Penultimate stage of your course??
I do a part time OU course and 31st May is my last big assignment after 5 years of it! So glad to get it over. But I will be focussed on that up until then.
What's the course like?
The standard distance is two laps around a little island in the middle of Southport marine lake. The lake is fairly shallow, so the water was fairly warm, should suit you if you struggle with swimming. It’s a little sludgy under your foot as you enter. Clearly marked and pretty easy to follow unless you are blind as a bat; as I am!
The bike is flat as a pancake. If sprinting suits you, you should do well. The only issue could be the wind. There was a headwind as I headed southbound. It’s literally a straight road along the coast, up and down 2 twice, sharp turn in the road at each end. Tarmac was okay, not perfect.
(A cone marks the turning point, it seemed obvious to me, but a friend from the club said he did an extra mile or so as he did not realise it was a turning point and carried on?)
The run is again very flat. It is 2 laps around the marine lake, the course was well marshalled so there were no navigating errors on this section. Again, it was a good flat course for a beginner like me. You can’t go too far wrong if you just stick to the left and keep running. The only problems could come from the wind. It is open to the public, there are a few areas for potential minor bottlenecks on the footpath, but this is highly unlikely and I never saw it happen.
Transition area is fenced off on the main road. Same area for both transitions. Very simple, run in one end out the other. Mounting lines clearly marked. You’ll be running on tarmac in transition. As you come out from the swim, you run up a small grass verge into transition. 2 helpers there to pull you out if necessary.
Everything is 2 laps for standard distance and one lap for sprint.
You’ve probably seen it already, but race pack is here:
https://www.vitalevents.co.uk/DocStore/FileLibrary/PDFs/Southport%20Marine%20Lake%20Triathlon%20Race%20Pack%202015.pdfIn short, a simple flat course.