Helen Jenkins & Peter Kerr Storm to Victory at the AJ Bell London Triathlon

One Week on from Rio Test Event, Jenkins Proves her Worth with Landslide Victory

Elite triathletes, keen amateurs, celebrities, fundraisers and triathlon first-timers came together to swim, bike and run across London this weekend. With participants aged from 18-74, spanning 50 countries, the past 48 hours has seen 13,000 competitors cross the finish line of the AJ Bell London Triathlon.

Today, Sunday 9th August, the elites went head-to-head in two exhilarating races that ultimately saw Olympian and twice World Champion Helen Jenkins and Australian triathlete Peter Kerr prevail as champions on the day. With an 88-strong senior elite field, that included Charlotte McShane, Gillian Sanders and Emma Pallant in the female race and Liam Lloyd, David Bishop and Brendan Sexton in the male elite category.

Following her withdrawal from a test event in Rio last week, female elite winner Helen Jenkins was back on fighting form, racing her way to victory in an impressive time of 1hours56mins32secs, a full minute and seven seconds ahead of Australian Charlotte McShane and almost five minutes ahead of 2014 winner Emma Pallant.

Speaking of her victory, Helen Jenkins commented: “It’s been a tough few months and I had a bad result in Rio last weekend so it’s fantastic to be back and to have had such a great race. I had a bit of aggression to let out but me and Charlotte worked really well together; we played to our strengths, kept our heads down and it paid off. I didn’t feel great in the swim, but pulled through on the bike and run and it felt amazing to finish how I did.”


Helen Jenkins wins AJ Bell London Triathlon 2015. Photo and caption courtesy of IMG Consulting.

Providing another gripping race, the men’s elite title was taken by Australian Peter Kerr who was on Welsh triathlete Liam Lloyd’s tail for much of the race. Eventually passing Lloyd on the final lap of the run, Kerr finished with a time of 1hours48mins27secs, followed closely behind by David Bishop.

Peter Kerr enthused: “It’s my first time here, but I’ve absolutely loved the event! The crowd were spectacular and there were loads of Aussie chants as I went round the course so the whole experience has been great for my confidence. I was really happy with how the race went; I was hoping to be in the front pack in the swim and was in second for a long portion, but played cat and mouse with Lloyd and managed to catch back up.”


Peter Kerr wins AJ Bell London Triathlon 2015. Photo and caption courtesy of IMG Consulting.

Today’s proceedings also saw the British Super Series come to a conclusion with Sophie Coldwell and Morgan Davies being crowned as overall champions, following strong rounds earlier in the season.

Among the general entrants taking part in the iconic event today were Sky News presenter and winner of The Apprentice, Michelle Dewberry, who completed an Olympic distance triathlon, despite only starting her training a month and a half ago.

Former Emmerdale actor Tom Lister was another famous face taking part, as a supporter of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Tom has taken part in numerous physical challenges and events. Today he took part in the AJ Bell London Triathlon in honour of his friend who was recently diagnosed with leukaemia.
Raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, 40year-old Darren Passmore took on the AJ Bell London Triathlon in memory of his father, Gary, who passed away from cancer in 1991. Having recently shed almost a quarter off his 2014 weight of 22 stone, the armed forces catering manager has embarked on an intense training regime in his journey to the AJ Bell London Triathlon.

Commenting on his weight loss journey, Darren Passmore commented: “There is no secret weapon apart from hard work – I spend most of my spare time training and have just one day off a week, my friends and family have helped me so much along the way. I’m proud to be here and to be able to achieve this today.”
Australian born Nick Green of Cardiff was also amongst the participants taking on their triathlon challenge this weekend. At the age of 36, Nick had gone through four bouts of open heart surgery before the triathlon. After being released from hospital from his fourth surgery, Nick excelled in his recovery with doctors attributing his survival to his healthy lifestyle and he now plans to focus his positive journey into one that will hopefully inspire others.


Helen Jenkins - AJ Bell London Triathlon 2015. Photo and caption courtesy of IMG Consulting.​


AJ Bell - London Triathlon 2015. Photo and caption courtesy of IMG Consulting.​


Liam-Lloyd, Peter Kerr, David Bishop AJ Bell London Triathlon 2015. Photo and caption courtesy of IMG Consulting.


Charlotte-McShane, Helen Jenkins, Emma Pallant AJ Bell London Triathlon 2015. Photo and caption courtesy of IMG Consulting.

Nick Green said: “I can't believe how quickly it's come around, I did the best I could with my training and preparation so I wasn’t really nervous. I did all the work ahead of the race, I knew what I was capable of and I knew what to expect from my previous experience at the event. I did the best I could, I wasn’t here to break any records, for me it was about getting stuck in, having fun and enjoying it - I just didn't want it to end! It was a great accomplishment, I’ve definitely achieved all my goals for this year.”

James Robinson, Managing Director of event organisers IMG added: “It’s been another great year for the event and we’ve been treated to an exceptional elite display here today. With competitors spanning 50 countries, from first-timers right up to our seasoned triathletes it’s been fantastic to witness so many people achieving their goals and getting stuck into the spirit of triathlon here this weekend.”

The AJ Bell London Triathlon, sees participants swim, bike and run around London’s iconic Docklands. The world’s largest triathlon with its 13,000 participants, caters for all levels and abilities, and features Super-Sprint, Sprint, Olympic and Olympic Plus distances as well as the option to participate as part of a Team-Relay.

Participants wishing to take part are encouraged to register their interest for 2016 at www.thelondontriathlon.com

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