Challenge #13 was thankfully not an unlucky one, though it was absolutely baking hot when we kicked off at 12:45. The venue was cracking; an outdoor pool swim followed by a nice undulating ride around the Cheshire roads and finished off with a quick jaunt around the park.
It all worked well as there was a great space for friends and family to come and watch and it meant the run section was self-contained, which really helped when I was knackered towards the end!!
The swim was a bit crowded but that wasn't too difficult to overcome, plus it was pretty short for me so I didn't mind that much. The bike course isn't on closed roads but I didn't see a great deal of traffic on them. It undulates but won't test you much. The run course over the grass was the perfect finish, a nice little jog over the grassy park with very little elevation change. All in all, this is a pretty easy course but it is a good one.
The organisation of the event was great, really simple to register (made easier with only 830 participants) and well managed transition areas. Marshalls were superb out on the course and everyone was so friendly.
On to the important things; the T-Shirt and the medal!! Judge me if you want but an event with a good medal and T-Shirt will always rate more highly than one without. Medal is a cracker and the T-Shirt isn't too shabby; though it is an extra cost and it is not a tech T-Shirt which some people don't like so much.
So, overall, what was the verdict?
A cracking event; great organisation and a nice easy course which was exactly what I needed this week! I'll be back for the longer distance next year, though sun tan cream will be required.
Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5
Till next time,
DT
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