Race Report | 2025 Scottish National Duathlon Championships

Brown and Taylor reign supreme at East Fortune in thrilling Scottish National Duathlon Championships

On March 23, 2025, East Fortune Airfield in East Lothian set the stage for the Scottish National Duathlon Championships, hosted by TriWorks Edinburgh. The historic airfield, renowned for its expansive runways and rich aviation heritage, provided an ideal backdrop for the race. Competitors faced cool and overcast conditions, with the sun making a welcome appearance during the day.

This year’s event held added significance, serving not only as the Scottish National Duathlon Championships, but also as the British Sprint Duathlon Championships, and an Age Group qualifier for the 2026 European Sprint Distance Duathlon Championships. Athletes aiming to represent Great Britain in 2026 seized this opportunity to secure their spots by delivering top performances in their respective age groups.​

The Open category was a masterclass in dominance from Ewan Brown, who delivered a breathtaking performance in the draft-legal race. Right from the gun, Brown set an unrelenting pace, storming to victory in 53:37 and clocking the fastest splits across all three legs (run 15:09, bike 30:06, run 07:30). Not only did he seal the Scottish National Championship title, but he also clinched the British Championship crown in emphatic style.

Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium spots was nothing short of exhilarating. Stuart Paterson was the first to follow Brown into T1, but a relentless chase pack of six—Sam Beattie, Rory Treharne, Thomas Robertson, Israel Noble, Ewan Mitchell, and Cameron Caves—hit the bike course in hot pursuit. Working together, they stayed in close formation throughout the cycle leg, setting up a thrilling finale. With transitions executed at lightning speed, the final run began with just nine seconds separating the group. It was here that Mitchell and Robertson unleashed their finishing kicks, surging ahead to claim silver and bronze, respectively, in a blistering sprint to the line.

The Female category saw an equally commanding display from Jessica Taylor, who controlled the race from start to finish with a performance of pure class. Taylor conquered the sprint distance course in 01:03:43, recording the fastest splits for both run legs (17:24 and 08:45). Matching Brown in the Open category, Taylor also walked away with both the Scottish and British National Championship titles.

But victory was far from handed to her. Mia Padmanabhan exited T1 side by side with Taylor, determined to keep the pressure on. Close behind, Nancy Corrie ensured the leaders never had a moment to relax. As the race unfolded, Lydia Louw produced a stunning bike leg to surge into third place by T2, setting up a nail-biting final push to the finish. With steely focus, the leading trio of Taylor, Padmanabhan, and Louw battled through the last kilometres, but Taylor’s relentless pace proved unstoppable. She powered away to take a dominant victory, while Padmanabhan and Louw held firm to claim second and third place, respectively, after an enthralling showdown.

The East Fortune Duathlon not only celebrated athletic excellence but also reinforced the significance of Scotland’s historic venues in hosting premier sporting events. Athletes and spectators alike departed with memories of a day where history and high performance converged seamlessly.

Congratulations to all the competitors who took part and gave it their all at the event. A huge thank you goes to TriWorks Edinburgh for their superb organisation, and to all the volunteers and supporters who made the event a resounding success.