Oulton Park Duathlon, 6 Apr 2025

I decided to drive the 4 hour round trip to Oulton Park as I desperately needed some drafting experience before the Age Group World Champs in June.  This was going to be my first draft legal race and I was nervous and excited to see what racing in a group would be like! As I stood on the start line I realised that I was probably going to have to wait for the group racing as there were so few women on the start line we would all have to be in the one group to form a 'pack'!

I led from the start and was pleased with my first 5k run but I always lose places on the bike so I was preparing myself for someone to come past me. As the race was on a race track with a sharp bend I could see second woman on each lap. To my surprise she wasn't closing on me and I went into T2 still in first. I was getting really tired on the second 5k run, I had a lead on second woman but it didn't feel like a big enough gap to ease off. With first place hanging in the balance I pushed all the way to the finish line. I was really pleased with my effort (and the win!), although it was a bit of a shame there was no pack to race with or against!

Laura Allen