Innehållsförteckning för July 2025 från 220 Triathlon

I have an extremely long torso in comparison to my short legs and arms. I often describe myself as a banana with baby carrots for arms and legs! Growing up, EVC came with its challenges, especially because I had a passion for basketball and team sports that usually required being tall and big. As my friends continued to grow, I didn’t. However, I never let that discourage me from trying. I discovered a joy for running and general fitness in my early 20s. I started taking spinning classes and racing 5-10ks which ultimately led to my first triathlon. In 2015, I completed an Olympic distance triathlon in Idaho and have now finished over 15 middle distance races and two at the Ironman distance. Equipment and gear have been my biggest…

There is always a frisson of excitement on race morning, but it was nearly all over before it started in London as an internet outage at the Aquatics Centre led to a 2 ½ hr delay before the action got underway. While the IT staff were frantically trying to get the systems back online, the Supertri logistics team were looking to reshuffle a packed event programme to make sure that the evening finals for the Supertri E World Championships, in front of 1,500 spectators (another section had to be opened due to demand) could proceed without a hitch. An unstable internet connection was the culprit. “We’ve been here three times already and it’s never been a problem, so we assumed everything was ok again, then we find out it’s not,”…

£749 The wetsuits from Orca have long featured in my race arsenal, starting with the original Orca Alpha many years ago and continuing post-redesign of the range with the Apex Flex, the top-end suit designed with flexibility in mind. The Apex Flow sits in the same top tier but isn’t a suit I’ve tried before as it features more buoyancy through the core and thighs than I usually need as I’m quite a positively-buoyant swimmer. Pulling on the Flow for the first time the fit was great, as I’d expect from this range. My suit was a large (I’m around a UK14 for reference) and the women’s sizing range from XS to XL, with 4 to 11 for men with a tall version. My suit had enough flexibility to pull…

£40 The Astro G is a new design from budget sunnies brand Goodr and in their typically quirky descriptions are designed for ‘bigger noggins’ which I’d say rings true, as they dwarfed my face and to be honest made me feel a bit self-conscious training in them – unlike the smaller Bolt G design tested last month. That said, male colleagues liked the design though and if you prefer a bigger set of sunnies for riding and running, these could be right up your street. That wide design incorporates a half frame with a gap at the top. I did experience a little misting on hot runs, but nothing too unexpected. The lenses are a polarised graduated tint from dark at the top to light at the bottom which did…

TOP-END WETSUITS If your goal is to exit T1 first, you’ll want a suit that strikes the balance between flexibility, buoyancy and comfort, while also being super easy to remove on the fly. Orca Apex Flex £589 Soft and flexible; ideal for good swimmers. Issue 432 orca.com Yonda Ghost 3 £589 Impressive mix of flexibility and buoyancy. Issue 417 yondasports.com Sailfish G-Range 8 £691 Unrivalled freedom and the fastest on test. Issue 432 sailfish.com Zone3 Vanquish X £699 A dizzying array of tech put to good use. Issue 432 zone3.com Zoggs Hypex Ultra FS £700 Incredibly supple; improved hydrodynamics. Issue 432 zoggs.com BUDGET WETSUITS Always try before you buy as sizes can vary massively between brands. Then consider your swim ability, as some features may be lost on newbies (e.g.…

A You’ve probably noticed, and you may have been told, that one of your arms is more effective than the other at creating propulsion. You may even have tried to do something about it and struggled to make it happen. While you’ll never be able to achieve perfect symmetry, evening out major differences between your arms can significantly improve your performance for two reasons. The most obvious reason is that if one pull isn’t as effective as the other, that means you’re not creating as much propulsion as you otherwise could. Improving the pull will allow you to create more propulsion and more speed. Just as importantly, if one pull is a lot more effective than the other, it’s going to be a lot more difficult to swim straight. You’ll…

INTERVIEW LIZ BARRETT IMAGE WAGNER ARAUJO/WORLD TRIATHLON Career highlights Léo has scored big at every distance he’s raced, and there’s more to come… 2nd, Singapore T100 2025 3rd, 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Champs, Taupo, New Zealand 2nd, 2024 supertri series 2nd, 2024 World Triathlon Championship Series Bronze medallist, 2024 Paris Olympic Games 3 x Ironman 70.3 winner 3rd, 2023 World Triathlon Championship Series 2022 WTCS champion 2022 European champion (individual and mixed relay) 2 x World Mixed Relay Champions (2019 & 2020) Léo medals at his home Olympics, Paris 2024, with a bronze. Ask any male pro racing today, over any distance, which athletes they fear the most and Léo Bergère’s name is bound to crop up. Why? Well as the Paris bronze medallist himself explains: “I have no weak…

Paratriathlon has featured in three Paralympic Games. It was introduced in Rio 2016, where due to starting with only six categories, the men’s VI class was omitted. It didn’t stop Team GB winning the joint most medals with the USA, and among the four on the podium were visually impaired athletes, Alison Peasgood (nee Patrick) guided by Hazel McLeod took silver, and Melissa Reid (guide Nicole Walters) claimed bronze. Three more medals followed in Tokyo five years later, but this time despite both VI classes being included, there was heartbreak for Dave Ellis and guide Luke Pollard, as a broken chain ended their chances in the men’s event, and the returning Peasgo od missed out on a medal by just 2sec. Moving on to Paris last year, there were more…

£40 The new Loop Waist shorts from Endura offer a comfortable alternative to bib shorts for all day riding. They feature a high waist with thick waistband to provide a tight but not restrictive fit, which ensures they stay in place. The fabric is medium weight which gives a supportive feeling of mild compression on the thighs. The legs are held in place by a wide band of silicone printed grippers which give a comfortable fit to the raw edge seams. There is a drawstring at the waist which is neatly finished with a tab to ensure no loose ends that can frustratingly disappear into the waistband. I found the waistband adequate without the need to tighten the drawstring. The shorts feature the 400 Series multi density gel pad which…

£23 Vermont-based sock brand Darn Tough make a bold promise about their socks – if they’re not the longest-lasting you’ve owned, you can return them for another pair. Which is a good job, because these merino run socks have been on a constant wash-and-wear cycle in my house since they arrived a couple of months ago. Yes, they’re that comfortable I’ve found myself reaching for them on non-running days too thanks to the soft, breathable fabric and perfect fit which is designed not to slip or bunch. Added marks for the funky retro design, though this style come in other colours too. HW darntough.uk 92 % VERDICT Quite simply the best pair of socks I’ve ever owned. Incredibly comfy!…

COROS PACE PRO £349 Coros’ top-end tra in i ng watch offers a huge 38hrs of battery life in GPS mode, a bright AMOLED screen, training plans and a wealth of in-watch and app-based data. ROUVY £10.75 per month ROUVY’S Ironman partnership ensures that you can ride to numerous 90 and 180km bike courses, including Ironman Wales, on the platform, and plenty of triathlon training plans to partake in. GYM PRO LUXE BAR AND BAND SET 2.0 £115 Can’t face the thought of a gym? Then the Gym Pro Luxe Bar and Band Set 2.0 offers 100+ workout options for at home or the park. gymproluxestore.com…

A I feel your pain. Nothing quite compares to the sick feeling you get after putting a hole in your wetsuit – especially with race season coming up! Wetsuits aren’t cheap though and we definitely want to try and repair before buying again, to save money and also help reduce the environmental impact. First up, it depends on the type of rip. If it’s a small nick like the type you get from snagging with a fingernail – and hasn’t gone all the way through your suit – then getting a repair as soon as you can will prevent it getting worse. I’ve always found a dab of a specialist wetsuit glue such as Black Witch applied in the snag and then pressed closed until stuck, then left overnight before…

CELTMAN EXTREME SCOTTISH TRIATHLON 14 JUNE 2025 Take on the race that many claim is ‘tougher than Norseman’ at your peril… • EUROPEAN CHAMPS QUALIFIER • WORLD CHAMPS QUALIFIER Supported by MAY 25 DORNEY LAKE TRIATHLON (• SPRINT) (various distances) Dorney Lake, Windsor, Berkshire. dorneylakeevents.com DARLEY MOOR MAY SPRINT DUATHLON (• SPRINT) (4.8km R/18.3km B/2.4km R) Darley Moor Race Track, Ashbourne, Derbyshire. crazylegsevents.co.uk 31 HENLEY KIDS FUN TRIATHLON (various dists) Henley Leisure Centre, Oxfordshire. uktriathlon.co.uk HENLEY TRIATHLON (various dists) Henley Leisure Centre, Oxfordshire. uktriathlon.co.uk DEVA TRIATHLON (• AQUABIKE) (various distances and events) Grosvenor Park, Chester, Cheshire. chestertri.org.uk JUNE 1 COVENTRY SPRINT TRIATHLON (400m swim/20km B/5km R) Xcel Leisure Centre, Coventry, West Midlands. epicevents.co.uk DEVA TRIATHLON (• AQUABIKE) (various distances and events) Grosvenor Park, Chester, Cheshire. chestertri.org.uk ATW GRAFMAN…

Last month we were invited to the launch of the first UK SunGod store in central London. No mean feat from a relatively new brand. Sungod aren’t afraid of trying something new though and with a custom sunglasses bar in-store where you can build your own sunnies as you wait, plus some big name athletes on their rosta (including Chelsea Sodaro and Hayden Wilde) the brand seem like they’re on to something. HOTTEST NEW GEAR Launching in late May, the Forty2s are the latest design. It may come as no suprise that these are a design aimed at runners (as in 42km… Get it?) but we like the look of these for multisport too, with the smaller frame size (54mm high by 150.6mm wide) making them less ostentatious than other…

“I’m still training two or three hours a day and really enjoying getting out there just for the love of triathlon and exercise. Do I miss the racing? We’ll see once the season really kicks in. But I have so many other ventures going on that I’ll definitely be preoccupied.” At the end of November 2024, Alistair Brownlee announced his retirement from triathlon. “It’s time to close this chapter…” he wrote on social media. When we catch up with the 36-year-old [37 by the time this magazine goes on sale] at the end of March, it’s clear his new beginnings isn’t confined to one chapter… PLANNING FOR BEYOND RACING When he called time on a professional career that saw him become the only triathlete ever to win two individual Olympic…

How did you start in guiding? The BTF put an ad out for Guides for Gold in 2018 and I thought it looked brilliant and that I’d love to give it a go. I was still in the RAF, racing continental cups and elite level super series, so it was something a bit different, going from draft-legal short course to non-draft paratri. I was happy to try something new and race in places I’d never get to go, or afford to go, as a solo athlete. What skills does a good guide need? Guiding someone to achieve to the best of their ability is different from racing for yourself. At the forefront it’s the communication Dave requires to get around the course as fast as he does without mishaps. That’s…

MEET THE TEST TEAM OUR RATINGS 0-49 % POOR SIMPLY PUT, DON’T BOTHER! 50-69 % AVERAGE IT’LL DO THE JOB WELL ENOUGH 70-79 % GOOD A DECENT PERFORMER 80-89 % IMPRESSIVE ONE OF THE BEST YOU CAN BUY 90+ % BUY NOW A GENUINE CLASS LEADER “Innovative new patterning moves the graphics off the shoulder to allow more flexibility through the freestyle stroke”…

£49.99 Endura offer a super comfortable relaxed-fit traditional cycle jersey in the Loop Zipped Short Sleeve Jersey. You could even size it down if you prefer a more athletic fit, and the extra length in the rear of the jacket (including additional longer hem under the pockets) ensures you remain covered up even when assuming a more aggressive riding position with pockets stuffed. The jersey has three good sized rear pockets with elasticated tops plus an additional zip shut pocket which has plenty of space and can comfortably accommodate keys, money and a phone. There is still plenty of space for snacks, a jacket and other essentials. The jersey features a full length zip which runs up and down with ease. There is no cover at the top of the…

Supported by FAQ There are multiple zone systems, from three to seven and with HR variations between bike and run (more muscles are used when you run as opposed to cycling, hence the discrepancies). Here we detail the five-zone system and highlight the benefits of training in each. ZONE 1 % of max heart rate (range) S wim: 50-60% Bike: 60-65% Run: 50-60% Perceived exertion: RPE 2-4, easy to moderate Performance benefit(s): Training at this aerobic intensity will boost your recovery and get you ready to train in the higher heart rate zones. ZONE 2 Swim: 60-70% Bike: 65-75% Run: 60-70% Perceived exertion: RPE 4-5, moderate Performance benefit(s): Basic cardiovascular training at a good recovery pace. This is the intensity to improve aerobic capacity; i.e. stamina. Your body will get better at oxidising –…