Stratford is a pool sprint distance triathlon which takes place relatively early in the season so is good practice for other triathlons later in the year.
We started with a poolside safety and course briefing and then it was 12 lengths of the 33.3m pool. The pool was divided into 3 lanes and we swam 4 laps of each. This seemed to work well as it gave room for overtaking.
T1 was just outside the pool, which lead to an 18k cycle towards Wellsbourne and back into Stratford. The cycle route was well supervised and there was some local support around the town centre. The first third of the course is fairly flat, followed by some climbs in the second third. Both pass through small villages where you'll find some local support. The final third is pretty much all downhill back into town along the main road.
Following T2, we headed on to the run (water and energy drink station on the way out). The run is 2 laps of a 2.5k circuit out towards and then along the river. The first third of the run is off road (including a rather steep mound (!) although it's supervised) and the next two thirds are on a paved path. The riverside run is picturesque. There was good local support on the run route.
Race bling includes a UK Triathlon medal (the ribbon is event specific), porridge sachet, and energy gels.
Overall, Stratford is a good early season triathlon. It's well organised and supervised, and I'll definitely be back next year.
Thanks for your review Paul, always helpful to others and we appreciate you taking time out to write it. We look forward to welcoming you back next year. All the best from the UK Triathlon Team - UK Triathlon