History

Inception

Tri London formed around 1985 when four triathletes got together and started swimming in two lanes at Caledonian Road pool. The club was quite serious, but always friendly and welcoming and as much about socialising as training. Originally called Tri-athletes London it was one of the first tri clubs in London. The club was originally small with about 10 members but always attracted some decent athletes. In the early days Bobby Brown and Des Kieran (who both went on to become ‘Decamen’), came to training sessions with the club.

Development

By 1998 the club started to grow with the introduction of the London Triathlon and growing interest in the sport generally. This meant the two swim lanes were full. The only option was to close membership. 1999 saw the introduction of club kit and the the name changed to Tri London. In the same year the club managed to get another swim lane.

By 2000 Tri London had grown to 65 members and became strong in Olympic distance racing with members regularly representing GB at the age-group world championships. Some members moved up to Ironman but the club focused mainly on Olympic distance. Around this time the club started to swim under the Anaconda swimming club. This offered the opportunity for both more swim lanes and sessions.

The present day

Membership has steadily increased over the years, and currently has more than 200 members aged 20 to 58. The philosophy of the club remains one of a group of friends who share a passion for triathlon, offering motivation, encouragement, advice and occasionally a pint or two. This turns what could be a very lonely sport into a more sociable athletic pursuit. There are no fitness level criteria for new members, though it helps to be doing regular exercise and have some base fitness to be able to enjoy the sessions.

Each year about 40 new members join the club. Many are triathlon virgins looking for the support of a club and training partners. There are scores of Ironmen and women in the club, with about 15-20 members competing over the distance each year. Diversity is a hallmark of the club with over 20 different nationalities currently in the ranks and about 30 per cent of our membership is female. The club has several elite/pro athletes in the club and many rising age-groupers, including Danny Russell, Stephen Thompson, and Jo Carritt.

A constant infusion of new blood into the club keeps it dynamic and competitive. Tri London has a committee who manage the smooth running of the club, accounts, organises training sessions, social events and the usual paper work. Our website is the hub of the club. It’s kept up-to-date and chock full with useful information to keep members up to speed with club happenings.

Today the club has four swim sessions per week, a morning interval bike session in Regents Park, a morning hill-rep session (bike), morning runs and several weekend rides. Several informal group sessions are usually organised as well. There is also usually a ‘king of the mountains’ bike event, and the newly inaugurated ‘Beer Mile’ may well catch on. Each year the club nominates three races for the intra-club championships at all distances and awards trophies to the top three finishers. The club also fields teams at the National Relays in Nottingham. The club has a qualified BTA level three coach who helps out with sessions and also uses a paid swim coach.

Tri London is a fun and friendly club for the Capital’s triathletes and many also engage in other activities too. These include fell running, marathons, cani-cross, Audax racing, the Brompton World Championships, cold water swimming, Channel swimming, adventure racing, duathlons and aquathons to name a but a few.

Thinking of joining?

We recommending having a browse through the site, see our photos, watch our videos and learn more about our club.