Stuart Hayes finished the Olympic distance race in 1:54:28, less than a minute ahead of young Tom Davis with David Bartlett in third. World Duathlon Champion Emma Pallant’s winning time of 2:06:06 was too strong for the opposition. Sarah Lewis (Freespeed) and Emma Deary (Stortford Tri) also performed excellently and took second and third respectively.
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Winner of the shorter Sprint distance was Mark Yeoman in 1:19:44 (Viceroys) in the male category, with Ben Ashwell and Duncan Allan completing the podium. The female winner was Carol Bridge (Rhondda Tri Club) in 1:26:59, closely followed by Bridget King and Karen Roake (B2P Tri Club).
Around 2,000 triathletes of all abilities took on the triathlon, which included a start in the River Thames and a final run in the shadow of the unmistakeable Windsor Castle. Many were racing to try and claim a much sought after place on the podium, whilst others were taking part with the sole ambition of finishing, with many choosing to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The swim route (1,500 metres Olympic, 750m Sprint) is predominantly downstream arguably favouring the weaker swimmers, before a quick dog-leg and an exit next to Alexandra Park where transition is located. After transition the bike course (40km Olympic, 30km Sprint) was where many looked the most comfortable, followed by the run (10km Olympic, 5km Sprint.
New for 2016 was the Club Championship, allowing members of triathlon clubs to represent their team on race day. The female title went to Berkshire Tri Squad, with Team Dillon taking the male silverware.
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In the relays Team Beecroft picked up the sprint title, with Team Choppers claiming the Olympic. The oldest winners on the day were Tom Rylance (79) and Daphne Belt (76), with Tom completing the run section barefoot! Many other awards were handed out to each of the age group winners, with full results available from www.humanrace.co.uk/results
Thinking about competing next year? The Windsor Triathlon will return on Sunday 18th June 2017. Registration is already open for those who want to take up the challenge, with a £20 discount if you enter in the next few days
Windsor Triathlon – race tips
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