Africa Triathlon

Scotland’s Catriona Morrison thrilled the crowd on hand to watch the 2010 ITU Duathlon World Championship in Edinburgh today, winning on home soil to take the fourth ITU Duathlon World Title of her illustrious career. Morrison won the ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championship in 2007 and 2008, after winning Duathlon Worlds at the standard distance in 2006.

Today’s race took place in Edinburgh’s historic Holyrood Park, which served up one of the most challenging Duathlon World Champs courses of all time. The relentlessly hilly course consisted of a 10K run, followed by a 38.4K bike, and finished with a 5K run.

Morrison, the heavy favourite entering the race, finished the gruelling course in 2:02:47, to top France’s Sandra Levenez by 18 seconds. It was the second year in a row that Levenez finished in the runner-up spot at the Duathlon World Championship, having finished second to Czech Vendula Frintova in Concord, North Carolina, USA last season. Australia’s Felecity Sheddy-Ryan finished a distant third in her first-ever Duathlon World Champs, rounding out the podium in 2:06:14.

The men’s Elite competition was all about the Belgians, who pulled off an unprecedented podium sweep, with Bart Aernouts taking top honours in 1:50:22. It’s the biggest result of the 26-year-old’s career, after finishing third at the 2008 Duathlon World Champs. Aernouts topped countryman Rob Woestenborghs by 22 seconds. Fellow Belgian Joerie Vansteelant, younger brother of the late Benny Vansteelant (four-time ITU Duathlon World Champion), rounded out the men’s podium, finishing six seconds behind Woestenborghs.