The event was introduced to the club fixture list in 1983 to develop relations between the Serpentine Swimming Club (established 1864) and the Serpentine Running Club (established 1982).
The team event for the Jan Farmer Shield was won by the swimmers. The team prize of multiple packets of Jaffa Cakes was greatly appreciated by all-comers.
The competition for the "best transition" produced some interesting artistic interpretations - beauty definitley is in the eye of the beholder.
Swim Team Serpentine, the 2024 winners of the Jan Farmer shield
Jan, with "Swim Team" Fran Lou, Mike Barron, Dani Lobo and Katie Berlyn-Holmes
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.
Other inventive categories added to the fun of the morning.
Now four decades with the Serpentine Running Club
1996, Jan with running club stalwarts Hilary Walker and Ros Young (now a joint running club/swimming club stalwart and all time favourite)
Jan has a long history with the Serpentine Running Club, having been a member during four separate 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, Canada. She followed this up with a sliver medal at the World Duathlon Championships in 2011.
In 2015 Jan was part of a "Ladies of the Lake" English Channel relay attempt
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.
Unfortunately the relay attempt had to be curtailed when a rope wound itself around the propeller shaft
Jan's 2021 Coniston success
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!"
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 (3.2k) run and a 440 yard (400m) run. In 2007 the swim distance was increased to 880 yards (800m) 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. In 2023 we moved back to a summer event at the request of the runnners, again to fit with competition schedules.
Runner Simon was the first gent home; swimmer Fran the first lady.
With respect to the name of the event, in 1983 mass participation multi-discipline events were very much in their infancy. Being a two discipline event, "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.
Mike and Simon set a blury pace past the statue of Isis
Eric Carter and Andrew Fuller enjoyed the jog. Not that long ago (well, maybe last century?) they would have been pushing and shoving up near the front. They both have double figure marathon runs under their belts.
1990 Men's team winners - the Swimming Club. Norman Jones, Peter Maugham and Andrew Fuller, with President Mike Olizar and Alan Woodward. Alan, a swimming club member since the mid 1960s, was a founder member of the Serpentine Running Club and was instrumental in introducing our Serpentine Biathlon event.
There were some interesting "artistic interpretations"
Mike Barron performed a running quick change (photo: Nick Hungerford)
Fran wobbled a bit (photo: Nick Hungerford)
Some chose anonymity (photo: Nick Hungerford)
Adam did an impressive dying swan interpretation (or was it a rolling bull seal?)
(photo: Nick Hungerford)
Shoes off, and it's time to walk on water - very fitting for an Honorary Handicapper (photo: Nick Hungerford)
Runner (and dual qualified swimmer) Debbie got the nod, even though no one got the transition shot.
(photo: Nick Hungerford)
(photo: Nick Hungerford)
Race over, time to chat
Who's for cake? (photo: Norman Jones)
President Rob Ouldcott welcomed our running comrades and told of the history of the event introduced in 1983
Forty one years later both clubs are thriving
A very close finish. After the points were tallied ... the swimmers had edged it.
Mike Barron received the Jan Farmer shield on behalf of the aquatic tendency
Simon the runner first man home
Simon retained the trophy he won last year
Swimmer Fran, first woman home
A pize for Martyn, the youngest swimmer
Rob announced Eric Carter as the winner of the prize for the oldest finisher
A bit premature - Andrew Fuller outranks Eric by 19 months
Honours shared, or a challenge to an arm wrestle?
And finally...
Jan will no doubt will never tire of being reminded that she won the 2021 Bridge to Bridge race, our summer blue ribbon event
(Report compiled by Brian Thomas. Images provided by Brian and the club's archives, unless credited to individuals)