It’s been an interesting week in the UK for long distance triathlon with Ironman announcing their departure from England’s Long Distance Triathlon scene, and other organisers confirming that their full-distance triathlon events wouldn’t be going ahead in 2024.

However, ATW, the UK’s Largest Triathlon organiser, in the same season that will also see them organising 8 BTF major events and 3 Super Series Elite races, has bucked the industry trend by holding their first full-distance triathlon, The Odyssey.

Disrupting the recent trend for ever-increasing price tags, ATW delivered a great event at a fraction of other major-branded events, with early feedback rating the event at over 98% on the independent review platform Racecheck.

A two-lap swim in the beautiful River Ouse, a two-lap cycle round the picturesque Cambridgeshire roads and a 6-lap run around the Riverside Park made up this inaugural event over the classic 140.6 mile distance. With a focus on spectator interaction, the athletes were treated to generous support from the river bank, the bike feed station visited three times per lap, and through the party tent at the end of each of the 6 run laps.

Despite the challenging winds forecast, the event went ahead with alternative bike options made available for anyone who felt unsafe in the strong winds, and the finish line party carried on into the evening with the UK’s longest mobile bar and a DJ on site.

The Open race was a hard-fought battle with Jamie Price taking the win in 9hrs42, closely followed by Kevin Powell in 9hrs 44.

The Female race was won by Christine Howard who described the conditions as challenging, which considering she lives and trains in the Peak District is saying something.

ATW are keen supporters of Aquabike racing and the Odyssey was no exception with Walden Tri’s Benoit Bely winning the Open race from TriForce’s Benjamin Brown by less than 5 minutes. The Female Aquabike was won by Swindon’s Ellie Hains, with TriForce’s Naomi Holt taking second.

Next year’s Odyssey will return to Riverside Park, St Neots on Saturday July 6^th, 2024.

Early-bird entries are now open at a discounted rate.

ATW’s event listing page is here: https://www.atwevents.co.uk/o/active-training-world-557