Gearing up for the race season
This is a bit of a bumper edition, so strap yourselves in.
Club Championships
These run from 1st March to 31st October, and made up of your 4 best scores from the 12 categories below (one of which has to be a triathlon). Every time you race in a multi-discipline event, it will be counting towards the club championships. In addition, we have two designated Club Championship races - a sprint and standard.
This year, the Sprint will be at Dorney Lake on 20th July. This race forms part of the London League series, will also be Ful-on-Tri’s championship race, so lots of opportunity for banter and removes any conflicts with marshalling our own sprint (more details on this further down). The standard distance race will be at Hever Castle on 28th September. This is a World Championship qualifier and we already have 17 signed up.
Club Champs Sprint: Dorney Lake (20th July), Absolute time
Club Champs Standard: Hever Castle 28th Sept, Absolute time
Parkrun: Any Mar-Oct run, AG%
Hillingdon Cycle TT: Any of 8 Hillingdon series, Absolute time
Swim: HOP 432m Time Trial, Absolute time
Other Triathlons:
Best Other Sprint (note, not super sprint), % Winner of the Prize age band
Best Other Olympic: % Winner of the Prize age band
Best Middle / 70.3: % Winner of the Prize age band
Best Long / 140.6: % Winner of the Prize age band
Dual Disciplines:
Best Duathlon: % Winner of the Prize age band
Best Aquathlon: % Winner of the Prize age band
Best Aquabike: % Winner of the Prize age band
As a reminder, we have a page on the member’s section dedicated to which races you are doing, so you can see who else is signed up, encourage others (and helps me immeasurably when looking up results). Click here.
London league series
As a senior section, we haven’t actively pushed the London League participation. For both the club and individual, it made up of your best three scoring events from 7 events. Our sprint is one, the Dorney Sprint another. Details can be found here:
VeloPark Duathlon, Duathlon, 30 March 2025, London Fields TC
Thames Turbo Sprint Triathlon, Sprint Triathlon, 5 May 2025, Thames Turbo TC
Crystal Palace Sprint Triathlon, Sprint Triathlon, 11 May 2025, Crystal Palace Triathletes
Dartford Bridge Standard Triathlon, Standard Triathlon, 22 June 2025, Bridge Events
Eton Dorney Family Triathlon, Sprint Triathlon, 20 July 2025, FullSteam Events
Windrush Sprint Aquathlon, Aquathlon, 27 July 2025, Windrush TC
London Fields Sprint Aquathlon, Aquathlon, 27 Sept 2025, London Fields TC
Turbo Sprint Race
https://thamesturbo.co.uk/volunteer
We do ask that every pre-existing member makes themselves available to marshal either the Sprint Race or the Junior Aquathlon. The self-enclosed venue of LEH for the aquathlon is normally covered, but last year we were short of marshals on the roundabouts on the bike course. As a club we rely on the revenue the race generates and need the volunteers to allow us to put it on.
We’re moving the Club Championship Sprint Champs so you needn’t be racing for this reason.
Recent results
There have been plenty of Turbos in action already this year. Tom Savage finishing 10th in the first Dorney Duathlon of the season; Thomas Snell (36:57) and Ben Newman (38:53) setting 10km PBs at Battersea, whilst Caoimhe ran 46:55 for the Valentines 10k at Chessington. Maria & Ben took on the trails of Arundel and Mike Deevy the trails around Newlands Corner (just pipping Andrew Pepperell). Dave Johnson ran a solid 1:24:42 at the Watford half, whilst Roger Barr ran a super impressive 2:54 in the Goodwood circuit marathon in absolutely filthy conditions.
As always, if you fill in the calendar, I’ll look up and share the results.
Upcoming events
This Sunday sees Thomas Snell take on the Castellon Marathon, just north of Valencia. After a couple of near misses, there are lots of us hoping he finally breaks his target time – it would be so richly deserved. Closer to home, Angelo and Lewis are taking part in the Hampton Court Half.
Next weekend, Gabbie gets the glamour and heads to Malta for a half, whilst I don’t, heading to Wokingham instead.
Then the first counters for the club championship will be new members, Rosie Morgan and Felix Hasted, taking part in the Taupo 70.3 on 1st March (in between weddings). They will also be joined by Hannah Campbell who trialled with us last month.
Turbo relays & social events
Axe Throwing
This year has already got off to a great social start, with reformer classes, axe-throwing, Parkrun sandwiching, jam-making and drinking. Although it is half term week for many next week, it’s still a 3rd Thursday, so drinks after swimming in Fabio’s (the Beech House as was). It’s a great opportunity to meet and welcome some of the new members to the club.
There have been a couple of relays mentioned on the WhatsApp chat.
The Southwater Relays which is a fun, relaxed event on 7th September.
However with the strength in depth in the club currently, I would like to see whether there is interest in entering Turbo teams for the HUUB National Triathlon Relays 2025, the previous weekend (30th August).
Julian Ward has also put a Save The Date out for the Ham Lake swim relays on Friday 27th June. This is a great fun handicapped event, where you’re paired with two other swimmers to make the teams as equal as possible & everyone finishing together. We’ll be promoting this more closer to the time.
We’ve also been challenged to a swim mob match by Ful-on-Tri – details and date to follow.