New triathlon champions were crowned at Hever Castle in the second edition of the iron-distance Bastion event (12^th July 2015). Professional triathlete Darren Jenkins was the first to cover the huge 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run; storming the final discipline to take overall victory with a time of 10:01:15 from second place Karl Alexander. The women’s race was won in dominant fashion by professional triathlete Bethan Fowler, who led from start to finish with a time of 12:04:19.

Whilst the impressively fast times were being set by the professionals in the field, much of what made The Bastion special was the stories of incredible physical feats by the other athletes taking part in what has been heralded ‘the toughest UK iron distance triathlon’ by many.

Whilst most would consider doing one iron-distance triathlon a life-time achievement, Anthony Gerundini hit the incredible milestone of completing 100 iron-distance triathlons at The Bastion. Having completed the feat he commented afterwards:

“I’d forgotten how good this event was having done it last year. It is truly stunning. There are so many marshals we are spoilt and the Castle Triathlon Series really look after us. The bike course is a dream.”

Race winner Darren Jenkins said:

“I’ve done 20 Ironmans around the world and that is the toughest course I’ve done anywhere. You get a great personal experience here, you are not ‘just a number’. How many other events have this stunning castle backdrop?”

Second placed Karl Alexander said:

“I went off well and was first off the bike but kudos to Darren, he was the best on the day.  This was the toughest event I’ve ever done. If you’re going to do one, make it this one, it has serious bragging rights.”

Elsewhere Scott Mitchell would complete The Bastion in aid of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and raised an amazing £5,000 for the charity. Two other competitors chose to raise money for the NSPCC – the official charity of the Castle Triathlon Series.

Peter Dry returned to compete at The Bastion after finishing here in 2014 and was once again the oldest competitor at 63. He would go on to shave over one hour from his previous time.

Despite its reputation as tough, half the fields were first timers at the distance – perhaps drawn by the friendly reputation and athlete care package that the Castle Triathlon Series offer. Over 50% of competitors were first timers, with one entrant entering The Bastion as his first ever triathlon, whilst 8 returned having competed last year.

The Bastion proved a draw internationally with athletes travelling from as far afield as Norway, Portugal, Belgium and Australia.

The full results were:

The Bastion iron-distance triathlon – 12^th July 2015

 

	Male	Female
1.	Darren Jenkins 10:01:15	Bethan Fowler 12:04:19
2.	Karl Alexander 10:24:50	Ruth Thompson 13:48:22
3.	Matthew Dowle 10:45:35	Louise Clinton 15:50:11

 

The 3.8km swim started the long day at the Italianate loggia, taking competitors down the length of the main lake before passing the Japanese teahouse and heading into a scenic, river section.

The 180km three-loop bike course represents arguably the toughest iron-distance route on offer in the UK with around 2,800 metres of ascent covering ‘areas of outstanding beauty’ in the High Weald area of Kent, before passing through Hartfield and over the Ashdown Forest.

The marathon covers a four lap run route mainly an off road trail run, circumnavigating the two stunning estates of Hever Castle and Chiddingstone Castle before an iconic finish in front of the Hever Castle drawbridge that once gave passage to King Henry VIII.

Athletes were treated to an amazing event village to top off the whole experience, with live bands playing throughout the day, a climbing wall, archery, catering, bike support from VO2 and more. The presence of the Dream Team TV crew added to the sense of atmosphere and occasion.

The Bastion Triathlon is set to return to Hever Castle on the 10^th July 2016 as one of the biggest iron-distance triathlons in the UK. Pre-registration is open now for those who want to have the first opportunity to enter the event before it goes on general sale.

 

ENDS

 

 

For further information or if you or a colleague would like a media place in the race please contact:

E: [email protected]

 

T: 01892 870681 / M: 07790 001959

 

Notes to editors:

 

The Bastion is part of the Castle Triathlon Series, festival events for all levels from a 7 year old, to a

70 year old, a first timer to the elite at five beautiful castles around Europe.

 

– Lough Cutra Castle Triathlon 24th May 2015

– Cholmondeley Castle Triathlon 28th June 2015

– The Bastion at Hever Castle 12th July 2015

– Castle Howard Triathlon 25th and 26th July 2015

– Château de Chantilly Triathlon 29th and 30th August 2015

– Hever Castle Triathlon 26th and 27th September 2015

Great media opportunities (predicted times)

Media call time: 2.30pm at The Bastion finish line within the grounds of Hever Castle

We appreciate what a long and busy day this would be to commit to coming to the event but we have highlighted some of the best media opportunities and event background below.

• The Bastion media call sheet and information

If you need any assistance in terms of logistics then please do not hesitate to contact us and we hope we can welcome all media and bloggers to The Bastion Triathlon this Sunday 12th July.

Triathletes from across the UK and internationally are looking forward to the next big event and inarguably the toughest challenge in the Castle Triathlon Series. All eyes will be on Hever Castle, Kent, on Sunday 12^th July, for the second edition of The Bastion. A fiendishly difficult course lies in store for those who have entered, set within close proximity to London and triathlon’s heartland of the south-east.

The main event, The Bastion, consists of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42km marathon run, all of which must be completed under a time of 17 hours, and this year the event has more than doubled in size in terms of entry numbers. Also added this year will be two open water swim races and a long distance challenge aquathlon – making it the biggest Bastion yet. The event has attracted a wide range of athletes from first-timers looking to take on the mammoth distances for charity or the personal challenge, to professionals drawn by the prestigious title and £5,000 prize money.

Designed by an ex-Royal Marine, each leg of The Bastion has been carefully planned to offer the ultimate challenge for both newcomers to long-distance triathlon and experienced long-course hands, ensuring that there will be plenty of drama played out over the day and across the 140.6 mile course.

For those following the exciting pro race, the following race numbers are ones to keep an eye on:

1 Karl Alexander – top British pro Karl has big wins and podiums to his CV, both internationally and on the Castle Triathlon Series. A big threat for the others to contend with.

2 Steve Berry – second last year and looking to go one further on the podium. Steve is one of the top guys in the country on the bike and will likely push the pros all the way,

3 Bethan Fowler – hailing from Wales and with victories at some of that nation’s biggest and toughest events, a tough course will not put Bethan off and she starts favourite in the women’s race.

4 Paul Hawkins – one of triathlons “hard men”, Paul has all the tools and calibre to take victory at The Bastion.

5 Darren Jenkins – local pro Darren is competing at every Gauntlet race on the Castle Triathlon Series this year with The Bastion set as “the big one”. A win here would be massive for Jenkins as he pushes forward.

43 Anthony Gerundini – Anthony is set to complete his 100^th iron-distance triathlon at The Bastion and could celebrate in style if he makes the podium.

With this stunning backdrop location, tough course and an unbelievable race package for all competitors, The Bastion is set to become a ‘must-do’ iron-distance triathlon.

The unique swim has been hailed by some competitors who have visited Hever Castle triathlon before as ‘the best open water swim ever experienced’. The 2.4 mile swim course leaves from the Italianate loggia taking competitors down the length of the main lake before passing the Japanese tea house and heading into the scenic river section.

The 180km three loop bike course represents arguably the toughest iron-distance route on offer in the UK, with around 2,000 metres of ascent covering ‘areas of outstanding beauty’ in the High Weald of Kent before passing through Hartfield and over the Ashdown Forest.

The four lap run route is mainly an off road trail run. It circumnavigates the two stunning estates of Hever and Chiddingstone Castles before an iconic finish in-front of the Hever Castle drawbridge that once gave passage to King Henry VIII into one of his Royal homes.

The recovery after this epic challenge begins immediately after with a complimentary hot meal and free sports massage, plus the rights to accurately claiming a place in history by having taken part in the first ever Bastion Triathlon at Hever Castle.

You can follow live coverage of the race via Twitter (@CastleTriathlon)and Facebook or by following the hashtag #bastiontri15.

You can find out more about The Bastion by downloading the official competitors guide and the official spectators guide.

The Castle Triathlon Series are proud that our official charity partner is the NSPCC, please help raise funds to fight for every childhood.

Still time to enter – entries close midnight Thursday 9^th July

You can still enter The Bastion at Hever Castle here: http://www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk/races/the-bastion-full-iron-distance/

Enter The Bastion Long Distance Swim Event here.

Enter The Bastion Long Distance Aquabike challenge here.

Pre-register for The Bastion 2016 here.

ENDS

For further information or if you or a colleague would like a media place in the race please contact:

E: Yvonne@castletriathlonseries

T: 01892 870681

The Bastion is part of the Castle Triathlon Series, festival events for all levels from a 7 year old, to a 70 year old, a first timer to the elite at five beautiful castles around Europe.

– Lough Cutra Castle Triathlon 24th May 2015

– Cholmondeley Castle Triathlon 28th June 2015

– The Bastion at Hever Castle 12th July 2015

– Long distance Aquabike and Open Water Swim Challenge at Hever Castle 12^th July 2015

– Castle Howard Triathlon 25th and 26th July 2015

– Château de Chantilly Triathlon 29th and 30th August 2015

– Hever Castle Triathlon 26th and 27th September 2015