The Outlaw delivers another stunning day in Nottingham

What. A. Day. The National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont is really the spiritual home venue of OSB Events and now in its seventh year, the Outlaw Triathlon has become it's marquee event. What a brilliant event it is, too.

Perfect weather, big crowds, great racing and a truly incredible atmosphere - I was still there on the finish line at 17 hours - it is no wonder that this event has won so many awards.

More to come from Nottingham soon, but congratulations to race winners Kit Walker and Alison Wilson. Great racing from Alison, who broke both the run course and overall course records on the way to victory. She looked absolutely amazing from the first step of the marathon to the last...!

Walker and Wilson claim Outlaw top spots

Kit Walker and Alison Wilson were crowned 2016 champions at Nottingham’s Outlaw Triathlon. Around 1100 athletes took on the 2.4mile swim, 112mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run, with Walker setting a new personal best time to win, whilst Wilson set the fastest ever time by a woman at the Outlaw.

Karl Alexander was the early favourite having ridden to the front of the men’s field. He started to build a lead before a back problem flared up that also caused him to withdraw from the Outlaw Half Holkham earlier this month. This left Kit Walker at the head of the field. The 27 year-old from Weymouth thrived as the race leader, pushing on for his best ever long-distance performance.

Finishing in 8:58:52, he commented: “That’s the fastest time I’ve done so far. I had to push it pretty hard, it was only just [under nine hours], but I did it.”

He added: “Every time you come past the finish it’s just phenomenal, loads of noise, everyone shouting your name, commentary, it’s just amazing. I knew I’d have to have a really good race to win; I didn’t quite have the run I was capable of, but it was enough.”

Joe Beech from South Wales was second, commenting that it was by far his ‘best ever result’ in 9:13:56, and Dean Edwards was third after storming through on the marathon run to claim the final spot on the overall race podium.

Alison Wilson, 28 from Portsmouth, had a fantastic bike leg to put herself into a lead at the start of the run. Although she’d only previously done one long-distance race, her fluid running style suggested she might be able to do something special. She delivered the best ever finishing time by a woman at the Outlaw, beating the previous best time of 9:50:58 set by Vicky Gill in 2013.

She said: “It was really good. The course was flat and fast, I pushed as hard as I could. I don’t know where it [course record] came from, I thought I was going to die on the last lap, but I just kept going.”

Susan Fairfax from Crystal Palace was second in a time of 10:16:20 and Helen Wilson from Exeter was third, over achieving her target of ‘maybe finishing inside the top ten’.

On a good day in terms of weather conditions, the winning relay team also set a new course record of 7:47:34. The team of Sam Dickinson, an elite junior triathlete, Ryan Perry, a national champion time trialist, and Stuart Spencer smashed the previous record of 8:01:10 set by GI Tri in 2011.

Prior to the start today, six men had completed every Outlaw Triathlon since it was first launched in 2010. All six completed the course again today, with local man, David Manning-Ohren, 48 from Kegworth, setting his best ever time; 12:02:55. They will all be invited back to compete in their eighth Outlaw Triathlon in 2017.

Outlaw Triathlon, Nottingham - Sunday 24th July 2016
2.4mile swim, 112mile bike, 26.2mile run:

Men

1. Chris Walker, 25-29, Kit Walker Triathlon, 8:58:52
2. Joe Beech, 25-29, Onit Cycles, 9:13:56
3. Dean Edwards, 25-29, Bridgtown Cycles / carreg.com, 9:16:12
4. Matt Leeman, 25-29, Benfleet Running Club, 9:31:09
5. Marcus Mcdonald, 40-44, Lichfield Tri, 9:37:16

Women

1. Alison Wilson, 25-29, Portsmouth Triathletes, 9:45:36 *New course record
2. Susan Fairfax, 40-44, Crystal Palace Triathletes, 10:16:20
3. Helen Jones, 35-39, Exeter tri, 10:58:35
4. Vanessa Taylor, 45-49, Hillingdon Triathletes, 11:14:33
5. Ruth Thom, 35-39, Salisbury Tri Club, 11:16:32

Relay

1. KGF Dream Team, 7:47:34 *New course record
2. RAF Team One, 8:33:15
3. KGF Underdogs, 8:57:56
4. RAF Team Two, 9:21:01
5. KGF Torpedos, 9:32:41