This was the first time the Ashridge Estate had hosted the event and what a setting it was! The start, finish and transition area was all located right beside the house with the run route staying within the grounds and running out past the front of the house and round the back on hard/gravel/tarmac before moving off-road onto a muddy track that proved to be quite slippery in places thanks to the recent weather! With 3 different races all starting at the same time (super sprint, sprint and standard) and each having to run either 1, 2 or 4 laps respectively, the route was soon muddier and more slippery on the second run leg.

Being local, the Sprint distance is our club (Leighton Buzzard Triathlon Club) duathlon club championship race series for the year and we had a great turnout (the largest club I believe) with 21 competing in the sprint distance, although there were various other well represented clubs competing as well.

Having completed 2 laps of the run, it was out onto the first of 2 laps on the bike which exited the estate and circled the surrounding villages before heading back into the estate and then out again for a total of 22K. The bike route had a mix of fast/flat sections with a testing drag of a hill thrown in just over halfway to keep things interesting! Road conditions could be better in places with pot holes having to be dodged and various speed humps to bounce over when on the estate, but overall the bike route was good and fully marshaled along the way with marshals at key points so there was little chance of taking a wrong turning.

Back into transition after the second lap and back out for 1 final lap of the run which is always interesting and tough when your legs are feeling like jelly! Then over the finish line where you get to collect your well earned medal a banana and a bottle of water, much needed! The medal is a great looking medal and each medal from the series connects to each other to make an image of Ashridge House, nice touch.

Overall a well organised and run event from the communication before race day, race briefing before the start and everything else along the way. I'll definitely be back next month for race 2 with an aim to better my time and position from this race.