Athletics: Strathclyde Park will host elite triathlon

May 13 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

THE first British elite triathlon event of the year will take place at Strathclyde Country Park, the venue for the 2014 Commonwealth Games triathlon, on Sunday.

It will be the third time the race has been held at the venue but the first time the event will be run over the elite standard distance of 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run, making it a true dress rehearsal for 2014.

Three Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympians have confirmed they will be competing in the Strathclyde Park Elite event this weekend.

Tim Don, Will Clarke and Hollie Avil were part of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team in Beijing last summer and will be joined by Scotland’s Catriona Morrison who was runner-up in last year’s Duathlon World Championships.

Last year’s British Grand Prix series winner Richard Stannard helps make up a competitive field and the 35-year-old will be looking to get off to a strong start in the defence of his crown at the North Lanarkshire event.

Avil only took up the sport four years ago but the 19-year-old already has a string of impressive victories under her belt, including the World and European Junior titles which she won in 2007.

Last year she achieved podium finishes in her first season of World Cup races and with her sights firmly set on London 2012 she can’t wait to start her season and return to Strathclyde Park where she has been a winner before.

She said: “I competed at Strathclyde Park two years ago at the British National Senior Sprint Championships and won, so I have great memories of the course .”

The event will also act as the selection meeting for the European Under-23 Championships later this year.