. With the west Scotland coastline providing an idyllic backdrop, swimmers made quick work of the first leg, thanks to the calm, sheltered waters of the Kyles of Bute. Teenager Lewis Murchie, the only junior in the race, was first out of the water, in 9

Distance: 1.5K/ 43K/ 10KWhere: Bowness-on-Windermere, CumbriaWhen: July 3First man: Steven Garner 2:27:39First woman: Christine Johnson 2:37:12Last finisher: 4:35:43No of finishers: 157Anyone who took part in this race last year could be forgiven

mouthfuls of mucky water when the swim leg of your triathlon takes place in a reservoir for drinking water.Athletes took advantage of the good weather conditions to make quick work of the two-lap 1.5K swim. The bike course was a scenic 40K trek through

, who was already twitching to do another race after taking part in the Dextro Energy Hyde Park Triathlon relay. And so, a few weeks later, I boarded the plane at Heathrow with only sheaf of Triathlete's World articles and my mounting hysteria to keep me

in Pembrokeshire, there was a sense of apprehension among the triathletes who had gathered to take part in the inaugural Ironman Wales long-distance triathlon. Many had already tested parts of the course during The Long Course Weekend, which took place in June

unique selling points to bring athletes to their race. A purpose-built loch is going to take some beating.Organised by Fleet Feet triathlon club, this event gave athletes the choice of standard and sprint distances. The cloudy but warm conditions meant

, the Forestman - a full Iron-distance triathlon. This year, it was a standalone race and the relatively small field made for occasional lonely moments on the undulating but beautiful course.After two laps of Ellingham Lake, competitors set off on the bike

, with some lazy boating included, rather than one of the toughest middle-distance triathlons in the country.The 1.9K swim in the beautiful but bitterly cold Ullswater Lake was shortened owing to strong winds, bringing swimmers into the safety of a sheltered

to competitors by the unseasonably atrocious conditions can be conveyed by one statistic: almost a quarter of the field failed to finish the race.In the men's race, a strong pack, led by Matthew Sharp and Richard Stannard, emerged from the river and set a hard

or the really bad news?" he asks. With a week to go until we tackle the Norseman, the world's toughest long-distance triathlon, I'm hoping he'll tell me the event has been cancelled. I ask for the really bad news.  "I've just looked on Facebook and someone has