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One of the world’s largest duathlons is returning to London this September. The London Duathlon is the leading run/bike/run race in the UK, with 4,000 people expected to head to Richmond Park, West London, for the September 3, 2023 event.
Last year’s duathlon saw participants keen to experience racing amid the picturesque surroundings of the UK capital’s largest royal park on a closed route. The event is also one of only a small number of closed-route duathlons in the UK, and presents an opportunity for those seeking personal best times.
Event organiser LimeLight Sports Club, which also runs the Wizz Air Hackney Half Marathon and ASICS London 10k, is reporting ‘high demand for this year’s event’. Participants can choose from three distance options and a relay race.
The half duathlon involves a 5k run, followed by a 22k bike ride, and a further 5k run. The full duathlon is double that distance (10k run, 44k bike ride, 10k run); and the ultra duathlon option challenges participants to run 20k, cycle 77k, and run a final 20k.
The relay, which is aimed at teams or two or three people, is a 10k run, 44k bike ride, and 5k run. It gives people the chance to take part in a muti-discipline event without having to complete each leg themselves, with cyclists increasingly keen to team up with a runner friend, and vice versa.
Craig Dews, CEO at LimeLight Sports Club, said “This is becoming a very popular event and we’re confident we’ll see even more people taking part this year than in 2022.
“The London Duathlon is a really accessible race for people who have never done a multi-discipline event before and there is always a welcoming, encouraging, and family-friendly atmosphere on race day.
“It is also a great opportunity for more experienced participants to challenge themselves on a closed route in an absolutely stunning location. We’ve seen a real increase in demand for the relay category and it is brilliant to see people who perhaps traditionally only cycle or run signing up with friends and taking part together.
“There can’t be many more beautiful settings for a mass-participation race; we’re very lucky to be able to put this event on and it’s brilliant to see so many people keen to join us and enjoy the day together.”
Earlier Challenge Family announced Challenge London.