World Sprint Duathlon Championships 2022
World Sprint Duathlon Championships 2022
A record four Hardley Runners represented GB in last week’s World Sprint Duathlon Championships in Targu Mures in Romania’s hilly Transylvania region. Three were from the Anglim family with our President Mick being joined by son Brendan for his 11th GB race and representing GB for the first time granddaughter Erin. Alan Doney was representing GB for the 3rd time.
The two runs in 22C were up and down the main city centre street with the first 5.7km over 6 laps. That was followed by a ‘20km’ five lap bike course which zigzagged through the streets around the medieval castle with over 600’ of climb, cobbles and 65 corners. A 3 lap 2.5km run then took competitors to the finish.
It was a wave start for the Age Groups with Brendan and Alan setting off ten minutes before the over 60s. The younger women started 25 minutes later so were not overtaken on the narrow streets by any of the swift male bikers.
Brendan completed the 3 disciplines in 69 minutes as 10th M50 and 3rd for GB. M55 Alan took 78 minutes, Mick took 92 minutes to win M75 Silver and W20 Erin took 90 minutes to place 4th and 2nd GB.
Among Mick’s excuses for being beaten by Erin for the first time ever in a Duathlon was that he rode an extra bike lap (and by that threw away the M75 Sprint Gold!).
Mick had already won M75 Gold on a hired mountain bike in the brutally hilly Cross Duathlon in the hills above the city on the previous Monday. The 6.5k and 3.5k trail runs through the woods had over 1650’ of climb but the 4 lap mountain bike course was even tougher with many of the climbs too steep to ride for the older competitors. Mick was the only M75 to take on the demanding course which involved over 3,850’ of climb in 34kms and took him 3 hours 50 minutes.
Four days later a still tired Mick competed in the Standard distance 10/40/10k Duathlon around the hilly Transilvania Motor racing circuit. In the first 10k run Mick was behind the Norwegian Olaf Ellefsen (who went on to win the M75 Sprint Gold). Mick was faster on the bike to take Gold by over 4 minutes after the second 5k run and win his 5th World Duathlon title.
The Standard course included over 1,400’ of climb so Mick was doubly weary at the start of the Sprint Duathlon two days later. (3 great excuses I think!!)
Mick is making the most of being an M75 ‘youngster’ and is now National, British, World and European Middle Distance, World Cross and Standard Duathlon Champion. Those 3 medals takes Mick’s International Duathlon total to 28 including 14 Golds and he has 3 European Duathlon Championships to look forward to in Bilbao.
The great news for the Anglims was that as Brendan and Erin finished in the top 3 GB finishers in their respective age categories all three generations of Anglims have qualified for GB for the 2023 World Sprint Duathlon Championships in Ibiza.
Links have a habit of degarding so clck now to see this excellent article on the British Triathlon website
Here’s the Anglim trio before the race:
and here's Alan
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Last updated 23-Jun-2022.
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