World Champion Launches New Triathlon At Lakeside

Returning from Australia only the day before, where she won the ITU World Long Distance Triathlon Championships with a truly stunning performance, British Olympian Jodie Swallow was at the Boardwalk, Lakeside last Friday to help launch the Lakeside Triathlon - a new mass participation sporting event hosted by Lakeside Shopping Centre and supported by Thurrock Council which takes place at the shopping complex on Sunday, 27 June next year.

We have teamed up with Thurrock based Mike Porter, Triathlon Racing Inc to offer a unique swim, bike and run challenge for both novice and experienced triathletes. The sprint distance triathlon will start and finish around the Boardwalk and the Vue Cinema complex and consists of a 750 metre swim in the picturesque Alexandra Lake, followed by a 20Km bike leg on the roads in and around Lakeside and ending with a 5Km run on the centre’s closed private roads.

It has taken a lot of hard work and perseverance to get this event off the ground because of the complexities involved in staging it on the site of one of Europe’s largest and busiest shopping centres, but the fantastic support we have received from all of our partners will, we believe, make this a truly unique event on a competitor- and spectator-friendly course in a prime location which is easily accessible from London and its surrounding regions.

Paul Lancaster, General Manager of Lakeside was delighted to offer the centre’s excellent facilities for such an inspirational event. “With the 2012 London Olympics little more than two years away this is an initiative that we are delighted to support. We encourage our staff, retailers and customers to rise to the challenge by participating or coming along to watch friends and family in an event which will kick start our planned summer season of activities” he said.

Jodie Swallow, from Brentwood, is working with Triathlon Racing Inc to offer personal and group training sessions at Lakeside in the lead up to the triathlon, to participants of the event and other events in the fast-growing multisport calendar.