Doha TriathlonMembers Race Review
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Reviewer: Alistair Campbell
Race Name: Doha Triathlon
Age Group: Super Sprint - Open
Location: MIA Park, Doha Qatar
Date: February 7th, 2020
Website link: https://www.qtriseries.com/
Triathlon Experience: Beginner. This was my second triathlon with my first being the QF Triathlon 2 weeks prior.
Crossing the Doha Triathlon finish line
Highlights
Rationale for Race
This was my first time in Doha and since I’d been doing a internship and my boss introduced me to TriClub, I had come along to a number of Triclub events leading up to the Doha Triathlon. At this point I was quite interested in the sport and I was keen to race in one of the bigger Qatar triathlon events of the year.
Travel to the Race
I was staying quite close to the Corniche, so travel wasn’t too much of a hassle. Only issue was that to get the bike there I had to ride it there which was only a challenge since I didn’t really know my way around. Apart from that, the race is in the heart of Doha and to my knowledge there was enough parking for all the competitors.
Pre-Race
I went in to register the night before which went really smoothly. Fairly standard bag of goodies along with the essential swim cap and race numbers. You can also buy a Doha Triathlon race belt for 30QR, which I did. It was just like any other race belt, but I wanted to get one since I didn’t have one already.
Race Gear
Being my first time in Doha and not anticipating any triathlon racing, I pretty much took what I could get in terms of race gear.
Trisuit: Old TriClub Doha suit lent to me.
Running shoes: Old Nike runners I had brought with me from home (Australia).
Bike: It was a Cervelo S3 roadbike I'd borrowed from another member....it was a pretty nice bike, felt pretty fast.
RACE DAY
Getting to the start line
I was only doing the super sprint, so the race didn’t start until 9am with the transition area being open 7.45-8.45am. I woke up at about 6.45am and I ate a banana and a muesli bar for breakfast. I left the apartment at 7.20am and arrived at the transition area just before 8am. I got all my gear ready, racked the bike at my assigned number and pretty much relaxed and did a bit of warming up before the start time.
Swim Leg
This was also my first open water swim and I’m not a particularly strong swimmer, so I knew going in that the swim was probably going to be my weakest leg. We started in the water and we were able to do a bit of a warmup before the start. Although the water was rather cold, conditions were actually quite nice once you warmed up and were able to get going. I ended up recording a time of 11.15 for the 375m swim.
T1
T1 was set up right next to where we exited the water making this transition pretty straight forward. Although I definitely could have been more efficient since I was mucking around with putting on shoes and socks for the bike, I’d say T1 still went relatively smoothly.
Bike Leg
The bike leg was great once you got out onto the main road. Main issue was the several speed bumps and bumpy surfaces you had go through to get to the main road. We also had to come the same way back. Just like everywhere else in Qatar, the bike leg was very flat. I was able to make up a lot of time that I’d lost in the swim and managed to catch up a number of places. I recorded a 23.57 for the 12.5km bike leg.
T2
T2 was much quicker than T1. Racked the bike, helmet off and off I went.
Run Leg
The run was great with lots of scenery to look at. Lots of marshals out to make sure we were going the right way which was great whenever there was a turn off the main path. The guy in front of me mustn’t have seen the marshal at one of the turns and he went the wrong way back towards the finish line leading to his DQ. Costed him a silver medal. I definitely could’ve pushed harder for the run; recorded 14.44 for 2.5km.
Finish Line / Finisher Area
Finish felt great. I knew I could’ve given more for the run since I found myself sprinting the last 100m or so. Seeing that blue carpet and coming across the finish line is always a great feeling and the whole atmosphere really complemented. I was greeted with a finishing medal and I went over and grabbed the prepared food box and some water. I managed to do enough to earn a silver medal, capping off what was a very enjoyable and satisfying race.
Evaluation of my race
Although I had limited experience, I still felt I was good enough for a spot on the podium going in. I managed to do this, finishing in second place. My biggest weakness was the swim so next time I will hopefully have done some swim training to improve my swim leg. I could also get some better shoes next time. The ones I was using were pretty old and worn out, so it’d probably be worthwhile to invest in some new shoes; perhaps a pair that doesn’t require socks.
Evaluation of Race Organisation
I thought the organisation of the race was good. Everything was mapped out, registration was easy, timing was smooth, transition area was organised. Only fault I can think of is the speed bump section of the bike leg, although I’m not sure what could have been done there from an organisation standpoint.
Apres-Race
Didn’t get up to much after the race. Navigated my way home on the bike, had a bite to eat and went for, what I thought was, a well-earned nap.
Super Sprint Open Podium
Recommendations/Lessons Learned
I would definitely recommend this event for other members. Great atmosphere and there’s a race for everyone. Lesson learned about the importance of having decent running shoes.
Podium shot with the Cameron family
