Round Two | Weekend Preview 3-5 August

3rd Aug 2024 | Written by Luke Howard

The sport of triathlon will continue to capture global attention this weekend with the Mixed Relay in the Paris Olympics taking center stage, while we also have some domestic racing at the Irvine Sprint Triathlon.

Olympic Triathlon Mixed Relay (Monday, 5th August)

After a successful day out for Beth Potter in the individual race, where she stormed to a bronze medal, much to the delight of her family, friends, and fans of the sport, she is set to race in the Mixed Relay event with her teammates in the Team GB squad.

As the reigning champions, Team GB will be looking to produce a performance that will emulate that of Tokyo 2020, which saw them achieve the perfect performance together as a team and take gold.

How does the event work?

The Mixed Relay consists of four triathletes (two male and two female) racing one after the other. The winning team is the one whose fourth triathlete crosses the line first. Unlike Tokyo, in Paris they will race the opposite way around with the order being male, female, male, female.

Triathletes will complete a 300m swim, a two-lap 7km bike ride, and a two-lap 1.8km run before handing over to their teammate on parts of the iconic course they raced on during Tuesday’s individual races.

The race starts at 07:00 on Monday, 5 August and is live on BBC Red Button, iPlayer, and Discovery+.

Irvine Sprint Triathlon

The Irvine Sprint Triathlon, organised by Ayrodynamic Triathlon Club, will bring Triathlon Scotland members to the Ayrshire coast this weekend.

The athletes have a sprint triathlon to look forward to, with the day kicking off with a one-lap, 750-metre open water swim in the serene Shewalton Pond. Participants will then transition to a 21km bike ride, consisting of two loops through Irvine Beach Park. This section of the race is fairly flat and fast, promising a thrilling ride. The event concludes with a 5km out-and-back run on a traffic-free tarmac path through the scenic Shewalton Woods.

After crossing the finish line, athletes can look forward to a renowned post-race buffet provided by club members. It’s a great opportunity to refuel and socialise with fellow athletes and spectators.