On Sunday 25 May 2014, Eton Dorney Rowing Lake, just west of London, will transform into a fun-filled festival of triathlon, as it plays host to the first annual Wiggle Tri Relays – a new event dedicated entirely to the triathlon relay experience. The official charity for the event will be Marie Curie and all entrants will be encouraged to join its Daffodil Team to raise money for the brilliant work they do in caring for those with terminal illnesses.
Traditionally a solo sport, triathlon competitors of all abilities, from club athletes through to groups of friends, families and colleagues, will get together in teams of three to a take on a combination of swimming, cycling and running at the Wiggle Tri Relays.
Ultimately teams will be competing for prizes, which will be split into a Club Championship, Corporate Championship and Overall Competition for both males and females, but many on the day will simply be aiming to have a good time, with the relay formats lending themselves to the more socially motivated triathlete as well as competitive types.
A kids Scootathlon event, alongside a BBQ and a buzzing event village will support the day’s fun; and spectators are expected to turn out in large numbers, with the varied relay formats offering an exciting spectacle.
The Wiggle Tri Relays offers three formats for competitors to choose from:
The Team Relay comprises a 500m swim, 20K bike and 5K run. This format will see each team member take on one element of the triathlon, one person swims, one cycles and one runs. This is positioned as being perfect for anyone who wants to join in the camaraderie of triathlon but perhaps isn’t as strong in one or two of the other disciplines involved.
The Team Time Trial includes a 500m swim, 30K bike and 5K run and will see all three team members swim together, cycle together and run together as a unit. This is seen as being ideal for triathlon lovers with a competitive spirit and also for more nervous triathletes looking for some support around the course.
The team can work together and drafting will be allowed on the bike course with the final team time taken when all three triathletes cross the line. Tactics could be all important here, with stronger team members on a particular leg needing to decide whether to move ahead, or work together as a trio throughout.
The Triple Relay will feature a 500m swim, 15K bike and 5K run. Once again teams will be made up of three members but this time all three will take on the swim leg in a relay format – they swim, pass the metaphorical baton to the next team member who swims, before the final team member then swims. They will then all move on to the cycle leg in the same order as they did the swim, before all finishing up with the run in the same order.
An area will be provided for the first two team members to join the final member at the end of the run to cross the line together. Spectators can expect the change-overs to be exciting; this should be a real spectacle for the supporters watching on.
Andrew Whillas, Wiggle’s Sponsorship Manager, said “We’re really excited about the Wiggle Tri Relays because it encompasses everything that Wiggle aims to inspire; a range of abilities, team work, sporting performance all alongside enjoyment and some real good fun. It should be a really great day that we are proud to be supporting.”
Human Race CEO, Nick Rusling, said “Triathlon has always had a reputation as being an individual sport which manages to harness an incredible amount of camaraderie. The Wiggle Tri Relays will take this a step further and the beauty is that we expect to see some fierce competition from club and experienced triathletes, enjoying themselves alongside groups of mates who perhaps have challenged each other over a beer one evening to take this on and give it a go. It will all serve to continue to build this great sport and we expect this event to be really popular.”
As event organiser of the Wiggle Tri Relays, Human Race is the UK’s largest and most diverse mass participation events company; owning and delivering over 50 events in triathlon, cycling, running, duathlon and open water swimming for over 50,000 participants of all abilities and ages each year. The prestigious portfolio of events includes 11 triathlons, nine cycling events, 10 running events, 7 open water swims, and 6 kid’s events.
These events bring together an active community of people taking part in sporting events for reasons ranging from fitness, competition, charity, health, fun or to simply finish. The participants vary from nervous first timers from 4 to 80 through to World Champions. Collectively, the events raise millions of pounds for hundreds of charities.
Wiggle launched in 1999 and is now an international, award-winning online cycle and tri-sport retailer. Wiggle serves customers in over 100 countries with free delivery worldwide, multi-language customer service and localised on-site currency options.
Charity partner Marie Curie is best known for its network of 2,000 Marie Curie nurses, who work in the homes of terminally ill patients across the UK, providing practical care and support. During 2012-13, Marie Curie nurses provided more than 1.3 million hours of nursing to 30,080 patients, along with support for their families.
www.humanrace.co.uk
www.wiggle.co.uk
www.mariecurie.org.uk
