The British Standard Distance Triathlon Championships are set to take place this weekend, with over 650 competitors all racing to win the coveted British titles at the Tri UK Shropshire Triathlon on Sunday 24 June 2012.
The event is the sixth of eight British Age-Group Championships in 2012 and will see athletes race in the picturesque ‘Lakelands’ of Shropshire.
Athletes will embark on a 1,500m swim in the Mere, which has a number of locations ideal for spectators to cheer on their friends and family. The 40km bike is a fast one-lap course, which is often used by local clubs for time-trialling events. Despite its notoriously fast times, the route does include a number of sharp climbs which will test the endurance of any athlete.
The 10kn run is a tough ‘out-and-back’ course that is continuously undulating with a fast finish through the Cremorne Gardens in Ellesmere. A testing route that is fitting for a British Age-Group Championships.
This is the 20th staging of the Shropshire Triathlon, an event that has an illustrious list of winners that includes Andrew Johns, Richard Allen, Marc Jenkins, Steph Forrester and Chrissie Wellington MBE.
In addition to the British Age-Group Championships, the event also doubles as a GE Great Britain Age-Group Team qualification event for the 2012 Auckland ITU Triathlon World Championships. The event is the second opportunity to qualify after last weekend’s Dambuster Triathlon event, which was won by Carl Shaw and Lou Collins.
The final chance for athletes to qualify for the GE Great Britain Age-Group Team at the 2012 Auckland ITU Triathlon World Championships is the Deva Triathlon on 1 July. If you intend to qualify at the Deva Triathlon event, you must register your intent on the British Triathlon website by 5pm Friday 29 June 2012.
Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “It is an honour to host this prestigious event in Shropshire, especially in the run-up to the Olympics. I hope as many people as possible will attend to cheer on the athletes.”
Alan Penton, Leisure Development Manager at Shropshire Council added: ‘Shropshire Council is delighted to host the British Age Group Championships in partnership with British Triathlon. The Tri UK Shropshire Triathlon is now in its’ 20th year and has consistently been chosen to host World and British level events. This reflects greatly on the local community who come out in force to support the event and make it memorable for all the competitors and many thousands of spectators who will line the route.
“The transition is very atmospheric and provides a beautiful backdrop to the event. Ellesmere is very proud of its past record in staging major events and the volunteers who turn out in their hundreds will be present again to ensure a safe and exciting day for the athletes and visitors to this most scenic area.”
Ian Braid, British Triathlon Director for Major and National Events, added: “The British Standard Distance Triathlon Championships will provide the perfect platform for age-group athletes to achieve their personal triathlon challenges. To take part in any of our British Age-Group Championships is always a memorable occasion for any athlete, and with the additional prestige of being a qualifier for the GE Great Britain Age-Group Team, I am sure we will see some fast and exciting racing in the Shropshire countryside.”
Results will be available on www.tri247.com
