Last Sunday I competed in the Norwich Tri for the first time and can thoroughly recommend it. It is an Olympic distance event and takes place at Whitlingham Country Park, Trouse, just outside of Norwich.
It is a small event, with less than 300 triathletes. The swim is one lap of
a large old gravel pit, now a watersports centre, and an excellent venue as
the water is clean, deep and weed free. The bike route takes place on mostly
quiet roads in the surrounding countryside. It is quite undulating in the first
part but normally would provide for a good ride. Unfortunately conditions were
not ideal this year, a fairly strong south-westerly breeze was blowing, although
it was still warm and sunny, but following a period of torrential rain an hour
or so before the race the roads were very dirty causing many competitors to
puncture, including me, twice! Not my best race. The run which I completed more
or less on my own at the back of the field was around the country park on small
roads and wooded tracks, finishing with a lap of the water.
The race was a friendly event and very well organised, with marshals and/or
directional arrows at every junction on the bike and run. There was also electronic
timing and a distance marker at every 5km on the bike route and every 1km of
the run route.
Despite my rather unlucky experience (including a pair of broken sunglasses)
it was a very good event. Highly recommended!
- Alison McCoy