Russell wins bronze at World Duathlon Championships

Concord, North Carolina, USA

26th September 2009

Above: Local triathlete, Helen Russell  celebrating after winning bronze at the World Duathlon Championships.

Helen, who is a member of Bromsgrove & Redditch Athletic Club was competing in the event as part of the Great Britain Team. The event took place at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, a NASCAR race track in Concord, North Carolina.

The event was a short distance duathlon which is made up of a 10k run, 40k bike and ends with a 5k run and the oval banked race track meant that the competitors had to battle each other as if in the Indy 500 or NASCAR Series. Athletes started the 10k run on the motor track’s start/finish line then rode out into the streets surrounding the stadium. Sections of the 40k bike circled the banked track and cut through the infield, with the final 5k run bringing athletes back to the finish along pit row.

Above: Helen before the opening ceremony.

The day of the opening ceremony saw blazing sun with temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the conditions changed on race day as the heavens opened and the race took place in a torrential rain storm.

Helen had an excellent start to the race finishing the first 10k in 39.55, which meant she was lying in 5 th position. The bike course was flat but very technical with lots of sudden turns and two laps of the banked race track. Helen battled the wet conditions and at one point moved into 2nd place before being overtaken by a fellow GB competitor to finish the 40k bike leg in 1.04.18, lying in third place. Helen pushed hard in the final 5k and held onto her third position, covering the final leg in 20.15, which meant that her overall finish time was 2hrs6mins.

Above: Helen flies the flag for Britain on the podium at Concord.

This result is a great end to a good season, which also saw Helen finish 10th in the European Triathlon Championships in Holland and qualify for next year’s European competition.

Helen said, “I can’t believe this result. My coach got me to peak just at the right time and bring home a medal. The experience of racing at this level in America was amazing.”

Click for further information on the ITU World Duathlon Championship