Road Runner Llyr goes ‘Down Under’ to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon.

*Pictured above - Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts at the Cairns parkrun in Australia - as he prepares to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon championships.

Road Runner Llyr goes ‘Down Under’ to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon.

Report by Don Hale.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

 

North Wales Road Runner Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts has travelled to Australia in readiness to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon Championships on Friday (16th August).

The talented Great Britain and Welsh international runner has been selected to represent his country in this week’s major competition, which has attracted about fifty of the top duathlon athletes from around the world, who will compete for honours in this prestigious event.

This Sprint Duathlon championship race includes a 5k run, followed by a 20k bike ride, and then another 2.5k dash, and this year it’s being staged at Townsville, a coastal city in North-East Queensland.

In preparation for his forthcoming challenge, Llyr visited Cairns on Saturday in tropical North Queensland – said to be the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef - where he took part in the Cairns Esplanade parkrun. He finished 8th overall out of 344 entrants in a good time of 18 minutes and 45 seconds during his 5k course debut and claimed 2nd place in his VM50-54 age category.

*Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts (*above left), shown leading the pack at a previous international duathlon event, and (*right), battling for honours during a 20k cycle leg.

After his Australian parkrun, Llyr said: “It’s near the end of the Australian winter but it was very warm and humid. I was quite content with my time considering no sleep, and aeroplane food. Roll on next weekend’s World Duathlon championships.”

He added that his trip ‘was great,’ and said he had also enjoyed some scuba diving and had even managed to take his own bike on the plane to Australia, packed in a special box.

Llyr has enjoyed success in several previous duathlon competitions across the UK, including winning the recent Southport Sprint Duathlon in May, which included two 5k runs, interspersed with a 20k bike ride. 

That victory was particularly pleasing for the dedicated PE teacher and rugby referee, who had only decided to attend that race at the last minute following a period of ill health. And next year, Llyr has already been selected to represent Team GB at another world championship duathlon event.

 

*This is a link to Llyr’s previous competition success: Don Hale Blog: Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts wins the Southport Sprint D... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/llyr-apgeraint-roberts-wins-southport.html?spref=tw