London Duathalon (Richmond Park)

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, which I imagine it has been, but anyway...

Has anyone ever done this before? http://www.thelondonduathlon.co.uk/index.php/admin

Am thinking of trying to get a spot on the 55k event (10k run / 40k ride / 5k run) and was just wondering if anyone has any experience of it / know anything about it.

The idea of a duathalon has only recently started appealing to me, so I know nothing about them really. However, I can run and I can ride... how hard can it be?

Admittedly, I'm better at longer distances on the bike rather than flat out for an hour type stuff. I imagine the final ride - run transition must be fairly torturous on the legs too... But at the moment I'm thinking of doing it for the experience rather than toppling world records.

I did it a couple of years and didn't enjoy it massively. It seemed quite expensive - especially if you've cycled round RP for free. Not having trained anywhere enough probably didn't help.

I think there's a lot to be said for smaller, out-of-London races. I've done Marlow duathlon (in March I think) and the long and short Carsington duathlons (one is in Autumn and the other near Easter - it's in Derbyshire). Obviously not cheap to get there, but scenic and friendlier when you do. I was briefly the fastest female finisher at Carsington - until they discovered they had mixed up the timing chips and that I was very much not the fastest - still got the cutting from the Ashbourne Telegraph, though - they can't take that away from me.

OK, thanks. I had a feeling it may be fairly unfriendly and over-subscribed. Have been having a brief hunt around for other options in the SE - am not that bothered about the repute or scale, just want something with a decent route and good organisation.

They cunningly haven't included costs on the website yet for Richmond Park - how much was it when you did it?

I want to say about £45. Do Marlow - it' short (7km - 30km - 7km) so a good way of finding out if you like the format - the ride is scenic and the run is pancake flat.

hey jim, check out the ball buster duathlon - run 8 miles round and over box hill, cycle 24 miles over and around box hill, then you guessed it, another 8 miles around and over box hill again. that is TOUGH! a mate came 8th but he's seriously fit.

don't underestimate how hard it is to start running again after cycling!

Cheers Al. May try a more straightforward one before i go busting my balls though!

Am gonna try a run after a turbo session this weekened i think - although that will involve about 15 mins of fannying around inbetween getting changed and whatnot

That Ball Buster is usually run on the same day as the Cheam & Morden Hilly 50 reliability ride in early March, every runner you pass on the final leg up to Box Hill look absolutely cream crackered!