Varsity matches don’t get tougher than Triathlon. A swim, bike and a run in succession is a test of stamina, speed and strength; the ultimate challenge in all-round athleticism. This is the challenge Cambridge University Triathlon Club took on when they faced Oxford at the Grendon Triathlon in Northamptonshire on 26th May 2013.

The coldest spring for half a century served up a freezing water temperature of just twelve degrees. Despite this, racing conditions were perfect with plenty of sunshine, no wind and dry roads. Thirty Cambridge athletes took to the start against fifty Oxford competitors, but the numerical disadvantage didn’t hinder Cambridge, who posted some strong swim times to start the race. The field was led out of the swim by Will Kirk from Cambridge and Oxford’s Sophia Saller.  Meanwhile, strong swims from Priya Crosby, James Gill and Max Jenkins put the Cambridge team in a strong position heading out onto the bike.

However, Oxford were strong cyclists and moved through the field.Oxford Captain James Dyson moved into the lead on the bike while Kirk slipped back to third behind James Gill. A strong ride by club president Neil Houlsby put him back into contention while good rides from Max Jenkins and club captain Matthew Jones among others meant it would be a frantic finish in the men’s races with Oxford taking the advantage heading out onto the run.

In the women’s race Oxford’s Saller extended her lead on the bike, but strong cycle legs from Priya Crosby and Ursula Moore meant that they would start the run with a lead on Oxford in the battle for the remaining podium places. Meanwhile, Cambridge’s third place athlete Madzia Kowalski had a strong bike, ultimately making the blues team for the second time in a row. On the bike there were some great performances throughout the field. Cambridge battled with Oxford all the way around over the rolling hills of Northamptonshire. The light blues showed great character despite some misfortune such as Ed Longinotti lost his saddle early in the cycle leg. Also, Louis Williams in his first race for CUTriC showed great determination to complete the race despite an early tumble on the bike due to a mechanical failure.

A flat and fast course was now all that lay between Cambridge University triathletes and the finish and there were impressive run splits clocked. This was especially true in the men’s blues race where Houlsby clocked one of the fastest runs of the day to close down on the Oxford athletes ahead. Meanwhile, great running from Max Jenkins ensured he was Cambridge’s third finisher and making it a close finish for the blues match.

At the head of the field there was drama as Kirk closed on leader Dyson in the second lap of the run, moving past with just one kilometre left of the 5km course and keeping it together to finish in 1:09:14.Oxford’s Dyson and James Felce completed the men’s Varsity podium, but super strong running from Houlsby and Jenkins in 4thand 5thplace respectively meant that the men’s blues match (the top 3 times added together) went to Cambridge, won by just 52 seconds in a tight finish. The men’s mob match was won by Oxford but this shouldn’t take away from some fantastic individual performances throughout the field, with many athletes finishing highly in their age groups when added into the rest of the field racing for European qualification on the same day.

In the women’s blues race Sophia Saller from Oxford was first to finish in 1:11:36 but was chased all the way around by the Cambridge duo of Crosby and Moore, who secured 2ndand 3rdon the podium, with Kowalski completing the Cambridge blues team. Although the women’s blues match went to Oxford strong performances from the Cambridge Women meant that they secured the mob match victory to leave honours even at the end of an entertaining day of racing.

Club captain Matt Jones said ‘Varsity Triathlon marks the culmination of a year’s worth of hard training not just from seasoned triathletes but from many CUTriC members who are new to the sport. Winning the men’s blues match and the women’s mob match shows the quality that runs throughout the squad. Well done to everyone at CUTriC and thanks to everyone who has trained with us and supported us this year.’

Meanwhile Club President Neil Houlsby said ‘It was fantastic to see a significantly larger CUTriC team take to the course this year with a number of first time triathletes successfully finishing the race. Triathlon is a rapidly growing sport and it would be fantastic to see twice as many again trying out this challenging sport next year.’

Triathlon doesn’t stop here though for CUTriC as several CUTric members recently posted European and World Championship Qualifying times. As a result, Neil Houlsby will represent Team GB in the European Age Group Standard Distance Triathlon Championships in Alanya, Turkey, whilst Will Kirk will take on the age group Sprint distance World Championship field in London in September after finishing third in the 15-19 age group at the British Sprint Triathlon Championships last weekend. Furthermore, with the BUCS Olympic distance race at the end of June there is plenty of time left for Cambridge to test themselves against the rest of the university competition. There is no doubt that Cambridge University Triathlon Club is a vibrant and growing team and will hope to build on a successful season at both BUCS and Varsity to mount a strong challenge for more Varsity victories next year.  

Match Result: CUTriC 2-2 OUTriC