, Super League comes down to the final event and there are multiple triathletes who can still win.
220: Has anything surprised you in Super League’s short history?
CM: We knew it was going to be a big workload, but trying to build a worldwide series is tough. We based a lot of the concept on the Formula 1 series in Australia in the 90s, and if we were only delivering this in Australia it’d be a breeze. The biggest difficulty has been how different cities do things.
From an athlete perspective, I’m surprised at the discrepancy in skillsets, chiefly bike handling and transition skills. The top triathletes are very good, but the drop-off is massive. It’ll take one or two seasons, but I believe you’ll be able to tell the difference between those athletes that have done Super League and those that haven’t. After all, we’re running triathletes through transition 20 times over the weekend.
220: From a British standpoint, Jonny Brownlee probably had the worst season of his career in 2018, but looked reinvigorated by Super League in Malta and Mallorca…
CM: I’d agree. In Jersey, he didn’t seem to have the same look in his eyes as he did in Malta and Mallorca. Some silly mistakes cost him in Malta, but in Mallorca, when he took the short chute in the last race [in an attempt to beat Vincent Luis], all bets were off. That said a lot. He’s understandably keen to make 2019 a big season with the Tokyo Olympics next year, and needs to get his head around racing in hot conditions so has been over here training in Phuket.
220: Do you have venues secured for next season?
CM: We have qualification events in Bali, Poznan and Ottawa, and Penticton might be an age-group only race. Then we’ll return to Jersey, Malta and Mallorca, we’re speaking to Singapore again and we’re close to signing off in Shanghai, Dubai and Belgium.
It’s mainly advertising. A big portion is corporate hospitality, but we don’t make anything out of TV revenue as we’re building an audience and continuing to work on the product. I don’t think we’re there yet. For example, we only went to two days of racing because of [the opening showcase event on] Hamilton Island where the athletes said it was fantastic. I’d always imagined having just one day. We’re thinking of maybe having heats and a final, but we’re still trying to refine that.
220: How viable is age-group racing in the Super League formats?
CM: We have the corporate experience of ‘Racing Like A Pro’, with 50 teams of six-to-12 paying £20,000. That sells out. It’s a no-brainer. For the age-groupers, we’re moving to an enduro type format – swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run – but we’re not looking to get rich from mass participation.
Unfortunately, Ironman has created a perception that people only race two to three times a year, but for 80 bucks you can come and do a Super League event. Poznan had 4,000 taking part, 2,000 in the enduro, plus a conventional sprint triathlon and fun runs. We want to build festivals. Ten to 15 years ago, people identified by a sport, but now they might do a Tough Mudder one weekend and then a triathlon the next. If it’s cool, you’ll do it.
220: Finally, how do you see the future for Super League?
CM: After Singapore, we’ll set up offices in London, and our ultimate aim is to have a grand final with athletes qualifying from European, Australasian and American leagues. We’d take the 10 best triathletes from each league and have five days or two/three weekends of racing in a grand finale that has big bucks on it – whether that’s in Dubai or Bahrain or wherever. That’d be the perfect scenario.
We would like to move our series closer to launching in late August/early September and finish within the calendar year. That’s what the TV networks would prefer too. But I’ve always wanted to create a professional landscape and not inhibit triathletes’ aspirations to win Olympic gold medals, so we’ve tried to communicate openly with the ITU and position events around their calendar, not encroach.
I think this style of racing is the direction the ITU wants to go and for a TV product you have to go this way. From the Nielsen [media coverage] reports we can see that 4.5 million watched the series. Our best viewing figures were in France and the UK. For perspective, 75,000 watched Ironman live at the world championship and its NBC highlights coverage was the lowest viewed ever at under 1 million. Triathletes are always happy to eat the crumbs that other sports drop, but it’s a beautiful sport people can relate to and by creating characters we can build audiences. The numbers to get to are not so high any more either. Sports viewing is not decreasing, it’s just that people have more options.
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The Super League Triathlon Grand Finale will take place on 23-24 February in Singapore. You can follow the action at superleaguetriathlon.com. Check out the next issue of 220, on sale 21 February, for an Insider’s Guide to Super League Triathlon.
It all kicked off a few days after Ironman Wales in 2016. I was still feeling ropey, so I went to the doctors and got whisked off to hospital with pneumonia and sepsis. I wasn’t quite expecting that. I was in there for four days, pumped full of antibiotics, but then they found a residual shadow on my lung so they did some x-rays.
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After that, they sent me for some scans to try and find out more about this shadow. Lesions were spotted everywhere. It seemed they had been there for the year leading up to the Ironman, but any aches, pains or fatigue I had, I just put down to the training.
After blood tests in March 2017, I was diagnosed with myeloma, a type of blood cancer. I’ve been given seven years to live unless I can find a stem cell match, and it’s been constant cycles of chemotherapy.
I went from the high of Ironman Wales to being incarcerated in the Christie [Hospital]. I’ve been trying to maintain fitness throughout, so they brought in an exercise bike. I can swim and cycle but no running, because I broke a vertebra in my back – a side effect is weak bones.
I’d never heard of myeloma, so when my doctor told me I had it, I said “Can it be cleared with antibiotics?” Then he explained…
In a strange way, I was lucky, because with myeloma it’s usual to ignore the signs, then get kidney failure because your bones are being broken down by cancer, leading to high levels of calcium in your blood. So, in a way, Ironman helped me get my diagnosis expedited.
The first round of chemo I had didn’t work, and the second and third stopped working. I had a stem cell transplant too, which got me to a position where I feel good, but there’s only so many treatments and drugs I can use – a stem cell donor is crucial for me to stay alive.
I’ve turned this into something proactive – I started the campaign of 10,000 donors to try and get people registered on the stem cell register and raise awareness.
People who do triathlon are all of a certain mindset and there’s a proactive and positive approach to keep pushing the boundaries. When you’re surrounded by people like that, they keep you going.
I love triathlon because it made me achieve something I didn’t think I could do. I think the fitter you are, the quicker you get through these things. They usually predict a six-month recovery after the stem cell transplant, and I managed to get around the Weymouth bike course in a relay not long after.
You can register as a potential lifesaver online at dkms.org.uk and receive your home swab kit.
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Peter McCleave After competing in Ironman Wales in 2016, Peter was diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer called myeloma; doctors estimated he had seven years to live unless a stem cell donor was found. After repeated rounds of chemotherapy, and stem cell transplants, Peter is campaigning to raise awareness and encourage more people to sign up to the register to save lives, like his own.