This was my first attempt at a sprint tri, having worked my way up from my first attmept at a super sprint last year, to say I was nervous was an understatement and being told it was slightly longer than a standard sprint didnt do anything to ease the nerves.

Registration was a breeze, however my partner was less happy that he had to pay a days entry fee to the castle to come and support me as we didnt plan to hang around after to enjoy the castle given we had been up since 4am!

That morning we were told its was to be a compulsory NON wetsuit swim as the moat was so warm.  Having only braved OWS since June last year, despite doing quite a bit of since, i had only ever done it in a wetsuit and was pretty freaked out by it.

The moat was indeed warm, and very shallow.  Owing to the fact I didnt have rubber up around my neck i had a big frekaout when one of the many reeds wrapped itself around my neck, shoulders and back... probably wouldnt have noticed had i been in rubber, quickly remebering I was told you could stand up the whole way round i did, to try and remove it and calm down, but immediately sunk into the silt below my feet which probably freaked me out just as much!  The swim was lovely on the whole though, you swim under the arches of the castle and its a swim course i'll never forget! The bonus of no wetsuits was not having to do the wesuit removal dance and was off out quickly on my bike!

The bike course was very boring it was an out and back.  No support to speak of and i think i remember only seeing two marshals. I distracted myself looking out for my friend who was in a slightly later wave and would eventually pass me on his way out.  Other than that it was fairly uneventful, it was undultating, but thats it really, but it did allow me to just focus on the task in hand without having to lookout too much where i should be going!

The run course.... well its hilly. pretty darn hilly.  Jelly legs and hills! yay!But it was pretty, in the castle grounds, and run alongside some super friendly runners, we all kind of kept each other going!

The finishers tshirt is by far.... My all time favourite!!! Fantastic fit for women, and execellent quality and design!  The medal was flipping huge too.  Whilst I've moaned about a few things, I'd love to go back and try this one again becuase on the whole i did really enjoy it!

Beautiful, unique location in the castle grounds.

Swim was non-wetsuit due to the water temperature. Water in the moat is very silty, so expect to get a bit dirty! It's fun swimming beneath the castle arches although it can be slightly crowded.

Bike route is straightfoward out-and-back on the A20 It's quite undulating and windy and longer than a 'standard' sprint at 27km.

Run course is very hilly and all on grass. It's challenging but there are lovely views of the castle.

Awesome medal and goody bag including T-shirt. Highly recommended.

Read more here: http://paddlepedalpace.co.uk/2017/07/race-re-cap-leeds-castle-triathlon/

This was my first ever Triathlon and I'm so glad I picked this race. Easy to sign up and register, kept well informed about related events etc and so well run on the day. As a novice I can't recommend this race highly enough. Marshalls were so helpful and encouraging, the whole day was efficiently run and the venue is stunning! I will be back next year. 

Lovely picturesque swim in moat of castle. Flat fast bike and challenging off road run. Lovely finishers medal and very good Bonk tech tshirt.

Areas for improvement

Navigation for spectators, few crossing points hard to follow athletes if supporting.

Results are not published with placing for each discipline so you can't see how you faired in each discipline

Event village could be better only one food outlet- queues very long (1hr long)

It's hard to imagine a more picturesque backdrop for a triathlon, and swimming in the castle moat is something special. But be prepared for an undulating bike course and a challenging cross country run.

The organisation is slick right from the professional-looking race pack and race numbers through to the stylish finishers medal and t-shirt.

Registration is efficient and bike check at the entrance to transition had mechanics on-hand to help with any last-minute problems. Transition is well laid out with open bag storage pen in the middle which allows for speedy deposit and collection of belongings without queues.

Race briefing is well-paced and thorough, and signs giving the anticipated swim times at the entry to the lake helps swimmers to self-seed their starting position.

It's a running 'beach start' into the water with a relatively short distance to the first turn, so slower swimmers are best to set off at the back of the pack to avoid the melee around the buoy. After that it's a glorious swim (750m) around the castle, passing through arches beneath it at about halfway.

It's quite along run on the grass into transition but soon enough you're on the bike.

The bike distance is longer than normal for a sprint race (26k) and the road is undulating so it's not easy on the legs. It's a straight out and back route so no danger of getting lost, but it's a fairly busy main road (even that early in the morning) so you do need to be careful to check over your shoulder when overtaking other riders. There are some nice views if you take a moment to look up from the tarmac and the final stretch through the castle grounds on wide sweeping paths is great fun.

The cross country 5k run is tough! Two brutal hills sap the energy from your legs and many runners are reduced to a power-walk, although still reaching the top as quickly as those who were determined not to break their stride. Unusually (in my experience there) are km markers and four water stations. The finishing straight is lined with cheering spectators.

The finisher medal is stylish, as is the souvenir t-shirt (with women's fit available, yay!). Plus everyone receives a well-stocked goody bag which included some local products.

Finishing times are available immediately, although it was slightly disappointing that splits weren't included. However the full results are posted on the Leeds Castle Triathlon website in the mid-afternoon so there isn't too long to wait.

The marshalls, organisers and British Triathlon Technical Officials are all very friendly and the whole event has a great atmosphere. People gathering to enjoy food and drinks from the stalls in the athlete village at the finishing line adds to the buzz.

The only down side for me is that spectators had to pay. Fair enough for those planning to explore the castle and grounds afterwards, but not such a good deal for anyone there just to support an athlete.

Not sure I'd recommend this as a debut triathlon because the run is very challenging, but definitely one to tick off your race list at some point.

An excellent, well organised race in beautiful surroundings. 

The race consists of an interesting swim in the castle moat, passing through one of the arches of the building, a fast rolling bike course on adjacent roads and a challenging off road run around the grounds. Highly recommended

What an amazing day! This was my first triathlon and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was extremely well organised with plenty of  marshals available to direct athletes and answer any questions and being my first triathlon I had lots!

The venue was absolutely beautiful, with plenty of parking and things to entertain  the family whilst I raced.

I will definitely be racing at Leeds Castle next year and would recommend it to both novice and experienced athletes.