After a four year absence (Covid, blue-green algae, and then royal mourning) the event was back to the delight (and suffering?) of many.
The event was introduced to the club fixture list in 1983 to develop relations between the swimming club and the recently established running club. Four decades later many of today's entrants are able to claim "dual qualification".
Representatives of the victorious Serpentine Running Club, winners of the Jan Farmer Shield
Many had dual qualification - can you spot them? (photo: Jan Farmer)
Laure Latham bravely and soakenly stood in for President Rob Ouldcott to welcome our Running Club guests
The event was introduced to the club fixture list in 1983 to develop relations between the swimming club and the recently established running club. A number of our swimmers were involved with the new running club, notably Alan Woodward and John Sextone, and a joint fixture was proposed at the club's AGM of 1983 by the then club captain Norman Saxby (himself a keen runner). The event was an approximate 2.2 mile run and a 440 yard run. In 2007 the swim distance was increased to 880 yards to even-up the competition between the best of the runners and the best of the swimmers.
Originally held during June, in 1989 the fixture was moved to September as the event clashed with many of the runners’ summer race schedules. This year we are back to a summer event at the request of the runnners, again to fit with competition schedules.
Runners and swimmers line up to listen to Jan Farmer's race briefing. (photo: Jesse Kelly)
With respect to the name of the event, in 1983 mass participation multi-discipline events were very much in their infancy. "Biathlon" seemed the most appropriate title at the time. Nowadays we may have chosen the term "Duathlon", or perhaps "Aquathon", not that anyone is proposing any change to our quirky title right now.
The "off"
(photo: Jan Farmer)
Up till 2016 there was no individual sponsor of the event: an annual tankard being presented by the club to the first male and female competitors. Prompted by the club's desire to avail more race sponsorship opportunities to members, Jan Farmer was approached as a suitable sponsor, Jan being a very active and popular member of both the running club and the swimming club. The Jan Farmer Shield was funded jointly by the swimming and running clubs and is presented to the winner of the club team event, commencing 2017. The tankards are still presented to the first man and woman.
Jan Farmer, who no doubt will never tire of being reminded that she won the 2021 Bridge to Bridge race.
This year the event returned to its summer origins
A traditional British summer for 2023
The "Biathlon" gets underway, past the iconic Serpentine pavilion
The early front-runners
The chasing pack
The determined rear
The late entry - octogenarian John Reid won the prize for the oldest finisher. Grasshopper, the Jack Russell terrier, had a lift home on Simone's bike
A tight turn for the first home in the run
Ted Gerald joined Jan to spectate during a short gap in the rain
Tom's transition underway
Sock struggles?
Socks off, and Tom Elliot's swim gets going. (photo: Jess Kelly)
Hat ready Katie
Katie Irvine heading off to methodically hunt down the leaders and pull back a 200m deficit. (photo: Jan Farmer)
Jan has a long history with the Serpentine Running Club, having been a member for over three decades. Her speciality was long distance endurance events, participating in many activities across the globe. One such was the iconic "Comrades" race from Durban to Pietermarietzberg, South Africa. Jan captained the Serpentine RC Veterans Track and Field Team for 30 years. She was selected for the Great Britain Age Group triathlon team and in 2006 won a bronze medal at the duathlon Americas championships held in Newfoundland, and followed this up with a sliver medal at the World Duathlon Championships in 2011.
1996, Jan with running club stalwarts Ros Young and Hilary Walker
Illness ended Jan's running career in 2011. By then Jan had already joined the Serpentine SC and took inspiration from club members to focus on swimming. A “nearly”’ English Channel relay followed, along with some successful Lake Coniston swims.
In 2015 Jan was part of "The Ladies of the Lake" English Channel relay attempt
Just as it was getting dark a rope wound itself around the propeller shaft and the relay attempt had to be curtailed.
"The Ladies of the Lake", training at Dover
2015 Channel team - The Ladies of The Lake. Eliza Kaczynska-Nay, Nicola Sanderson, Mary Gilbert, Jan Famer, Jaana Tarma, Kirsty Neilson. Plus Lu Ward, not training that day.
Aside from running, swimming and cycling, Jan has always had a passion for birding. According to her great friend Ros Young, when driving Jan keeps up a running commentary on species of birds overhead. "This may initially be disconcerting for passengers until they realise that she doesn’t need to retain focus on the birds - flight behaviour is enough for her to identify them!"
Debbie received the shield on behalf of the victorious Serpentine Running Club
Debbie is also a member of the Serpentine Swimming club, but she kept that under the radar on Saturday. (photo: Jesse Kelly)
First home, Katie Irvine of the swimming club
With the Ladies' trophy. (photo: Jesse Kelly)
Tom Elliot was named first man home, but he honourably admitted that this was not so
Tom the gent pointed out the true winner of the Gentlemen's trophy. (Elly Jones was astonished)
A wet and bedraggled first "chap" home
Some old, familiar names on the men's tankard - photo by Jesse Kelly, who won the inaugural event forty years previous.
The Jan Farmer Shield was introduced in 2017
(report compiled by Brian Thomas)