A new night-time triathlon launches this summer in the Cairngorms National Park. The Starman Night Tri takes place on August 19 and 20 near Aviemore and is being organised by True Grit Events.
The race, with an entry limit of 200, starts at the stroke of midnight on August 19 with a swim of 1.2 miles in Loch Morlich. The swim course takes the form of a circuit in dark waters of up to 50ft deep.
Be prepared for night-time swimming…
Next up is a bike ride of 56 miles on quiet Speyside roads. While many people will enjoy riding on peaceful roads in the early hours of the morning, there is a tough finish to the bike course with a switch-back climb to Cairn Gorm mountain. Added to this, competitors will likely feel tired because they are up so late.
Then comes a challenging half marathon (13.1 miles) run from the mountain resort car park up to the exposed summit of Cairn Gorm. The route heads through Glenmore Forest and over another mountain, Meall a’Bhuachaille, to the finish line.
Get set to run up Cairn Gorm mountain.
A spokesperson for the race said: “This is the UK’s first night-time mid-triathlon race and we are delighted to be able to offer it to keen athletes. However, it will be tough, sleepless and maybe quite intimidating for some. People should train properly and arrive at the event with a desire for an adventure. We are looking forward to it.”
See www.starmannighttri.com for more details and entry.