A crop of many of the best British multisport talent will descend to Windsor Great Park for the Windsor Duathlon, on Sunday 3 April, to battle it out for national titles, as well as a chance to qualify for the Great Britain Age-Group Team.
This ‘action packed festival of duathlon’ will host five British Championships across every level of the sport. First up on the schedule are the age-group sprint and standard distance events, which will see over 1,000 athletes run and cycle their way around the park, before crossing the finish line on the iconic Long Walk.
The Standard Distance event will act as the last of three qualification races for aspirant Great Britain Age-Group Team athletes looking to compete in the 2016 ITU Standard Distance Duathlon World Championships; and with British Triathlon national titles on the line, the day is sure to start with a bang.
Second up is the Paraduathlon, held for the first time in conjunction with the elite and age-group events. Heading the field is PT5 paratriathlete Alison Patrick, who on 20 March met the British Triathlon automatic qualification criteria for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games by winning gold at the Buffalo City ITU World Paratriathlon Event.
The attention will then turn to the youth and junior athletes, with Windsor Duathlon acting as the first of six events that make up the British Triathlon Youth and Junior Super Series. With over 200 youngsters set to compete, the country’s emerging talents will look to impress with a win early on in the season.
The action concludes with the Senior Elite Duathlon, with a stacked field preparing to take on the course. Notable athletes to watch out for include 2015 ITU Duathlon World Champion Emma Pallant who heads the women’s field, and former Junior and Under 23 World Duathlon Champion Richard Horton, looking to make his mark in the men’s race during the afternoon.
Paul Sedgwick, Deputy Ranger of Windsor Great Park said “With less than two weeks to go until Windsor Duathlon, we are working with British Triathlon to put in place the final preparations for what promises to be an exciting and important addition to the Great Park’s calendar. We are looking forward to welcoming duathletes from across the country to what will be one of the most historic and unique venues to host such an event.”
Jack Buckner, Chief Executive of British Triathlon, added, “Windsor Duathlon is set to be a sensational sporting event on 3 April, playing host to the British Duathlon Championships. In total, over 1,300 athletes will tackle the course, with multiple elite and age-group world champions taking to the start line. We would encourage spectators to come along and soak up the atmosphere in an iconic location.”
Spectators should be well looked after, with the spectator village boasting a host of concessions to help friends and family have a memorable day out. There is plenty of fun for the kids, with face painting, an inflatable fun run and rides courtesy of Carters Steam Fair – an authentic travelling funfair entirely consisting of rare vintage vehicles.
