The Big Adventure Store Chilly Duathlon at Castle Combe on Sunday 26 February proved to be a successful start to the 2012 duathlon season for four Evesham triathletes.
Leading the way as usual was Michelle Parsons racing for Team Tri UK and Worcester Triathlon Club, but it was also good start for club mates Iain Jennings and Lee Oliver.
The race is held at the racing circuit in Castle Combe and comprises a 2 mile run around the perimeter of the track followed by a 10 mile cycle section on the actual track itself and then finishes with the same two mile run. Conditions were good this year and times were faster than those recorded in 2011.
Michelle once again showed that her strength has not diminished taking on all of the elite female short course athletes and although not quite keeping with them on the first two mile run she blasted her way up from 5th position after the run into first place on the bike, recording the fastest female bike split of the day of 22 minutes and 50 seconds. On the second run Kate Robson from BRAT regained first position to finish in an overall time of 47 minutes and 58 seconds with Michelle second in 48.23 closely followed by Louise Bardsley in third in 48.30.
The men’s field also attracted some of the best short course duathletes all using the race as preparation for the British Championships in two weeks’ time. The overall winner was Phil Mosley in an amazingly quick time of 42 minutes and 14 seconds. He was the only person to break 21 minutes for the bike section on the day.
Iain Jennings, fresh from his maiden Half Ironman triathlon performance in Lanzarote, finished in a very respectable 10th position in the senior men’s race in a personal best time of 45.49.
Fellow Worcester Triathlon Club member Lee Oliver recorded an excellent time of 53.39, another personal best for the course and in the process managed to hold off his father-in-law, Rob Middleton, completing in his first duathlon event, who finished in 55.34 gaining him 5th place in the super vet category.