My very first triathlon and I loved every second of it! Simon and the rest of the team at All or Nothing events did a great job and were very welcoming for newbies like myself! 3 practice swims were organised in the weeks leading to the event to give those less confident like myself an opportunity to get in the sea and get a feel for what it would be like in race day! Plenty of emails were sent out answering all queries leading up the event and information was very clear! On race day it was very clear what we needed to do and were we needed to be before race start. The briefing was very clear before race start and helped settle any nerves! The swim was certainly a challenging one in some very strong currents of Whitmore Bay with the weather making it that much trickier. The bike course a flat and fast 2 lap course running through the centre of the town and back to the Island itself before heading into a surprisingly tricky 5k run up to the top of the old Butlins location. The bike course could have benefited with a few more Marshall’s giving directions in certain sections but the run was made very clear (special shout-out to the “loop then lap” guy). 3 laps later and you are greeted by some great crowds and the red carpet underneath one of the old shelters of the beach! Got a great little goody bag, a medal which I absolutely love and your times were available immediately from a little print out at the finish! I would highly recommend Thai event regardless of your experience to give it a go and see if you can beat Pritchard around the island! There is always the draft legal event which also featured this year for those wanting to look to qualify for the Sprint world championship (not me obviously!)

I signed up for this race a few weeks ago and then all of a sudden it was sold out ! Glad I got in when I did. Value for money was great. The goodie bags at registration (the day before) and mini expo was good. 

Communication leading up to the race was great and it had some ‘attitude’ in the writting style which was a nice change  

Race day, it’s an early start due to the tide. Ready to race for 645. Race brief was fine, pre information was sent out before hand too. 

Swim start is a run from the promande across the beach and into the sea. The tide will push you right so you need to push out farther left than you normally would. 

Swimming back in aim for the marshalls and push  right. The run from the beach to transition is across the beach. Up the promade ramp and up a long drag of a path. 

Tranistion racking was a little to tight and many commented on this while setting up. A lot of us grabbed our bikes and went wide around all the racking instead of down the lanes. 

The bike course had two big climbs, and suitable for all. It’s pretty much an out and back and good to cheer on your mates when they are zipping back into town. 

The bike course was marked and had marshalls, but could have done with a few more around  the more technical areas. There is a sharp left about 4-3km from the finish, and I went sharp left instead of sharp left quick right and did extra on the bike leg.  So I would recommend another marshal on point there. (I wasn’t the only one that went astray around here).

Back into tranistion, went wide again. Run exit was a little confusing but the Marshall called out corrections. 

The run going out is straight forward and there is a lot of support as it’s running past the promanade. A few more signs or marshalls on the run course would be good. As there were a few places that were questionable. 

2 miles in you run past the finish for the final mile. There is such a buzz from the crowd. You head up  onto a incline and it’s a gradual climb and a switch back. Then it’s down hill and back towards the finish.

Great vibe crossing the line. Medal and goodie bag given out. No water, which was needed as it was hot. There was a beer in the goodie bag and they said at the awards if we wanted to crack a beer with Pritch, that would be cool. 

Awards where done at 1030. First place got some awesome frames from Framed. And a Speedo wetsuit. They did spot prizes but not sure what they were. 

I would definitely  race this again and recommend it to friends. There were a lot of first timers and a lot of athletes that had this as their first race of the season. 

An amazing weekend put on by Simon and Pritch down on Barry Island. Such an iconic venue and its great that a triathlon has finally taken place here!

Like any sea swim, it had its challenges, but it wasn't long before I was out on the open road on the bike. A great bike course (had I not been stopped by three sets of traffic lights) which offered a couple of small climbs but nothing that would make anybody get off and walk. The run route stayed on the island, and we were supported by the crowds the whole way around. I even managed to record a semi-decent run split. 

The crowds were magnificant, and the can of beer in the bag at the end was great, although a bottle of water or two would have gone down a treat also!

Already looking forward to next year!

It was an awesome day. The sun was shining and the sea was as flat as a pancake for the swim. On to the bike and the 1st hill was a killer. (I wasn't expecting it to be so steep). After that I really enjoyed it. The run was my favourite by far. Everyone was supporting you as you went, and at the finish there was a good crowd to cheer me in. 

As it was my first time doing anything like this I would recommend it to any first time triathlete (just mind that first hill). I'l definitely be back in 2019.