Wiggle’s London Triathlon Race Guide
The countdown to London begins…
Thousands of triathletes will be descending on the capital in less than a fortnight’s time for the world’s largest triathlon - the Mazda London Tri. Now in its 12th year, the triathlon is as popular with international elite athletes as it is first timers eager to give the swim-bike-run game a go. Held at the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands on August 9 and 10, about 13,000 competitors are expected to race over supersprint, sprint and Olympic distances with relays and corporate waves also taking place.
Athletes swim in the Royal Victoria Dock before heading into the ExCel Centre which plays host to the transition zone and is arguably one of the largest transitions in the world. The bike route triathletes follow depends on the distance they are racing and the course they have selected. Some head out to Tower Bridge while others follow the Westminster Route which takes in some of the city’s most famous landmarks. After returning to the ExCel Centre once again for the second transition (T2), it is then time to pull on the running shoes and get out on the run course which consists of laps around the ExCel. With music pumping, the sun (hopefully) shining and thousands of spectators lining the course, it won’t be hard to see how scores of people pick up the tri bug good and proper at London…..
Racing starts at 11am on the Saturday and continues throughout the day with the final wave going off at 5pm. The action kicks off much earlier on the Sunday, with the first race starting at 6.30am. The highlight of the morning will undoubtedly be the elite races, televised on BBC, with the women racing at 10.20am and the men at 10.45am. Keep an eye out for Wiggle’s very own Stuart Hayes, Andrea Whitcombe and Emma-Kate Lidbury, all of whom are due to be on the start line for the elite races. We are also sending a couple of Wiggle competition winners - more to follow on the bloggle shortly!
If all this action gets too much for you, fear not, there will be plenty of opportunities for some retail therapy throughout the weekend. The London Tri isn’t just home to the world’s largest triathlon - it also boasts the largest triathlon Expo in the world. Wiggle will be there for the whole weekend, right in the thick of the action, with more kit, equipment and goodies than you can possibly imagine. The Expo is set up in the heart of the Excel Centre so it’ll be impossible to miss us. Come and say hello and we look forward to seeing you there…Good luck to all those racing!
The Team @ Wiggle