With the inaugural 2016 Pembrey Duathlon just a few weeks away we thought we would give you an idea of what to expect from both the run & cycles courses. Entry to the event is online only and not available on the day. Entries will close on February 24th!

Probably the most frequently asked question we are getting pre-race is how technical they are and how ability level they are aimed towards, so here is a little info that will hopefully help.

Run course:

The run course will consist of a lap at approximately 5km. For the standard race competitors will tackle the loop twice to start, before joining the bike course and then once more before the finish. Youth and sprint distances will do one lap before the bike, then a shortened 2.5km lap after the bike.

Starting from the event arena near the Sidan Cafe, within what will be the campsite through the summer months runners will have around 300 meters of wider track before hitting the first section of singletrack, with a few rolling sections that make it fun. The route will head towards the sea, then run along the dunes on wide doubletrack section that is firm underfoot before hitting the beach after 2.1km. With high tide being at 9.30am, the sea will be relatively close to shore, which will add to the fun! The beach section is 900 metres in total, exiting up a short flight of steps before a short sandy downhill and heading back into the trees and a magic section of singletrack. The rolling terrain will continue all the way back to the arena, where you will either head back for another lap or switch onto the bike. The run course is not technical and suitable for everyone, standard running shoes will probably be fine, although trail shoes would provide a little more grip. Generally because of the sandy terrain the course does not get muddy or slippery.

Bike Course

UPDATE: Lap distance now 7.25km. 3 laps for the full distance. Sprint distance 1 or 2, TBC. Terrain and style of course remains unchanged.

The bike course will be aimed towards Mountain Bikes, but cyclocross bikes will also be allowed. It is 100% off-road, with no tarmac sections. The lap will be approximately 11 kilometres, with the standard race completing 2 laps and the sprint/youth race tackling the lap once.
After the run transition the bike will head out of the arena with the first 1 kilometre on flat, wide trail enabling everyone to settling into a nice pace. A series of really fun, swoopy but not technical sections will reward riders who can maintain speed through the tracks. The middle 5 kilometres is mostly flat and easy, with a few rolling sections and a mix of doubletrack and fireroads. On the return back to the arena there will again be plenty of fast singletrack sections before arriving back into the arena. Overall it is a course that anyone can ride, due to the relative lack of technical features, but it will also reward the strong cyclist who will be able to gain time on the fast, swoopy singletrack sections.