Triathlon Varsity
The swimming leg of this year’s Varsity Triathlon at Bleheim Palace
This year’s Varsity Triathlon took place as part of the prestigious Blenheim Triathlon, the UK’s second largest triathlon. 57 athletes from Oxford and Cambridge took part amongst a total field of 3,000, completing the spectacular course in the grounds of Blenheim palace. Oxford’s men were vanquished by a dominant Cambridge team, but the women comfortably saw off the Tabs to retain their trophy. The course, comprising of a 750m swim in the lake, a 20km cycle, and a 5.
km run attracted some of the nation’s top triathletes, with Olympic hopeful Olly Freeman winning the triathlon overall. Another famous participant was former “spin doctor” Alistair Campbell. Oxford and Cambridge had managed to negotiate a separate start for the varsity event, meaning the university athletes were not impeded by other competitors as they began their swim.
It was a different story for the women, with number-one triathlete Rachel Hughes cruising to an emphatic victory in an impressive time of 1:20:51. Such is Hughes’ stature as an athlete that she followed her triumph by competing in a National Cycling Time Trial the next day. Second over the line was fresher Katy Moore, coming home in 1:21:39, another strong performance.
Jessica Leitch completed Oxford’s stranglehold over the top three spots, completing the course in1:22:31, a fantastic achievement in only her second competitive triathlon. The swimming opened frenetically, with contestants jostling for position in the lake, before the field began to spread out. After their dip in the lake, the contestants clambered out and moved onto the cycling stage.
The cyclists had three laps of the grounds of the palace to contend with, a course made even more gruelling by several steep and technical sections. By this stage, the weather had taken a turn for the worse, with driving rain and howling winds making conditions difficult for the athletes as they soldiered on towards their goal. The final leg of the triathlon, the run, is always a testing ordeal, and here was no exception.
The two laps of the lake are equally hilly, and the competitors had to battle hard to make it through, comforted only by the knowledge that the end was in sight. Eventually, the honours were split between the two universities. The Oxford women can be delighted with their performance here, while the men must look to next year’s Varsity to get back at Cambridge.
25th May 2006