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 .

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.

The last Crystal Palace triathlon I competed in was 10 years ago and although my times have not improved much it is still one of the best organised racing events I’ve completed. A totally self-contained racing event in London is very rare these days and it is a joy not to have to worry about traffic, pedestrians or the like and the National Sports Centre’s 50m pool pool provided an excellent ‘baptism’ for those wary of sea and lake swims.  Spectator support was excellent both in the pool and on the running/cycling course.

Over 500 adult and 150 junior competitors as well as spectators turned up on what was the hottest day of the year. The standards of the race and its competitors keep on rising and this year was no exception, with an increasingly competitive field adding 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 at 6am 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.

Tim Weston, who competed in his first triathlon, said:”…just fantastic. The race today was my first triathlon but clearly not yours, the organisation and marshalling were truly superb. My deep thanks and gratitude to everyone involved in putting this event together”.

Paul Crouch, a regular competitor, said:” Many thanks for yet another superbly organised Crystal Palace Tri today.  The event ran really well and the marshalls and support teams were again excellent.  I shall be returning next year”.

Crystal Palace Triathletes Chairperson John Petrides said:“Our race gets bigger and better every year. I don’t know how we are going to beat today’s event. All the competitors seemed to enjoy the experience, commenting on what a friendly and supportive club we are, and all want to come back to this sell-out event next year.”

“We have seen some really competitive racing today, not just from the adults but also from the various junior age groups, right down to the TriStarts doing their first ever race” added John.

After a gruelling race in the heat, in the end it was Neil Harris from 7 Oaks Tri Club who took home the first prize in the men’s competition, whilst the women’s race was won by Grainne O’Donnell from Serpentine. The winning Veterans (40+) were Jon Horsman from Crystal Palace Triathletes and Claire Hitchings from 7Oaks Tri Club. The winning SuperVets (50+) were Ian Birch from Hillingdon Triathletes and Karen Grieves. Links to the full results can be found on the Club website.

The winners of the junior races were:

Junior – Rory Atkins, Optima Racing Team and Bethaney Hall, RG Active / triandrun, who was racing in her first ever triathlon

TriStar 3 – Lewis Hawkins, Jetstream Tri Club and Greta Sharp, Crystal Palace Triathletes

TriStar 2 – Alex Yee, Crystal Palace Triathletes and Orla Fawcett, Amersham TriStars

TriStar 1 – Sindead Clark, East Essex Tri and Dominic King

TriStart – Jacob Patterson and Zahra Chilsholm from Thames Turbo

Prizes were generously donated by triandrun, with spot prizes on the from Foska, Zone3 wetsuits, TriSport Coaching, TriTowel,Pool-Mate, Cherry Active and SwimShop. Competitors were also given a bottle of For Goodness Shakes to help them recover after the race.

Details of the 2011 race will be announced later this year on the Club website. Anyone wishing to be put on the race mailing list should  email CPT.

Crystal Palace Triathletes (CPT) have been an important part of the sports and social scene around Crystal Palace for nearly 15 years, and have become ‘home’ to over 130 triathletes since its first training sessions took place back in 1983.

John Petrides, Chairman of Crystal Palace Triathletes, commented:

“Triathlon is the fastest growing sport in the UK. It is not only for the competitors taking part but also for mums and dads, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. It’s for anyone and everyone. In 2005 we started the Crystal Palace Triathlon and we had around 330 entries, which far exceeded our expectations, especially as this was our first event. But with the help from volunteers within the club, their families and the Crystal Palace Sports Centre it was a success.

In 2007 we expect to have over 500 competitors with 2,000-3,000 spectators. Our objective is to provide a triathlon which everyone will enjoy, and remember for a long time.”

If you think that triathlon may be a lonely pursuit, or maybe you’re worried it will mean too many hours away from home, you can do like Lauren Whitmore and persuade your family to come along too! Lauren joined the club in 2006 with her father Haydn and boyfriend Rob, and they train and compete together in races across the UK. All that remains is to persuade Mum to come along too!

Lauren commented: “I was nervous about joining a new club on my own so I enlisted some support! I needn’t have worried, everyone has been really welcoming and we enjoy training and socialising with the rest of the club.” One of the club’s recent, proud achievements is the Crystal Palace Triathlon. With the determination and hard work of our many club members, the event returned to Crystal Palace in 2005 where enthusiastic crowds cheered on hundreds of triathletes as they took on the challenge of completing the 750metre swim, 20k cycle ride and 5k run.

If you would like a fun and friendly race to train towards and keep your motivation up, this is definitely one to consider. The event is aimed at all abilities and levels of fitness; it is a great race for those looking to enter their first triathlon and the course is sufficiently varied to provide a challenge for the more experienced triathlete. Competitors have commented on the excellent support and unparalleled skills of the marshals – many of whom are experienced triathletes themselves. One enthusiastic race competitor said: “My first Triathlon could not have been a better one – I had an awesome time. Friendly marshals and helpers; great course and brilliant support. I will definitely be back next year!”

CPT Committee member Berit Sund said: “People are always commenting on the great team spirit of the club, and most of us end up socialising outside the club as well as training together. We are very proud of the way the club has grown and become an important part of the UK triathlon scene. The success of the Crystal Palace Triathlon also is testament to the quality of all our members, who are always keen to look at new sporting events. There are even plans afoot to celebrate our upcoming 15-year anniversary with an Arch to Arc relay triathlon - yes, that’s London to Paris, via a cheeky Channel swim!”

So, if you are still keen on keeping up those New Year promises, or even making entirely new ones (hey, it’s never too late!), come along to one of the weekly training sessions, all supervised by the excellent coaches, Jon, Phil and Carl. The first session is free for non-members. If you would like to know more about Crystal Palace Triathletes and what they get up to, plus details of the Crystal Palace Triathlon, please visit the Crystal Palace Triathletes website: www.crystalpalace-tri.co.uk or call their friendly club secretary Phil, on 020 8659 8091.

(First printed in the Palace Magazine February 2007)