As the third successive year I've entered Bowood Sprint Triathlon I knew what to expect in terms of the course but that being said, the race did not disappoint. On a beautiful sunny, if a little warm (hot!) Sunday, the swim was a mandatory non-wetsuit 750m in the lake in full view of the spectacular Bowood House. The water was surprisingly warm which was refreshing and not having a wetsuit certainly helped the 500m climb up to the transition area.

The bike route is on closed tarmac roads around the estate which other than some sharp turns made for a fast ride. Back into transition before a unique, stunning 5km run around the estate. The run route is hilly and two laps so not an easy run, but really nice mix of trail and grass non the less. Taking in a waterfall, the lake we'd been swimming in and an island loop, it's like nothing I've seen elsewhere.

The medal was equally unique depicting the house and for the first year each finisher received a bespoke buff which is a really nice touch. I couldn't fault the organisation, sign up process or race briefing (which had everyone laughing with the jokes). 

Both the marshal support and the crowd support were fantastic and the number of technical officials on hand helped to answer many of the questions that competitors had.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Bowood Triathlon and LPS Events to anyone thinking of competing.