A busy day’s racing yesterday saw over 3,200 triathletes take part in the 2014 Windsor Triathlon, with the sprint distance races getting started at 6am and the elite Olympic distance races finishing the day with wins for Emma Pallant and Mark Buckingham.
In the sprint races (750m/30km/5km), Mark Yeoman won the men’s race in 1:20:13 with a very strong swim and bike, followed by Christopher Symonds (1:22:31) and Patrick Tierney (1:22:55). Last year’s Sandman winner Jane Hansom took the women’s sprint distance race in 1:29:04, followed by Karen Roake (1:36:07) and Victoria Emmet (1:38:43).
The Olympic distance race (1500/42km/10km) also started very early in the morning with the first wave of amateurs setting off at 6.20am. James Hockin clocked the only sub-2hr amateur Olympic triathlon of the day with an impressive 1:58:42, followed by Paul Burton (2:01:19) and Roger Barr (2:01:39). Over in the female race Sophie Whitworth sealed her comeback from injury taking the win in an impressive 2:19:26, followed by Katherine de Rome (2:21:04) and Thea Gudgeon (2:29:01).
Next up were the elite races, with the streets of Windsor packed full of spectators, many of them using cowbells provided by Swiss Tourism. The women set off first, with Hannah Kitchen leaving the water first, followed hotly by Kimberley Bell and Katie Synge. The field bunched during the bike, but this year’s Blenheim Palace Triathlon winner Emma Pallant kicked hard and left everyone trailing, crossing the line over 2mins ahead of her rivals in 2:03:43. Jenny Manners couldn’t catch Pallant, but had a fantastic battle on the run leg with Lucy Smith to take second place honours in 2:05:51. Smith crossed the line just 6secs behind in 2:05:57.
Last up were the male elites, who got off to a flying start with an extremely competitive swim leg in which Richard Stannard once again demonstrated his dominance in the water as he led the triathletes coming into transition. Stannard was caught on the bike course by a pack including David Bishop, Mark Buckingham and junior athlete Rory Atkins. Coming into the run leg there was not much to choose between the top 10 triathletes and it was always going to be the run that decided this race.
Mark Buckingham exerted his dominance early on in the run setting off very fast, making all those watching wonder if he could maintain the blistering pace. Buckingham did not disappoint as a storming 31:41mins over the 10km ensured that he crossed the line first in 1:49:15. David Bishop followed in second place (1:49:40), and Welshman Iestyn Harrett came third (1:50:42).
For full results head here. Next year's event will mark the 25th anniversary of the Windsor Triathlon, with general entries going on sale this Wednesday (18 June).
Were you racing at this year's Windsor Triathlon? How did you get on? Let us know in the comments below!