What a fantstic way to start the day by jumping off the end of Eastbourne pier. Eastbourne is a perfect venue to host this event; stunning scenery and all the amenitiies of a seaside town close by. It means whilst you're slogging your guts out your family can amuse themselves on all the attractions Eastbourne has to offer. The jump off the end of the pier was great fun and bizarrely actually helped to settle the pre-event nerves. The sea was Mediterranean - esque. The swim itself was well marshalled by paddleboarders and canoeists and was easy enough to navigate. The low sun did mean the turn bouy was hard to sight on the second lap so would recommend some tinted googles. The bike course was pretty flat till 165km - I didn't have to change out of the big chain-ring till I hit that point which meant if you're strong on the bike you'll be looking at a potential PB. The course was very well signed with easily spotted direction arrows throughout the course. Admittedly I did manage to miss the first U-turn at Batts Bridge roundabout and went up the road for 100m till I spotted a "Warning if you see this you've gone the wrong way" sign left by the organisers - completely my mistake and proves the signs were there to be followed. Loved the final two climbs up Exceat and Beachy Head really stunning views. Special mention to the fantastic volunteers at the feed station at Halland they were so supportive. The run absolutely flew by it really helped breaking it down into manageable sections, one being Whitbread Hollow and the other along Eastbourne Prom. Slog it out on the undulations in the Hollow and then try to dash along the flat sea front. Superb support by the Marshalls and random people enjoying the holiday atmosphere. This is genuinely a fantastic event and not one to be missed. It's really well organised and well though out by the team that organise this event. If Carlsberg did triathlons this is the one they'd do...