The Cambridge Duathlon 2010 on Sunday 2 May saw the final qualifying opportunity for the 2010 Edinburgh ITU Duathlon World Championships, as well as the final round of the British Duathlon Ranking Series.

Lee Piercy defended his title from last year, following a fascinating tussle with Matt Morehouse. The two leading men swapped the lead during the first run and bike legs. Piercy's speedy second transition gained him a decisive 33 second margin against Moorhouse's faster final run, and resulted in a winning margin of just 10 seconds.

The winning time of 1:51.20 put Piercy and Moorhouse six minutes clear of rest of the field. John Whitworth's win in Age Group E earned him the final place on the podium.


In the women's race, Victoria Gill led from the start and with two blistering runs opened up a convincing five minute lead by the finish. Libby Cameron put in a great all-round performance to take second, and local girl Juliet Vickery delighted the host club, Cambridge Tri, with her third place.

The sold out event featured over half of its 350 entrants aiming to qualify for Edinburgh.

Conditions on the day were challenging. Although the clouds that threatened produced only a couple of light showers during the race, the cold north-easterly wind made it a battle up the longest climb on the bike course, which featured twice on the route.

There were inspiring performances throughout the Age Groups, whether spurred on the ambition to qualify for the ITU Duathlon World Championships, or chasing purely personal challenges. Maurice Young, age 76, had already qualified for Edinburgh in Age Group P, but his 3:34.46 must have been a satisfying result in conditions that defeated several younger competitors.

Full results are available via the club website at www.cambridgetriathlonclub.com