To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the esteemed Windsor Triathlon, a number of former winners returned last weekend to hold question and answer sessions with the public.
Windsor has won the BTF Triathlon of the Year award an incredible seven times and continues to attract record crowds every June. This was an opportunity for a new generation of triathletes to meet the athletes who were at the forefront of triathlon’s rise into the mainstream.
On the eve of the event Spencer Smith, the first ever male winner from 1991, returned from America where he now lives, to speak alongside Stuart Hayes, Richard Stannard, Ali Hollington, Sian Brice, Steve Worthington and Sam Herridge.
Across three well attended question and answer sessions in the event village they reminisced about their wins whilst offering advice for those taking part the following day. Stannard even revealed that watching Spencer Smith win Windsor on Grandstand was the inspiration for him pursuing a triathlon career. “Windsor will always be a very special place for me,” said Smith. “I have lived in America and competed around the world but for me, Windsor will always seem like home.”
On the Saturday night Steve Trew joined the former winners to host a special anniversary dinner in the Harte and Garter Hotel opposite the famous castle. Many stories were shared, but there was no late night partying as many were competing the next day. It seemed only fitting that Stuart Hayes, one of the most well-known former winners, took the title the following day.
This was another successful year for the Windsor Triathlon, certainly the biggest and possibly the best. It’s hard to follow such a fine spectacle but Human Race will be back with Wiggle SteelMan on Saturday 4 July, ‘sure to be giving the Windsor experience a run for its money’.
