Former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Julian Caillon took part in the London T100 Triathlon at the ExCeL arena this weekend, raising money for the Kerslake-Robshaw Foundation.
Robshaw, who made 66 appearances for England and finished 13th in last year's Strictly series, completed his first ever triathlon. He swam 1.5km in Royal Victoria Dock, cycled 40km around the Docklands, and ran 10km around the ExCeL Centre, finishing in 3 hours, 14 minutes and 59 seconds – well inside his target of four hours.
Robshaw Smashes Expectations
“I was excited when I got here,” Robshaw said. “But then I got in the water, and honestly, on my first lap, it’s like I forgot how to swim.” He added: “I couldn’t breathe, and it was so hard. That first lap was so hard. I thought I might not get back in. Then I got back in and the second lap was all right, and the bike and the run were actually the quickest I’ve done. To finish with 3:14:59, I’m really pleased with that, considering I wanted to do sub-four hours.”
“It’s been a great experience. The crowd’s been amazing. I’m still in one piece, which is important… and loved it,” Robshaw said.
Caillon and Team Performance
Australian dancer Caillon, who has completed multiple triathlons, finished in 2:38:38, while his fiancée Sofia Ochoa, also racing for the Kerslake-Robshaw team, finished in 2:39:01. Caillon said: “This was actually my first Olympic distance triathlon. I’ve done a couple of other distances, but this was my first Olympic and my first T100 Triathlon event, and I was really, really excited for it.”
“Today was really good. I had a lot of fun. I went the wrong way on the swim [laughs] which happens to me every time. But, no, it was an awesome vibe. The weather was great. It was a lot of fun. I was a bit crampy on the run, but apart from that, yeah, awesome finish. Here in the ExCeL as well, finishing off and everyone cheering for you. Yeah, it was a really, really fun day.”
Caillon highlighted the charity's mission: “The Kerslake-Robshaw Foundation is obviously Chris and Camilla’s foundation, and they use sport and music to help young people and so we’re trying to raise money, raise awareness as well. It’s a great cause. They do a lot of great work with the community.”
Elite Races and Amateur Participation
Robshaw and Caillon competed as amateur starters before the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) London, where Australia’s Matthew Hauser won the elite men’s race and France’s Cassandre Beaugrand won the women’s event. British stars Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Beth Potter also took part, with Yee finishing 14th, Taylor-Brown sixth and Potter fourth.
In total, 5,300 amateur triathletes participated across the weekend, from experienced triathletes tackling the T100 distance on Sunday to first-timers taking on shorter Super Sprint, Sprint and Olympic distances, as well as Team Relays. Olympic qualifying points were awarded at the WTCS London event. For more information, visit Triathlonlive.tv and TNT Sports in the UK.
