Leonard Cheshire Disability is urging people to come to Crystal Palace on Sunday 11 September and support the participants of Tri Together, its signature triathlon event.

Over 200 people will be taking part in this event, which is uniquely designed so that disabled and non disabled people can take part side by side.

Tri Together takes place in the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. The day will start off at 11am with an indoor 400m swim, followed by a 15km cycle through the leafy surrounds of Crystal Palace Park and a 5k run finishing in the iconic Jubilee Stadium.

The course is spectator friendly and there is plenty of space for family and friends to cheer on the participants and take in the electric atmosphere. There will also be face painting, balloons and a play area with swings and slides for the kids.

Leonard Cheshire Disability has compiled a spectator’s information pack which has details about how to get there and what will be happening throughout the day. There are also a limited number of places on the triathlon left.

If you would like to find out more or register to take part, please visit www.lcdisability.org/tritogether

David Oliver. Photo courtesy of Kerstin Winterkamp

World number one hurdler David Oliver believes a sell-out crowd at next week’s Aviva London Grand Prix could set the stage for his maiden World title, but warned fans it’s now a race against time to secure seats for his clash with Olympic champion Dayron Robles and European and Commonwealth champion Andy Turner on 5 August.

The American record holder, also the third fastest hurdler of all time, is one of the favourites to land the coveted IAAF World Championship gold medal in Daegu next month after a whirlwind 15 months where he has won 32 out of 34 races.

However, in his path for glory in both South Korea and at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre next week, stands Beijing gold medallist and World Record holder Dayron Robles, the Cuban athlete who has inflicted one of Oliver’s two defeats this season when recording his first victory over the American in more than three years with a win in Paris.

And with only a final few tickets remaining for Friday to see the 110m hurdles competition, in addition to Asafa Powell in the 100m and Mo Farah in the 3000m, Oliver has urged athletics fans in London not to miss out on what he insists will be one of the showpiece events at next year’s Olympic Games.

He said: “I love competing in the UK, I’m really excited to get back there and get back on the track and run the best I can. This year has been great for me so far and I’ll be hoping to keep my good form in London.

“The field will be good in London, it will be great to get back up against Dayron [Robles] again, he’s had a great season and I always look forward to competing against him because he is the best and it will be a true test of where I’m at in my last competition before Worlds.

“One year out from 2012 I want to get a good result in London. I want to leave the city in good form and with a great feeling for when I return next year. The World Championships are obviously on the cards and this will definitely be preparation for that so I’m not going to be holding back, I want to get a good result.

“I hear that the Saturday is sold out now but there’s still some tickets left for when I’m racing so I’m really hoping that people get out and buy tickets so it’s a packed stadium for the race. I think the 110m hurdles is one of the most interesting events out there at the moment, there’s a field packed full of talent and every race is a great one.”

Like Oliver last year, Robles has enjoyed one of his finest seasons to date this campaign and until his last race in Barcelona – where he hit a hurdle in a freak accident and finished last – he had won every race he had entered.

He goes head-to-head with Oliver once again this Friday in the Samsung Diamond League bout in Stockholm, the last before they clash on UK soil next Friday, and is keen to test himself against the best in a world class Aviva London Grand Prix field that will also include world number four Aries Merritt.

The event is also a good opportunity for Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland star Turner to notch another victory over Robles after the Cuban’s calamity in Spain and also test himself against good friend and frequent training partner Oliver.

Turner is in outstanding form after a top performance at the SPAR European Team Championships in Stockholm in atrocious weather, followed by a personal best of 13.22secs in Lausanne just last month, and the Sutton-based hurdler believes he has a big performance stirring within him and has set his heart on putting in a strong performance in front of his local fans.

“It’s going to be great competing at the Aviva London Grand Prix, it’s one of my favourite meets on the circuit as I love to race in front of a home crowd. There’s a high level field racing so it will definitely be a tight one. David and I have raced a few times this season but it will be great to add Robles to the mix as well.

“It’s unbelievable that we’re now only one year away from 2012, it’s really going to hit home when we’re lining up before the race and I really hope that I get some good support from the crowd.

“I’m happy with how 2011 has gone so far.  I know I have a big performance in me and am feeling positive about the second half of the season.”

Oliver, Robles and Turner join an all-star cast of British and international athletes set to head to the Aviva London Grand Prix. Mo Farah (3000m), Asafa Powell (100m), Mark Lewis-Francis (100m), Jenny Meadows (800m), David Rudisha (800m), Abubaker Kaki (800m) and Kim Collins (100m) will all be joining them in action at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Friday 5 August, while Christine Ohuruogu (400m), Sanya Richards-Ross (400m), Phillips Idowu (triple jump), Felix Sanchez (400m hurdles), Dai Greene (400m hurdles), and Carmelita Jeter (100m, 200m) will take to the track on the sold-out Saturday for the final Aviva Series contest of 2011.

What is The Crystal Palace parkrun?

It’s a 5km run against the clock. It is held every Saturday at 09:00 in Crystal Palace Park. See Course page for more details. It’s free! but please register in advance. All abilities welcome. For further information go to the Crystal Palace parkrun website.

Crystal Palace parkrun needs you!

As the Crystal Palace parkrun is entirely organised by volunteers they always need people who can dedicate one or two Saturday morning every two months. The idea is to build a number of teams, each self-sufficient that will be able to start and end the run safely and produce the results. Some of these roles allow you to volunteer and run. i.e. a runner could easily do the post run results processing.

Crystal Palace parkrun is a warm, friendly event and the volunteers are invaluable in helping the event run as smoothly as possible.

New and old parkrunners are encouraged to join the list of volunteers. Without our volunteers on Saturday mornings Crystal Palace parkrun could not happen and I certainly could not do everything on my own!

There are lots of roles available on Saturday mornings, from setting up the event to registration, and timing to course marshals. Everyone is welcome to help out and volunteers are able to choose the role that they would like to do, training is given as and where necessary. During the event itself, there will always be people, including myself, around so if you ever had a problem you can call on them to help.

When you volunteer at Crystal Palace parkrun, you are rewarded for your efforts through points on the league tables, acknowledgements on the website and through emails. It is also very rewarding to help out too.

Volunteering on a Saturday morning only takes about an hour so you have the rest of the day to do as you wish. Some people help with set up and then run the 5k course, others run the course and then help pack the bits and pieces away so that they do not miss out on their weekend run.

All volunteers can help out as often or as little as they wish and there is no pressure whatsoever.

If you are interested in being put onto the volunteer list for the Crystal Palace parkrun please contact  CrystalPalaceHelpers@parkrun.com

The charity Leonard Cheshire Disability has launched Tri Together, a triathlon uniquely designed so that disabled and non-disabled people can take part side by side.

Tri Together is a sprint distance event which allows people to participate as individuals or as a team of two or three people. It has one of the lowest entry fees on the market – just £30 per person. Sign up today and you could take part in this swimming, cycling, and running challenge with your friends and family, while raising funds for Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Tri Together takes place on Sunday 11 September 2011 at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in South London. Participants will get the chance to swim in the indoor pool, cycle though the leafy surrounds of Crystal Palace Park and run in the iconic Jubilee Stadium. Supported by tri247.com, Triathlon England and the Crystal Palace Triathlon Club, this event is set to be the next big thing on the triathlon calendar.

The distances are:

• 400m pool swim
• 15km cycle
• 5km run

Medals will be awarded for the following categories:

Men

• Women
• Team
• Mixed ability team

British Olympic swimmer Mark Foster says: “Tri Together is a fantastic idea that promises to offer something for everyone. Whether your strength is swimming, cycling or running, this triathlon promises to be an unforgettable day. It’ll be great to see disabled and non-disabled people, friends and family, ‘pros’ and novices all taking part together.”

TV presenter and paralympian Ade Adepitan says: “Tri Together, a triathlon organised by Leonard Cheshire Disability, is a truly inclusive sporting event, where disabled and non-disabled people will take part side by side. Why not join us for the swim, bike, run challenge and see what we can achieve together?”

Sarah Ball, National Events Manager at Leonard Cheshire Disability says:

“We believe that everybody should be given the chance to take part in sports if they want to, whatever their abilities. Leonard Cheshire Disability is holding an event that will encourage just that. You don’t have to be an elite athlete to take part in Tri Together, an event which focuses on ability, not disability. Sign up with your friends and family today to take part in this unique event. “

Triathlon beginners will benefit from the support of the Leonard Cheshire Disability events team, who will be on hand from the early stages of training to the end. The support will include:

• Fitness and training plans
• Fundraising support and advice
• Post event professional sports massage and complementary food and drink
• Race recovery goodie bags

Secure your place today by emailing the events team at tritogether@LCDisability.org, calling 020 3242 0294 or Texting TRI to 80878*. A registration fee of £30 and minimum sponsorship apply. Participants must be a minimum age of 17 on the date of the event. For more information visit www.lcdisability.org/tritogether

Over 500 adult and 180 junior competitors as well as spectators arrived, despite the early morning rain and strong winds, for the annual Crystal Palace Triathlon, which took place on Sunday 22 May at the Crystal Palace Park and National Sports Centre.

The Crystal Palace Triathlon was voted BTF Race of the Year in 2010 so there was a reputation to keep up for 2011. With the race selling out within days of entries opening and being one of the London League races, an increasingly competitive field added to the excitement and entertainment for everyone who had turned up to cheer on their friends and family.

The day started with Club members and marshals arriving from 6am in pouring rain to set up and prepare the course ready for the adult race at 9am, followed by the junior races in the Youth (15-16), TriStar 3 (13-14), TriStar 2 (11-12), TriStar (9-10) and TriStart (8) categories in the afternoon.

Steve Walker, who competed in his first triathlon, said:

This was my first triathlon and I have to say that the event was excellent. It was really well organised, had very helpful staff and the atmosphere was great. I particularly enjoyed getting spurred on by the friendly marshals and it was a nice touch to have some shout your name as you went past. I have definitely got the triathlon bug now and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Thanks very much for organising such a great event.

Deborah Haines, a regular competitor, said:

A huge thank you for another absolutely fantastic event so obviously well organised and supported in every way.   Crystal Palace can be proud of putting on a first class event enjoyed by both participants and spectators.  I’d like to give a special thanks to those wonderful marshals that did a star job in motivating us all every step of the way – including the lady stuck in the car park for that extra bit added on – she was brilliant- as was the fabulous guy at the top of the ‘hill’ on the left just on that shady bit where runners turn left. .. and the lady cheering all as we stepped out of the pool…. I could go on!   They were all amazing supporters.

Dan Francis, returning after a two year gap time, said:

The whole day was great fun and very well organised. The stewards were very encouraging even after the event had finished they were still congratulating people as they made their way to the car. The guys handing out the timing chips at the pool made you feel that you were the first person they had seen that day. People matching up your numbers and calling out your name as you passed was a nice touch. The registration staff were helpful and organised.

CPT Chairperson and Race Director John Petrides said:

“After winning Race of the Year in 2010 we were very keen to maintain standards and also to improve where we could. I think the above feedback proves that our hard work has paid off. Everyone involved in organising the event deserves a big pat on the back. Without the support of Club members, family and friends there wouldn’t be an event, so thanks to everyone involved, including all the competitors and sponsors who turned up despite the wind and rain. We hope the 2012 event will be just as successful!”

After a gruelling race with very strong winds, it was Tim Male from Thames Turbo who took home the first prize in the men’s competition, in a time of 1:04:07, whilst the women’s race was won by Parys Edwards from Ful-on-Tri, in 1:11:01. The winning Veterans (40+) were Nick Malyn from Ful-on-Tri and Ruth Hutton from Thames Trubo. The winning SuperVets (50+) were Richard Stanhope from Thames Turbo and Sandra Blenksop from Kingfisher Triathletes. Links to the full results can be found on the Crystal Palace Triathlon website.

New course records were set by the overall winner, Tim Male for the bike split (32:10) and Bradley Hales from Optima Racing Team for the swim (08:49).

The winners of the junior races were:

Youth – Jack Boericke, Optima Racing Team and Armanni Antoine-Chagar, Swim For Tri

TriStar 3 – Henry Dawson, Thames Turbo and Evangeline Foster

TriStar 2 – Anthony Anderson and Jemima Walker, East Essex Tri Club

TriStar 1 – Zak Wort and Freya Thomson, Thames Turbo

TriStart – Henri Wright and Tallulah Penney, Thames Turbo

Prizes were generously donated by Zone3, TriTowel, CherryActive, VO2 Cycling, TriGirl, SwimTrek, Runners Edge, GREEPER laces, SwimForTri.  There were also places at The Bridge Triathlon in June and the TriTogether Triathlon in September on offer. All competitors were given a Yum Yum Brothers energy bar to help them get through the race.

Details of the 2012 Crystal Palace triathlon will be announced early next year on the Crystal Palace triathletes website, anyone wishing to be put on the mailing list should email the club .

It has just been confirmed that London will host its first ever backward running race – the London Backward Running Championships, this summer.  The event will take place in Crystal Palace Park on Sunday 17^th July 2011.

The inaugural London Backward Running Championships will incorporate races of 1km and 3km for men and women around a circuit of the scenic and traffic free Crystal Palace Park.  The backward races are open to anyone wanting to try a new testing running challenge.

The event is expected to attract an international field alongside entrants from around the UK.  The world champion is already signed up to take part and looking for competitive entrants to beat him.  (Garret Doherty last year ran 1 mile in 7 minutes 30 seconds).

There is also a 1km charity backward fun run and walk.  This is a unique opportunity for absolutely anyone to create a fun and quirky fundraising challenge for themselves, or join with their work colleagues or friends.  With the option of either walking or running the 1km course backwards, there is a challenge for everyone from the fitness enthusiast to someone looking for a great challenge to lose weight (participants will burn a third more calories as running or walking forwards).

Event organiser Sally Raynes says, ”We are really passionate about this being an event that raises a lot of money for charities around London, and have created 250 entry places for participants to raise money for charity.  We are happy for charities to have as many people as they wish fundraising for their charity.  We simply work on a first come, first served basis for all 250 spaces”.

Backward running will appeal to absolutely anyone: from the fitness enthusiast seeking their next challenge to the competitive runner wanting to run even faster.  Even people who are chronically averse to sport will be attracted to backward running because of its ‘fun’ image.  The charity race will also offer entrants a fabulous and novel way to raise money.  It will be a great day out for entrants and spectators alike.

In all the championship races there will be prizes for the fastest men and women to guarantee some competition at the front of the field (or should that be the back) and every participant will walk away (forwards or backwards) with a T-Shirt and medal.  Crystal Palace Park was chosen because of its suitability for backward running (wide, flat paths) and to minimize the risks further there will be plenty of course marshals.

The event is organized by James Bamber and Sally Raynes of Wacky Nation, who are both long time converts to backward running.  They are also organizing the 2nd UK Backward Running Championships in Manchester on Sunday 14^th August. The race will attract over 300 entrants who will compete over the longer and more punishing distance of 1 mile.

James says: “Backward running is exercise’s best kept secret and could well witness the next big boom in sport and fitness.  Anyone looking to reduce the risk of injury, a stronger, more balanced lower body, a challenging workout, better posture or an exercise to aid rehabilitation would do well to try backward running”.

James has his own reasons to talk up backward running: “Over the last ten years or so I have suffered from repeated bouts of shin splints, ankle injuries and ITBS, with the only advice to give up.  I have run through three pairs of orthotics, seen literally dozens of sports therapists of various disciplines and even resorted to surgery (twice!).  Even I was wondering whether running was for me until I came across the benefits of backward running.  Just running a few laps around the track left me in awe of its power whilst the smooth running style suited my biomechanics.  With a steady and sensible progression, I have managed to maintain a high quality of pain-free training.  I now walk around with a real spring in my step and my legs feel and look stronger and I seriously recommend the exercise to anyone who suffers from any sport related injury or who just wants to reach their full athletic potential.”

Sally adds, “Yes, it may sound like a daft thing to do, you may get laughed at, you may even fall over a few times.  But if you can get just get past the skepticism and initial trepidation there are amazing, even life-changing, benefits to be had.  Once you start running backwards, you’ll never look forward again!”

If you would like to find out more and register to take part, go to www.reverserunning.com

For more information on either of the events or on backward running please contact Sally Raynes on 07980 287031 or email Sally and James at info@reverserunning.com

Over 200 Brazilian competitors and officials are expected to use our National Sports Centre before and during the Games under an agreement signed by Carlos Nuzman, President of both the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and the Brazilian Olympic Committee, and Crystal Palace operators   Greenwich Leisure (GLL).

Nuzman said: “Signing this historic agreement is a major step in the preparation plans for Team Brazil in 2012, while also laying the foundations for Brazil’s planning for the 2016 Games. We are confident that Crystal Palace National Sports Centre will offer the best possible training and preparation environment for our athletes, enabling them to achieve the best possible sporting results.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Crystal Palace is a world renowned centre for sporting excellence and why Team Brazil, with some of the world’s finest athletes in its squad, has chosen it as its 2012 base. The agreement to establish a 2012 HQ next summer will be the first time this style of preparation base has used by Brazil, who are hoping for a good performance to help set them up for Rio 2016. A full range of Olympic athletes and technical staff will be hosted at the Centre, including volleyball, beach volleyball, handball, basketball, taekwondo, boxing, athletics, swimming and diving.

Finally Crystal Palace has some involvement with the Olympics, not just being an also ran stadium to justify legacy bids. “This is great news for London”, said London Development Agency chief executive Peter Rogers. “By coming to Crystal Palace, Brazil’s Olympians will enjoy some of the best sporting facilities in Britain as they prepare for London 2012. The London Development Agency has invested over £17 million bringing the National Sports Centre up to modern international standards. This investment is now being enjoyed by world class athletes and the local community alike”.

Crystal Palace Triathlon, organised by the Crystal Palace Triathletes will once again it will be carbon neutral. This highly successful annual has been carbon neutral since 2008, and continues to be the only triathlon in the UK to have made this commitment, following strict guidelines on how to minimize its environmental impact. In 2010 the Crystal Palace Triathlon was voted Triathlete’s World British Triathlon Event of the Year and the 2011 race will be run to the high environmental standards that you would expect for such a prestigious award. As well as minimizing the environmental impact from the race itself, we are asking all the competitors, marshals, organizers, and spectators to think about how they can do their bit by sharing lifts, and using public transport.

Keep the Crystal Palace Triathlon Green!

This year the Crystal Palace Triathlon is partnered with with Jambusters to operate a car share scheme, and are also including details of the local buses, trains and trams on the Crystal Palace Triathlon website so people have the information at hand about how to come to support the race without having to use the car.  Crystal Palace Park is blessed with a train station right next to the main entrance and a bus station at it’s top corner. So, no  excuses!

Bromley Council will be providing recycling and composting bins to enable recycling as much as possible on race day. Details of the carbon footprint of the race will be calculated by ZeroCarbonEvents. Details of this will be published on the Crystal Palace triathlon website after race day.

Crystal Palace Triathlon won the Triathlete’s World British Triathlon Event of the Year award, which was presented at the British Triathlon awards presentation in Leicester on Saturday 13 November.

The event was awarded the prize because ‘it’s a regular fixture on the calendars of not only triathletes from London, but from around the country and is widely held as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly events in the UK’.

The award was collected on behalf of the Club by Karen Ayers, John Petrides, Bruce Ayers and junior member Adam Efrat. After winning the award, John commented “It’s fantastic, I had no idea. It goes to show that all the hard work put into organising the event has now been rewarded.”

Karen was also at the awards to collect National Volunteer of the Year and can be seen at the annual triathlon, in her Race Director bib, manning registration, after processing all race entries and answering pre-race queries.

Online entry for 2011

Online entry for the 2011 Crystal Palace Triathlon will open early in the New Year. If you would like to receive notification when entries open, please email the  Crystal Palace Triathletes and they’ll add you to their distribution list.

We look forward to seeing you on 22 May 2011.

Fernando (far right) and team

Last Sunday was the Run to the Beat, London’s music half marathon set in Greenwich.

Our local fitness group, Miracle Fitness, took part led by the ever-energetic Fernando. Over twenty of the current ‘bootcampers’ entered after having trained intensively with him throughout the summer. He was pleased to see everyone finish the race with a new personal best time.

They have all proven something to themselves, but also have shown that once again Crystal Palace is a place where sport can thrive in people. Most importantly they have all run for a very good cause raising over £3000 towards the Rainbow Trust children’s charity.

Miracle Fitness is a fitness training company specialising in Fitness Boot Camps for men and women. Fernando has been running the bootcamps in Crystal Palace Park for over 4 years now. The bootcamps focus on body toning, cardio, flexibility, endurance and nutrition. His philosophy is that fitness can be achieved with a ‘can do’ attitude and this will set you on a path to a fitter lifestyle. The boot camp is open to all fitness levels and abilities, so anyone can take part.

If you run a local business or service and have a story to tell please contact chris@palacemag.co.uk