I did the sprint triathlon at Bowood in preperation for a longer tri. It was a good experience - it was great to swim in the lake. It was awesome to have a closed loop for the bike route and I enjoyed the run route too. The marshals very friendly and the route was well marked. Overall it was a great event but I think a few things could be improved.

I didn't like the plasticky stickers I had to put on my bike and helmet. The glue was way too strong and it peeled the shimmer coating of my bike when I removed it - not good! (Please just use paper-style labels next year) - I also feel like the snood merchandise was unnecessary, especially considering the time of year and maybe the medal could be made optional for a small fee. I don't really want to have all this extra stuff that I'm not going to use. I also think it'd be great if your +1 could enter the estate for free. I feel like it's a bit much they have pay when they have come to support you at the race. Otherwise, I think it was a well-managed event with a good atmosphere and I especially recommend it to newcomers to triathlon.