Alistair and I did our first mountain bike duathlon on Sunday, and what an event. I came second in an unbeknown category to me and I
didn’t even do the bike ride (more on that later). Only having done one
duathalon before, in England and on a road bike, I didn’t know what to expect -
in terms of the actual event but also what type of people would take part.
With Argentine society squeezed for every penny; heavy import restrictions; and high inflation,
I was surprised that duathlons are as big as they are in Argentina. I mean bikes,
trainers and the general attire are expensive. Yet, people seemingly have enough
to spend on such recreational activities. And on looking good while doing their
pursuits.
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| The race begins |
The day consisted of a 5k, 10k and 15k run and then the duathlon. It all took place at Estación Gomez, one of the many abandoned train stations in
Argentina, in the Buenos Aires provincial town of Brandsen.
Half asleep, having woken up at 6.45am for a race that was supposed to start at 12pm (Argentine timing so in actual fact any time after 12pm), I awoke to an array
of well-kitted Argentines. There must have been at least a few hundred people at the event,
parading a pretty impressive range of international bike brands - from Cube and Cannondale to Specialized and
Meridas.
Where the sun still shines
It was a glorious day, with blazing sunshine and up to some 20 degrees by 10am. Although unusually warm for this time of year, for the equivalent of the last day in November, you
would never get a day like this in England.
The Argentines really had set up camp for the day. People
had arrived early with their families and were relaxing on deck chairs or rugs under
their team shelter canopies. We had come with our club, Club Kona, a local running
and mountain biking club in Quilmes. A hearty breakfast of croissants
and cakes (always going for the healthy option) was laid out for us, with the indispensable
mate never too far away.
Unlike most duathlons I’m aware of, in this particular race
(or maybe in Argentina in general) you can either: 1) do the complete event individually
or 2) team up with a partner where one runs at either side only, and the
other does only the bike. Bravo Alistair for deciding to do the whole thing. I chickened out and chose the latter; I only did the running part.
Chaos in the midst
Typically, no one knew what time the race started. The transition area was rather chaotic, with not enough room for all the bikes. No one even
knew what the course looked like, expect that it would be flat. Even at the safety drill, no
one understood the rules. And it was not just us gringos; even the locals
looked perplexed after several explanations of sorts.
So off we went, oblivious. After a lovely section in the open campo, the path narrowed considerably. There were spiky bushes on either side, forcing us to
run in single file, while trying not to get scratched. This was more like a steeple chase course than an
undulating 5k. I didn’t really fancy doing it all over again.
The bike course was something else. At several points, the
competitors had to dismount and carry their bikes over various obstacles,
including half-missing railway sleepers. One of the girls in our team was lucky to have found two gentlemen who assisted her across this perilous section. This was
certainly not for the faint-hearted.
Prizes galore
I had no idea what my time was but I was suitably rewarded
for my efforts, with my partner and I coming second in the mixed double running-bike
combo. Hah, I’d never even get on the rankings in England!
In true Argentine manner, the prize-awarding ceremony lasted an age. There were medals and
trophies for every category imaginable; for each increasing five-year age bracket, gender, species etc.
Club Kona actually won severally prizes, including first female overall in the complete duathlon,
first and second in the mixed doubles and first in the preceding 15k runs in the respective age category. Kona means strong or valiant in the indigenous language of Mapuche, so I guess this was not altogether unsurprising.
I might not have enjoyed the actual race but it was an insight into another side of Argentine society. People do, and enjoy doing, the same things as we do back home, even if on a rougher track and in a slightly more disorganised fashion. It
was a great opportunity to mix with locals, do some exercise, for Alistair to make good use of his bike, see some of the
countryside and to top it off, win a prize. I could think of worse ways to
spend a Sunday.
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