Take a bow Tim Don – Britain’s Kona hopeful took a well-deserved win at the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship in Brasilia last Sunday (5 April), along with Denmark’s Helle Frederiksen in the women’s race.
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Don’s rivals included the USA’s Tim O’Donnell, who came fifth at Kona 2013, and Brazil’s own Igor Amorelli, who emerged with the British athlete from the waters of Lake Paranoá with the lead pack of six swimmers. Tyler Butterfield (BMU) and Santiago Ascenco (BRA) were in the next group, over 90secs off the pace.
Early on the bike, O’Donnell pushed to the front and never looked back through the remainder of the ride. Amorelli, Don, Butterfield and Ascenco appeared content to let O’Donnell lead the way and the four dismounted their bikes together, all within two minutes of the American.
Once on the run, Don moved to second and clawed back time on O’Donnell during the first half of the run. It was not a matter of O’Donnell slowing down (1:16:20 run split) as much as it was Don’s impressive pace (1:13:20 run split).
Just before 17km Don made the pass for the lead and then went on to capture the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship title in 3:41:47. O’Donnell followed Don across the finish line 52secs later in 3:42:40, while Butterfield finished off the podium, stopping the clock at 3:45:48.
>>> Three swim sessions from Tyler Butterfield
Don has already won Ironman 70.3 Monterrey this year, and told us in the April 2015 issue of 220 Triathlon that he plans to do a competitive 70.3 season until mid-July before the focus swings to Kona.
Having won on his full-iron debut at Ironman Mallorca last year, many people – including Spencer Smith, Britain’s top-placing male at Kona to date – believe Don has the ability to claim victory on Big Island this October.
Women’s race
Haley Churla (USA) led the women out of the water, but was only three seconds ahead of Helle Frederiksen (DEN). The next closest women was Rachel Joyce (GBR), who was over two minutes behind.
Frederiksen stormed to the front of the race and pulled away from her closest rivals, Chura and Sofie Goos (BEL), for the entire ride. By T2 Frederiksen’s lead was over seven minutes.
The run was much of the same for Frederiksen as she expanded the gap. Goos would eventually overtake Chura for second, but her run pace was no match for the leader.
Frederiksen cruised over the finish line to claim the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship title in 4:04:16, enjoying a 13min winning margin over second place finisher, Goos (4:17:16).
Ruth Brennan Morrey (USA) used the day’s best run (1:22:17) to grab the last podium place in 4:18:16. Britain’s Rachel Joyce came ninth in a time of 4:29:16.
Are you a female triathlete trying to recruit some friends into the multisport fold? Tell them about this year’s Shock Absorber Women Only Challenge at Eton Dorney on 12 July. This year’s event will feature a swim, triathlon, duathlon and run on a single day, in a bid to create the UK’s biggest women-only event.
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>>> Check out our gallery of last year’s Shock Absorber Women Only Triathlon
The swim will take place in the calm and clean waters of the lake made famous during the London 2012 Olympics. A range of distances are available between 750m and 5k to encourage ladies of all abilities to get involved.
Those who prefer to stick to dry land will be able to choose from a flat and fast paced 5k Run, or can take on the new Duathlon option that includes a testing 21k cycle in-between two run sections (5k and 2.5k).
The highlight of the day is likely to be the Shock Absorber Women Only Triathlon, which will test participants swimming, cycling and running skills. A variety of difficulties are available from Novice (200m swim, 5.3k bike, 2.5k run) through to Challenge (800m swim, 31.8km bike, 7.5km run). A ‘Mates Wave’ will be included in the Sprint Triathlon distance for those who prefer to take part with friends rather than their age group.
Participants are encouraged to raise money for Breast Cancer Care, the only UK-wide charity providing specialist support and tailored information for anyone affected by breast cancer. Breast Cancer Care will be there to support those fundraising with their training and cheer them on the big day. There is no minimum sponsorship target but every pound raised will really make a difference to the lives of those affected by breast cancer.
There will also be a special Women Only Triathlon Training Day on 24th May to help first timers. For more info and to book your place head to www.humanrace.co.uk/womenonly.
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Will you be entering the Shock Absorber Women Only Challenge? Tell us in the comments!
London Duathlon are offering entrants from last year’s race the chance to gain entry to the 2016 event for free by beating their 2014 personal best this September.
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>>> Read our recent feature on the current state of duathlon in the UK
The event is due to take place in Richmond Park on 20 September and will be available in a range of distances. There will be a half duathlon (5km run, 22km bike, 5km run), a standard duathlon (10km run, 44km bike, 5km run) and an ultra duathlon (20km run, 77km bike, 10km run).
Speaking of the initiative, CEO of Limelight Sports, Craig Dews said: “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to encourage mass participation sport. We’re excited to be able to reward individual effort and achievement, recognising the blood, sweat and tears that go into training for a race.”
Competitors new to the event are being encouraged to set a marker for them to beat the following year which will in turn give them free entry to the next race.
For more information or to enter the event head to www.londonduathlon.com.
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Will you be entering the London Duathlon? Let us know in the comments below!
Again no Alistair, but Britain’s Jonny Brownlee will resume his long-running rivalry with Javier Gomez (ESP) at this weekend’s WTS Gold Coast, while in the women’s race Gwen Jorgensen (USA) will shoot for her eleventh victory.
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Jonny comes into the race as current series leader thanks to his Auckland win with 1386 points, followed by Gomez on 1282 points and his Spanish compatriot Fernando Alarza on 1134 points.
Abu Dhabi winner Mario Mola stands fourth in the title chase with 1069 points, but has previous form on the Gold Coast, having beaten Jonny there over a sprint course for the Junior World Championship title.
>>> Jonny Brownlee takes outstanding win at WTS Auckland
The only British male athlete racing this Saturday is Phillip Graves, who posted a DNF in Auckland last month. The start list also include top athletes such as South Africa’s Richard Murray, Portugal’s João Silva and top Slovakian swimmer Richard Varga. Full start list.
The race will involve a fairly flat, technical course run over the Olympic distance (1500 swim / 40km bike / 10km run), and involve eight laps in total of the 5km route. The men’s race gets underway at 2pm local time (5am UK time).
UK viewers can watch live on the BBC’s Red Button service, or on triathlonlive.tv (£).
Women’s race
The USA’s all-conquering Gwen Jorgensen will be headlining the women’s race, leading a large USA contingent of nine female athletes. It’s now nearly a year since Jorgensen was beaten in a World Triathlon Series race – when Britain’s own Jodie Stimpson won a thrilling WTS Cape Town, finishing just ahead of teammate Helen Jenkins.
Jorgensen sits top of the series table with the maximum 1600 points, followed by Auckland’s silver-medal winner Katie Zaferes on 1480 points and New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt on 1271 points.
Given the recent debate over Zafere’s alleged drafting on the run at Auckland, and Hewitt’s unfortunate 15sec penalty for littering, the battle for silver should definitely be interesting to watch.
British athletes racing this weekend include super swimmer Lucy Hall, often to be spotted leading the bike peloton, and WTS newcomer Jessica Learmonth. Top international athletes racing include Sarah True (née Groff), winner of WTS Stockholm last year, Flora Duffy (BER) and London 2012 bronze medallist Erin Densham (AUS). Full start list.
The women’s race will get underway at 11am local time (2am UK time). It will be dedicated to Aussie triathlete and coach Jackie Fairweather, who passed away last November. While Jorgensen is currently ranked first on the series table, the No. 1 spot will be left open as a tribute to Fairweather, and the golden bike rack will also be left open in transition to remember her.
UK viewers can watch live on the BBC’s Red Button service, or on triathlonlive.tv (£).
For updates and race coverage follow us on Twitter (@220Triathlon) and keep an eye on the website for full race reports and photo galleries.
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Who do you think will win in Australia this Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned long-distance triathlete, Will of Iron should be your next challenge.
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A triathlon like no other
The only event of its kind, Will of Iron challenges you to complete an Ironman distance triathlon in one week, on your own or as part of a team.
Join hundreds of people across the UK for Will of Iron week: 2nd – 8th May
Swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. Take part at the gym or outdoors and complete the distance over seven consecutive days.
The choice is yours
You can do the full (or half) distance by yourself or as part of a team. Your teammates can divide the miles by discipline or by distance.
Will of Iron can form part of your training for something bigger or be a stepping stone to your first triathlon.It’s up to you.
Sign up today and prove your Will of Iron.
No matter what you choose, you’ll be doing something amazing by raising funds to help Willow create Special Days for seriously ill young adults. There are over 100,000 people in the UK right now whose lives could be touched by a Special Day, creating lasting memories that will be treasured forever.
Medals and Easter eggs were the prizes for athletes earning their chocolate at Try Tri Events’ Good Fri Tri last weekend, held around the grounds of Radley College near Abingdon.
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Those competing in the novice category had to endure a 200m swim in the pool, a 11km cycle before running 2.5km to the finish line. The sprint course was exactly twice as long as the novice course.
>>> How to pace your first sprint distance triathlon
The event got underway at around 8 o’clock in the morning, with competitors setting off every five minutes in the pool.
The sprint event was won by 20-year-old Kieran Hill in a time of 1 hour 1 minute and 33 seconds. He said: “It was a good win, it was a bit chilly on the bike, I couldn’t feel my feet as I came off into transition. With the rain coming down the run to the finish was a bit slippy but it wasn’t too bad. “
Graham Steinsberg, 58, was competing in his first triathlon in aid of CLIC Sargent: “My daughter had cancer at the age of 12 and we have raised £11,000 just for this event in two months. Today was really good fun, would I do another triathlon though? You’d have to ask me tomorrow!”
Jonathan Nortcott, 34, said: “It wasn’t so bad actually, I think I prepared for the worst because I was expecting torrential downpour. But to have it pretty dry on the course makes it much easier. So it’s nice to finish and enjoy an Easter egg!”
Full results of the Good Fri Tri.
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Were you racing at Radley last weekend? Let us know in the comments below!
We speak to Rachel Joyce, professional triathlete and co-founder of TriEqual, to find out everything you need to know about the #50WomentoKona campaign and about the website she’s helped create to fairness, development and equality in triathlon.
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>>> 50 Women to Kona campaign steps up a gear
To someone who doesn’t know about the movement, why is it so important?
Triathlon leads the way in many respects when it comes to equality. Women race over the same distance for the same prize money as men. This is brilliant and way ahead of some sports.
However, at one of the pinnacle events of the sport, the Ironman World Championships, 50 men are given the opportunity to qualify and race, while only 35 women are given that same opportunity (the same is true of the Ironman 70.3 World Championships).
That is not equal. To some it may seem small, and say: “So what? It only affects 15 women.” Well, it affects 15 women every year. It means 15 women do not have the opportunity to represent their sponsors at the most visible event in the triathlon calendar.
Dear @CEOIronman, I tried to explain #50womentokona to my sons. Couldn’t. And to my daughters. Same. Sincerely, #agegrouperforequality
— Kent Lassman (@klassman) March 8, 2015
At TriEqual though, we think that the impact of unequal numbers at the top of the sport goes beyond just the professionals directly affected. Our mission is to help make triathlon a more fair and equal sport. Increasing women’s participation in the sport at all levels is encompassed by this. We believe that leading by an example can contribute to this effort.
How successful was the #50WomentoKona campaign which took place over International Women’s Day?
It was successful in bringing this issue to the attention of many more people. Many age-groupers and fans of the sport were not aware of the unequal numbers in Kona. When they understood the situation, well, many got straight onto social media to voice their support.
@50WomenToKona She might not make it, she might not want it, but she should have the chance #50womantokona pic.twitter.com/ITGWFFtTfj
— Scott Gray (@scottjamesgray) March 9, 2015
From our point of view (TriEqual) that was huge. It raised awareness and by doing so showed us that this issue does matter to people. It highlighted to us, and perhaps some at the WTC, that this issue has the support of people outside the professional women’s field and this support can help us pursue our objectives.
Why is there a large focus on Kona?
TriEqual is focusing on gaining 50 starting spots for the professional women for a few reasons. For many people Kona is their first introduction to this thing called Ironman. It is an iconic race – the event that is on almost every triathlete’s bucket list. It is a very visible show of inequality.
I don’t know much but I do know pissing off a group of motivated intellegent women is a bad idea. #50womentokona #TWU
— Harold Wilson (@hwfitness) March 8, 2015
It is unfair to the women’s professional field. Symbolically it looks wrong. Having unequal numbers at the very top of the sport sends out a message that the sport is not for men and women equally. Ironman could use the professional fields to lead by example: make the statement that triathlon is a sport for men and women equally.
What has been your personal involvement with the campaign?
I first wrote about the unequal starting slots back in 2013. Since then I have been vocal on the subject at various points. Through racing and social media a few of us started talking about this issue again last summer, and then again earlier this year.
Oh yes! I support fairness & equality at the World Ironman Champs. Let’s get @50womentokona @womensday pic.twitter.com/8juOLz13K8
— Chrissie Wellington (@chrissiesmiles) March 8, 2015
Sara Gross wrote an excellent series of pieces looking at the history of women in the sport and looking at the ‘Kona issue’. That really put the wind beneath our sails and was a catalyst to really get us acting on our talk. That is how TriEqual was formed.
In terms of my involvement: we are a group and so work together to discuss ideas, campaign and next steps. I am just one of the contributors and voices of TriEqual.
What other groups are TriEqual campaigning for?
TriEqual was founded to promote equality in triathlon and to increase participation and diversity. We want to do this by expanding accessibility to the sport for all athletes, from beginners to elites. It is early days for us and yes, we have set our goals high.
We are starting by focusing on the #50WomentoKona issue. Ultimately we want to see the numbers of women participating equal that of the men so the age group fields in Kona grow to be 50:50.
We also want to help make this sport more diverse. Thinking about all of this can be overwhelming so we are focusing on one step at a time – so watch this space.
What will be the next stage if Kona agree to open entry up to an extra 15 women?
We will look to continue with the other aspects of our mission statement. I think that will include brain storming over initiatives to increase participation by women in the age group fields. We are already looking at race dynamics and start times.
After launching TriEqual we were flooded with offers of help. Our list of volunteers is at almost 300 so we will be looking to harness those skills and all that manpower. Basically I think I am saying – watch this space!!
How can people get involved?
TriEqual aims to makes it easy for people to get involved in the cause. There are a number of simple things 220 readers can do:
– Sharing and supporting the issue on social media channels – Sporting 5Q temporary tattoos when racing – Sending letters to event organisers and sponsors – Purchasing and wearing 5Q T-shirts – You can also go to TriEqual.com and volunteer
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What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
Who’s up for a new Olympic distance triathlon in beautiful North Devon? The Croyde Ocean Triathlon promises an exhilarating 1.5km sea swim in the Atlantic Ocean, a punishing 40km bike route along coastal roads with some steep hills thrown in, and finished with a demanding 12km trail run.
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>>> 8 ways to beat open water nerves
With just 300 spots available, the race will start at Putsborough Sands, with marshals recruited from Croyde Surf Lifesaving Club to keep athletes safe in the water. Once out of the ocean, competitors will begin the gruelling bike route, designed by pro cyclist Chris Green, who marked out the London 2012 Olympic bike course and is heavily involved in the Tough Mudder events.
The bike course will take athletes through the villages of Croyde and Braunton before they start a challenging climb towards the town of Ilfracombe, then send them down a fast downhill stretch into the town, before returning them back to Putsborough via the hamlets of Pickwell and Pickwell Manor.
The trail run will require competitors to ‘dig deep’ as they embark on this hilly (and possibly muddy, sheep-filled) route. An inspiring run devised by local athletes the route is an additional 2km longer than the usual Olympic tri distance as it allows the competitors to take in the panoramic views of Putsborough, Saunton and Croyde bay.
Event organiser Mike Morris said: “The course makes for a tough triathlon but we want to encourage everyone to take part whether you are an experienced triathlete or this is your first one. We want people to see the event as a great way to get fit, set themselves a challenge, and raise money for charity.”
The event takes place on Saturday 11 July with online entry and registration now live at www.croydeocean.co.uk. Entry is £55 for individuals, £84 for a relay team, and £55 minimum entry cost for The Ventia Corporate Challenge Team.
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Will you be entering the Croyde Ocean Triathlon? Let us know in the comments below!
After more than 22 years in triathlon, South Africa’s Raynard Tissink has competed in 33 Ironman races, winning eight and finishing among the top 10 at the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, no less than four times, including a fifth place finish in 2010.
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Having retired from professional Ironman racing, Raynard now runs a successful coaching business with his wife in his home town of Port Elisabeth. Here’s his advice on making your M-dot debut…
What do most newcomers to Ironman battle with?
The biggest battle for most newcomers to Ironman is the swim leg. The prospect of a 3.8km ocean swim can be quite daunting for someone who isn’t from a swimming background.
If you don’t have much swimming experience it definitely helps to consult a professional swimming coach to help you with stroke correction and how to develop a proper technique.
>>> Perfect your Ironman swim pacing
What advice would you give to someone who has never done a triathlon who is thinking of taking up the sport?
I’d probably advise them to start with a shorter distance triathlon like a sprint or 5150. If those go well they can start looking at longer distances like 70.3 or full Ironman.
Would you advise against doing an Ironman as your first triathlon?
Not necessarily. It all depends on your athletic ability and whether or not you already have some endurance experience. If you’re fairly confident in your athletic ability and you have some endurance sport experience then it’s certainly possible to do an Ironman as your first triathlon.
In fact, some people find their first Ironman to be the easiest because they are fairly oblivious to the pain that lies ahead. It can actually be harder the second time around so sometimes ignorance is bliss when it comes to Ironman.
It’s all about the bike in the second leg of #SBIronman #IMAfricanChamps pic.twitter.com/IboeQdz9dk
— Standard Bank Group (@SBGroup) March 29, 2015
How much training do you need to do to complete an Ironman?
>>> Ironman: how many hours of training a week do you need?
If your aim is simply to finish then you don’t really need to train quite as hard as most people think. If you cover the 3.8km swim, the 180km cycle and the 42.2km run in smaller segments each week, and you stick to that for six months, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t finish an Ironman barring injury or unforeseen events.
However, if you want to do well then you really have to put in the hard yards. A big part of Ironman racing is mental as well as physical toughness. You need to train regularly to get your body accustomed to long bouts of endurance racing but in the end it’s your head that gets you through it.
What sort of recovery tips do you have for Ironman athletes?
>>> Chrissie Wellington on… Recovering from an iron-distance triathlon
This is where it gets tricky as a lot of the science can be quite contradictory. Personally I favour active recovery in the form of very light exercise very soon after your race. Ideally you want to do a light 30 minute ride or a slow run to flush out your muscles the day after your race.
The body repairs muscle by increasing blood flow to the affected area and light exercise is a great way to get the blood flowing again. If you suddenly do nothing after months of training and a hard race it can send your body into shock, which is when you build up lactic acid and essentially seize up.
Where do most people stumble when it comes to Ironman?
Most people stumble during the bike leg, although sometimes they only realise this on the run. Strong cyclists often go too hard on the bike and then pay for it on the run while strong runners are often unable to utilise their running strength because they’ve exhausted themselves on the bike.
From a training point of view, Ironman is really mostly about the bike. You should really be spending at least 50% of your training time on the bike with the remainder divided more or less equally between swimming and running. If you have a strong swimming background then you can tilt the rest of your training slightly towards running, and vice versa.
What other Ironman training tips do you have?
Don’t think of Ironman as three different sports. Think of it as one sport made up of three different events. You need to prepare to cycle after a swim and to run off the bike and that can only happen when you’re combining swimming and running or cycling and running or even all three disciplines while you’re training.
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To read more on Raynard Tissink’s Standard Bank Ironman blogs, you can visit www.blog.standardbank.com
Was this one of Jonny Brownlee’s best races ever? He won WTS Gold Coast in Australia today looking every inch a world-class athlete at the top of his game, beating Spanish rivals Mario Mola and Javier Gomez to the top of the podium.
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>>> Jonny Brownlee takes outstanding win at WTS Auckland
Under partly cloudy skies on the east coast of Australia, Slovakia’s Richard Varga led out of the 1.5km swim, followed closely by Jonny. Out of T1 and a small lead pack of four athletes quickly formed: Brownlee, Varga and Russian brothers Igor and Dmitry Polyanskiy.
There was no Alistair to help drive the pace, with the elder Brownlee still out due to injury and expected to return for WTS Cape Town in two weeks’ time, but Jonny still marshalled their efforts to ensure the pace was kept high throughout the eight-lap 40km bike.
They continued to extend their lead from the chase group that contained all the big names Javier Gomez, Mario Mola, Richard Murray but at the start of the six lap Igor Plyanskiy crashed going into a corner reducing the lead group to three. The second and third chase groups merged and set about reducing the one minute gap.
Murray, Benjamin Shaw (IRL), Ben Kanute (USA), Gomez and Ryan Bailie (AUS) all contributed to the effort and at the final change the gap was down to a 21sec deficit and applying some pressure to the three up front.
And that’s two in a row for @jonny_brownlee. @mariomola second & @Jgomeznoya third. #WTSGoldCoast pic.twitter.com/hNJepLqzWF
— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) April 11, 2015
Brownlee was the first to clear out and the first kilometre saw a group of Spaniards including Mola, Gomez and Vincente Hernandez formed the group to set about chasing down Brownlee. Mola seized his opportunity and grabbed a small lead in the last lap to earn himself the silver medal and his second time on the podium this year after winning in Abu Dhabi.
“That is racing, we were in the third pack in the beginning, we could not close that gap but Jonny was amazing today he did a lot of work on the bike and then ran like a maniac so congratulations to him,” said Mola. “I am very happy with my performance, I think it has been a great race for all of the Spanish athletes, we are doing well.”
Gomez grabbed the bronze medal and the last spot on the podium when he also pushed in the last lap to break away from Hernandez.
“It was very tough today. I felt better towards the end of the run but the first laps I struggled on the pace,” said Gomez. “It was kind of an average race out there for me, my swim was not great, it was not my best day but I secured a spot on the podium which is always good. Jonny was strong today and so was Mola.”
Elite Men
1. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) – 01:46:53 2. Mario Mola (ESP) – 01:47:11 3. Javier Gomez Noya (ESP) – 01:47:21 4. Vicente Hernandez (ESP)– 01:47:26 5. Richard Murray (RSA) – 01:47:45 6. Pierre Le Corre (FRA) – 01:47:55 7. Fernando Alarza(ESP) – ES01:48:18 8. Joao Pereira(POR) – 01:48:19 9. Ryan Bailie (AUS) – 01:48:23 10. Courtney Atkinson (AUS) – 01:48:30
View full results.
Rankings Men
1. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) – 2186 pts 2. Javier Gomez Noya (ESP) – 1967 pts 3. Mario Mola (ESP) – 1809 pts 4. Fernando Alarza(ESP) – 1635 pts 5. Ryan Bailie (AUS) – 1305 pts
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What did you think of the race? Let us know in the comments below!