Apparently the sun rarely shines on the Shropshire tri at Ellesmere, but last year was an exception and the sun, the course and the good organisation made for one of the most enjoyable races I've done. The race officials are friendly, the swim is straightforward, the bike is undulating but fairly quiet in terms of traffic, and the T-shaped out-and-back run is traffic free. Oh, and there's the very respectable race start of 11am!

The 2004 race fell on the same day as Windsor so numbers were down. This gave it the feel of a small race with the efficiency of big race organisation. This year entries will probably be up as it's a Worlds qualifier and there's not clash with Windsor. However, I'm sure it will still be an enjoyable event.

If you want further proof, have a look at the referee's glowing report at http://www.shropshireonline.gov.uk/sports.nsf/aefab96e9fddfa6680256c63003b61 26/ae05df34e69fe7b780256eee004c396e!OpenDocument

Keren Fallwell