European Sprint Triathlon Champs -Madrid

The 2023 Europe Triathlon Championships were held in Madrid with the Standard distance racing on the Saturday, and the age group Sprint racers starting Sunday morning before the elite athletes. As you will read, the weather played its part with participants having to complete a 1.73km run to start and spread the pack before a 20.8km bike and a final 5km run. It is pleasing to report two great results from Maisie Johnston and Mark Walford and that both Maisie and Mark have reported in with their race experiences – congratulations to them both:-

MAISIE

Reporting in post race…..well – where to begin!

24 hours prior to the sprint triathlon we were all notified that due to heavy overnight rain, and subsequent polluted ‘run off’ into our swimming lake, the Standard Tri and the Elite Para triathlon was to be a duathlon- no swim.

Later that evening after water quality checks, the Sprint was confirmed as being a triathlon, yay, but 30 minutes later the heavens opened again and on the morning of our race (8am start) we were informed the swim was also cancelled for us. (and the elites racing later that morning.)  And the transition area was pretty flooded.

What a bummer, swim is my ‘ace card’ but after some talk of dead rats in the water I was more than happy to be on terra firma.

So from the gun, down the blue carpet we all  ran, my poor triathlon self was very confused!  However, entered T1 7th, and headed out with a stream of competitors on the bike. A German lady, Tanya, and I managed to find each other from the go and had an amazing ‘2 up’ for the duration. (Amazingly we’d also cycled together at last years Euros in Munich.) Lovely parcours through the Casa de Campo Park with some fast sections on the dual carriageway, but with an unexpected uphill to the end. 

Back into T2 with soggy wet socks and soggy wet trainers awaiting me. No time to waste, trainers on – crabbed my sunglasses and outta there.  5 km run, back to the status quo, for a beautiful run round the lake then a brutal up hill of 8 switch backs to get to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) for the most awesome finish I have experienced as yet. 

After my fairly awful blue carpet finish at Ibizia (retching in my finishers photo) as I came round the last dead turn, I decided I needed to do better.  I charged through the middle of about 4 runners and half heartedly threw my arms in the air! 

So, 7th lady in my age group, 4th GB lady. As a run bike run I am very happy with that, and looking at the results I don’t think my swim would have got me closer to the podium.  (NB Time splits all look a bit off. As course was changed last minute distances may be slightly out)

Yes, and I downed 2 glasses of Prosecco post race and was very tipsy!

Madrid was exceptional, the rain wasn’t really even a problem – it was just the contaminated run off.  However, all fairly challenging mentally and physically but I’d do it all again #loveracing!

Next stop Hamburg Worlds.

Maisie

MARK

European sprint triathlon championship. So much happened in this trip, where do I start?

Well first of all, because of water quality it wasn’t a triathlon, it was a duathlon, we found this out an hour before we raced. 12 hours before my race a dodgy Spanish bike mechanic took my bike apart and couldn’t put it back together. But the race itself I didn’t know how to pace so decided to go all out until I blew up!

Slightly short first run but managed to keep with front group. The bike I attacked, maybe not sensible racing but fun. Then the final run up to the palace on a hill that maxed out at 15%. It was stunning but so tough.

I crossed the line after a track style sprint finish to jelly legs and complete exhaustion. Finishing 18th after several pbs on my run, it was great to bring my ‘A’ game, to my ‘A’ race. Over all I loved it but it will take me a while to recover.

Mark

More photos of our dynamic duo are on flickr- click on the photo below:-