Published by and copyright to Mike Spencer Jones ofMarlow Rowing Club.
Held on Sunday 28th September in ideal conditions, this years Marlow Rowing Club Triathlon attracted over 30 entries from all over southern England to take on the challenge of the 4km row, 23km cycle and 7.5km run.Twenty-one athletes completed the course with finishing times ranging from the winning 1h27min16sec to 2hrs10min47sec.
Racing started with the rowing at 10:30, the ladies leading the way - followed at intervals by the junior men (J18), veteran men (>40) and senior men. Once the 4km row was complete the athletes climbed onto their bikes and headed out up the long slow climb of Chalk Pit Lane, leading out of Marlow, that started the 23km course. They raced past Frieth, through Fingest, Skirmett and Mill End before climbing Medmenham Hill on the way back to Marlow. After crossing Marlow Bridge they parked their bikes at the rowing club before setting out on foot for the gruelling 7.5km run. This proved to be the most testing part of the event, with athletes fighting their tired legs as the run took them through Bisham, past Temple Island, over Temple bridge, up to the Henley Road and down Pound Lane to finish across Marlow Bridge.
Stanhope, racing in the over 40 category ,smashed the previous record of 1hr49min6s set by C.Pieper last year and also broke the course record of 1hr32min23s set by B.Webb in 1995, to record a time of 1hr27min16s. The first senior man home was A. Pleming (1hr33min23), first junior man G. Kitto (1hr40min371hr46m50 - new record), first woman (and >30) S.Mitchell (1hr46m50 - new record) and first senior woman A.Martin (1hr54min2s)