Fancy a dry land multisport event? The London Duathlon may be what you are looking for.
Many people like the idea of a multisport event, but are worried about the swim. The London Duathlon format of run, bike, run provides the opportunity to complete a multisport race without having to get wet!
Set in the Royal Park of Richmond, the London Duathlon offers two different distance options (Fun and Challenge) as well as a team relay. The fun event format is 5km Run / 10km Bike / 5 km Run, while the challenge ups it to 10km Run / 20km Bike / 5km Run.
Held on the middle Sunday in September, this is the only day of the year Richmond Park is closed to traffic, as 4,000 duathletes compete in what has become the largest duathlon in the world.
Training for an event like this should begin at least three months before the race, and will involve performing the two disciplines (running and biking) on a regular basis - you should aim to do each at least twice a week in training.
As you near the race your distances should be increasing to match those of the race. In addition, you will want to practice what are called 'brick' workouts, where you perform the two events back to back. Knowing what this feels like is important before the race.
Be sure to cut back your training in the last week before the race so that you are rested when you line up on the day.
