Locarno Middle Distance Triathlon: 6 September 2009

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1 1 Sioned Morgan 6:10:52 F40-44 Serpentine

Race conditions

Hot and sunny

Report

A middle distance tri (-10km on the bike and -1km on the run. A longer than usual 2.5km swim). Set in a great location, this is a championship race for the canton of Ticino with entry numbers limited to 500, hence the overall standard is very high, leaving a weekend warrior like me with a very low placing. Organisation was friendly but a little loose in certain areas; nothing much to complain about though.

The swim, in Lake Maggiore, with water of 20 degrees, was quite choppy and a few people who were unfamiliar with the course (no diagram at the entry to the water and hard to see exactly where all the buoys are from the shore, especially from the back (it was a run-in, not standing water start) went off course more than once (including me) which was frustrating but one of those things. Careful sighting required!

The bike course: first 40km was a gradual and very scenic uphill climb from 200 to just under 800m through the Maggia valley and Bignasco, with a couple of quite tough short steep sections. I enjoyed some impressive swearing from the German in front of me on one of these. Water, apples, oranges, energy drinks, Rivella, at the 40km turnaround, then the second half was back down the way you came up. You gain nothing on this course from being a coward on downhills... The marshals were great and stopped traffic at turns and roundabouts wherever possible, the only exception being a level crossing. I received a kindly shove uphill here, when the lights changed almost as soon as I'd clipped out and I was fumbling around trying to get back in. Car drivers were generally considerate.

Totally flat 20km run, four 5km laps. Loads of feeding stations with water, more Rivella and energy drinks, watermelon, orange wedges, sponges.

A free post-race massage (I don't think everyone got one, since there was only one masseur, but then almost everyone had gone by the time I crawled into the waiting area) and a t-shirt included in the entry cost of 60CHF. Oh, and the crowning glory; a swim cap boldly adorned with the name of one of the sponsors: Athleticum.

Highly recommended if you can live with the fact that it's not quite a full 70.3 or an Ironman branded race!

Result queries

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