To represent your country in any capacity is an amazing honour, to represent GB in Age for triathlon is an amazing achievement to each and everyone who has done so.  

I was lucky enough to qualify for my first Age Group outing in GB colours in 2012 – I qualified for the World Championships in Auckland NZ – Olympic distance at pretty much my first year in trying to qualify. I still think myself as been lucky to have qualified, I was in the 35-39 category, at the time the most competitive male age group. I qualified via a roll down.  

A fantastic achievement I may say …… but was it deserved ……..

Not everyone can afford to race in New Zealand therefore the competition was not at its highest

Not everyone can afford the kit – Trisuit alone was circa £130 - 

Race entry fees for Sprint & Olympic Championship races are usually over £200

Not everyone wants to race for their country – they may not have entered the Qualifying race

For each Championship there is generally three qualifying races, not everyone turns up for each or can turn up.

Qualifying race location and time of year makes a huge difference to who turns up

Course design is a big factor – if you are good on hills but the race is flat you are at disadvantage. 

I believe it is deserved …. 

You can only race who turns up on the day, who is there is out of your control

115% of the winner’s time for World Champs … you still have to be relatively good to do this

You train as hard as anyone else and complete on a level playing field, the course is the same for everyone. 

The hours of training required to achieve within 115 % of the winners time is, usually, huge. 

The commitment to a training regime, come rain hail or shine, to actually pull it out of the bag on race day. 

I am not the fastest in my age group, but generally I can hold my own to an extent, I doubt I will ever win or even podium at an event, even in my age group, but I put the training in and compete as best I can – Do I deserve the accolade of GB Age Grouper …. Maybe. 

Some age groups are full and competition is very high, others don’t even fill their quota of 20 athletes to qualify – but the fact remains that you still have to be within 115% of the winner of your age group to be in with a chance of qualifying for the World Championships or 120% for Europeans … 

 

Since my first GB outing I have been fortunate to qualify for various distances and at various events all over the world, generally speaking the closer the event to the UK the more competitive the qualifying races – I put this down to the fact the cost of travel to the final destination is less and more affordable to a wider range of athletes, therefore is more accessible. Due to the cost and timings I have not always taken up my slot.

Most who qualify for the Championships have no hope of a podium at the Championship events and I believe it is the “Chasing the Q” that is the more pleasurable – training for a specific qualifying event, physically and mentally, eyeing up your competition, completing the race to the best of your ability and then analysing the results and the dreaded wait of up to 2 weeks to see if you have qualified when the BTF website is updated.. even then it could be another few weeks or even months waiting for that roll down spot …. This is why I try to qualify for GB, the competing at the Championships is just another race …. Don’t get me wrong the comradery and excitement of a Championship race week is great, fantastic feeling and sense of achievement, the friends you meet along the way, the places you visit and the sites you see.  

GB Age Grouping costs a fortune and, unfortunately, is out of reach for a high proportion of athletes due to the cost, this doesn’t mean that the athletes that qualify are not deserved of their place, as said earlier you can only race who turns up at a qualifying event and you must still complete in the percentage of winning time. 

Personally I love representing GB in Triathlon it gives me a sense of achievement and purpose, chasing the Q is where it is at, there are downsides such as cost, time off work and sometimes racing the same event year after year but overall it is a mix of pain and pleasure.