Duathlon was designed to keep triathletes in training over the colder months, where swimming in the icy water would be a less than desirable experience. The swim is replaced with another run, and either covers sprint, standard or long distances. Since rising to prominence as an event in its own right since the early 2000s, duathlons now take place worldwide, often featuring challenging terrains and altitudes to really test the endurance of the duathletes. Speaking to Lancaster University Students’ Union, Moss explained that as his strength lies in cycling and running over swimming, he now trains specifically for duathlon events. Moss participated in the standard distance event, consisting of a 10km run, 40km cycle and finishing with a 5km run, completing the course in an impressive 02:18:04 to finish in fourth overall.
Soria provided the perfect backdrop to the event, as the runs took place through the city centre providing an electric atmosphere for competitors and spectators. Moss gave the Union a detailed run down of the event, saying that the windy conditions and undulating course around Soria park (which sits at an altitude of 1500m allowed some speedy Spaniards and a couple of Frenchmen to push ahead of him. The cycle was equally challenging, the course was highly technical with hilly terrain. 40mph gusts of wind were no challenge for this Lancaster student however, as they mimicked Lancashire’s often inclement weather, allowing Moss to feel right at home and breeze through the field into 3rd place with an impressive time of 01:16:14. The final run was a different story though, with Moss cramping up badly to lose his 3rd place position and recording his slowest ever 5km, at 21:33.
What makes Moss’ finishing place all the more impressive is that this was his first international race. His place means that he has been automatically selected for next year’s championship. This will see him move up an age group, but Moss is confident saying that he has a lot to learn from this year’s event and will undoubtedly be aiming to make it on to the podium next time.
