Ian Hesketh Memorial Duathlon Race

Race report by Steve:

Sunday morning didn’t have the familiar Lancashire chill we’re used but at last it was mild! The atmosphere around the school car park was comfortably warm from the off. The Ian Hesketh Memorial Duathlon — a low-key, friendly affair run by Burnden Roadrunners for the second time — is exactly the kind of event that reminds you why you got into multisport in the first place.

The format was straightforward: a 5k trail run, 22km on the bike (three circuits round part of the reservoir), then another 5k to finish. Simple on paper, honest in practice.

The first run headed out onto the trails around the reservoir — even though there had been an early shower, the ground was firm enough underfoot for road or trail shoes, and the route wound through the trees with just enough undulation to get the legs firing before transition. A bit technical over all the roots, but characterful.

Out onto the bike, and the three-circuit format worked well — a chance to find my rhythm and, if you were keeping an eye on who was where, gauge how the race was unfolding. The roads around Rivington are familiar territory for most of us, I’m sure, and the course had enough of a drag in places to keep honest anyone who’d been too ambitious on the run. I pushed hard to go up a good few places in the standings.

The second 5k was where it got interesting. Legs that had been happily spinning for 22km were reminded, sharply, that running is a different business entirely. But that’s duathlon — and those who’d paced sensibly found they could work their way through the field in the closing kilometres. This wasn’t me, unfortunately, but I held on for a good finish.

The field was small and mostly local faces from Rivington Tri, which gave the whole thing a club-run feel without sacrificing any of the competitive edge. For those new to multisport, it was an ideal first hit — manageable distances, a supportive atmosphere, and enough of a physical test to feel genuinely tested at the finish. For the more seasoned among the field, it served up a quality training session in race conditions, which at this time of year is exactly what’s needed.

A good morning’s work, all told. Unpretentious, well-organised, and set against one of the best backdrops the North West has to offer.