My Triathlon Journey

2024 was arguably my most successful year yet obtaining both World and British titles, racing triathlon and cross country internationally and competing in new disciplines.

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January

Synonymous with county xc running champs, in January I finished 2nd at the Sussex XC Champs and won the Sussex Schools XC, qualifying for both the UK Inter Counties (Nottingham) and English Schools XC (Pontefract), respectively.

Going into the Sussex Champs, running for my club Brighton and Hove AC, I had little run prep in the lead up, running only in the week of the race, having strained my groin trying to slide in mud just before Christmas, however after giving it my best chance with a later attack, I was caught close to the finish. I still pulled off a quality performance and played an attack giving me the best chance of medalling. Starting the new year with a very preventable and pretty silly injury wasn’t an ideal start but time off running cleared it up fairly quickly. By the time of Sussex Schools, a week and a half later, I managed to attack successfully and create a gap for the win.

February

February included my first XTERRA race, at XTERRA Matterley Duathlon. Consisting of a 3km trail run, followed by a 10k mountain bike before finishing with a 1.5km run, I lead the sprint race from the start, winning the sprint race overall and extending to a 10 minute lead to 2nd overall.

March

March marked national xc racing including UK Inter Counties and English Schools. After a strong start at UK Inter Counties and being at the front for the first kilometre, I dropped back and lost touch of the front, going below 30th. I then picked it up a bit to get up to 24th but with definitely not my greatest run I took this opportunity to take my learnings and determination into English Schools the weekend after.

Ironically at English Schools I had a pretty poor start (at the very beginning), the opposite of the previous week, however with my last opportunity at representing England, I quickly switched up my position with a continuous effort until I was at the front. Knowing how important this was to close early before a gap went I left no time and was running on complete outsides, switching across, trying to dodge runners as I aimed to the front. With my best and quickest comeback from a poor start, I was with the leader about a minute and a half later. A couple went off the front however I was in top 10 and aiming for a top 8 to make the individual xc England team, with 9th and 10th on the shorter relay. In probably one of the most painful races I can remember I was desperate to hold on until the end and managed a sprint to gain just one more place to finish 7th and qualify to represent England in international xc competition in Ireland, at the SIAB XC, the following weekend.

Racing in Dublin on the purpose built xc course used at Euro XC Champs 2021, I had a strong race finishing 8th and 6th England runner, after a tough and fast race. March definitely provided some exciting and tough xc running racing and some great comebacks using what I’ve learnt to achieve ambitions and even better results.

April

The very end of April kicked off British Triathlon Series racing with the Performance Assessments in Nottingham/Loughborough. Over a lesser traditional format of a 400m pool TT on Saturday followed by a 10k bike/2.5k run staggered based on swim times the following day, I made up as much time as I could on bike/run, and about 50+ places to finish 9th Youth A.

I’d also started the Southern XC mountain bike series after missing the series last year due to having to dedicate limited costs elsewhere but was happy to open with 2nd place at round 1 after a tight battle for the win, missing the win by a second in a sprint and finished 2nd with a quality comeback at a very muddy round 2.

May

After qualifying for the Tier 1 race at Llanelli, on the South Welsh coast for my first ‘proper’ triathlon of the British Triathlon Super Series and year, I was looking to improve on a 9th from PA’s. After a much better swim, enjoying the open water, I closed up to the front bike group. Coming off the front bike group towards the front into T2, I had some problems with the racking resulting in me receiving a 10s penalty, some time after the race despite losing time. After gaining the lost time with a big effort early into the run I caught the Youth A leader. Playing it tactical and rather trying to secure the win I attacked the group of 3, from my category, with about 100m left and crossed 1st. Unfortunately with the 10s penalty I was moved down to 3rd. It was a little frustrating at the time after thinking I got my first win however in all it was still a strong race and improvement from PA’s.

June

In June I raced at the Euro Qualifiers for (road) triathlon. A bit of a tough race as I missed the front bike pack by 2 seconds and had no more gears left as I was restricted, I then ended up in no man’s land for the majority of the bike, on my own, before the chase pack caught me. Onto the run I progressed through for a decent 6th place finish, but was gutted and a bit disappointed to have been so close to getting on the front and I want to achieve and qualify for big races like Euros so with places still ahead me I’m still aspiring for a top result. Despite the result I still secured automatic qualification for the School Games in Loughborough as first South East over the last two races.

July

Racing at the South Aquathlon in the British Super Series over 3x aquathlons starting with a longer swim and a short run, increasing in run distance and decreasing swim distance over the remainder. After a poor first swim with mistakes made it cost me the first race with a very below par position in the low 20s. However I was determined to turn it around and then progressed to 10th before a 4th in the final race, with my run pace getting quicker as each run got longer. This was the last race this year I was not so happy with and from then managed to take my learnings and determination into the rest of the season to improve and finish strong.

In July I also raced the final round of the Southern XC MTB Series after getting the win at the final round on the Isle of Wight and achieving two wins and two 2nd places to also take the series overall title for the first time too! A well timed attack after an opportunity opened on the long steep climb allowed me to gap the rest and create a strong lead all the way to the finish.

August

On the 1st I raced the Brighton Track Night 2 3k, for about my annual track race and 2nd ever 3k. I ran well and strong and with a good field, I myself ran 8:41.39, to PB from my previous best of 9 minutes 25 seconds a couple years before. A really good run I was pleased with on the flat and faster terrain!

Racing at the School Games in Loughborough at the end of August, I represented the South East over half a week in aquathlon and bike individual formats. In the aquathlon heats and finals I had some stomach issues however was able to make the A final and achieve a decent placing. Into the bike sectors the next day I really moved up in the skills test and in the staggered circuit race based on time, I opened up a breakaway to stop the close behind group catching and 2 others caught on, with us fighting for 3rd. Unfortunately one of the others timed coming into the final transition better and with only a 50m run left to close I missed top 3 by 2 seconds, however still finished 4th to take another strong national result.

In the mixed relay the next day, I was the first leg, and had a much better swim in the open water style pool format and worked hard on the bike and finally found the run speed I knew I was capable of to push my way through and hand over in joint 2nd.

September was the month of big races including my international triathlon debut and the British Triathlon Champs incorporated as the British Series Grand Final.

Kicking off with the British Champs for road triathlon, I was heading into the race ranked 9th in the series and looking to really improve and achieve aspirations at the last round of the series and compile all my learnings, from this year especially, with the determination to deliver. The top French athletes had been invited over to race too adding a new mix of talent to the race.

With a much better swim, the best of the year, I was able to make the front bike pack early, after leaving no time to waste when exiting T1. After that I was able to really make use of my good bike ability and initiate some pace on the front. Coming into T2 I followed an attack towards the end which helped me but meant not having to do as much work and the pack split a little more. Into T2 I was a couple seconds off the leader and about 4/5th, including a couple French just ahead. Onto the run I swiftly passed the first British athlete in 2nd overall and chased down the French leader before a gap increased. Over the next 3km a bit of tactical play came in involving him wanting me to go ahead and slowing down to a very slow pace. I went forward given their was another French athlete just a couple seconds behind but was aware not to let the other sit on me then try and drop me. He then tried to go and I went with him and then surged myself a bit to be first into the penultimate dead turn, 200m before the line. After the final dead turn, 50m after, we turned 150m for the finish. He came by and then I kicked and took the lead and side by side we came across the line and I just finished 2nd by 0.2 seconds. Despite finishing 2nd I was the first British so became the 2024 British Champion! This also propelled me up to 2nd in the series.

Travelling down to Italy I was headed for the XTERRA Youth World Champs, Molveno in the Dolomites mountains. After a long drive down and some courses recons I was ready for race day. After probably my best swim ever I exited the water 5th overall – I was racing in Youth B (16-17) as I was 16, but alongside Juniors (18-19) at the same time. On the bike I rode well up the mountain gaining some early positions and I think was in the top 3 at one point but into T2 was 5th Youth B and about 7/8th overall. There was a 2minute and 15s gap to the Youth B leader as I started the run, but I was determined and left it all out there in an exciting finish, to overtake the leader with less than a kilometre to go and create a 20s gap to become the first ever Youth B World Champion and beat all the older juniors I was racing alongside too!

September was a pretty crazy month with some incredible results with opportunities that only newly opened up and to all the people who donated to the GoFundMe and supported me in getting out there, my achievement wouldn’t have been possible without your support, thank you.

October started the lesser amount of racing. The highlight of this time was being selected onto the England Next Generation Squad, which is effectively the National Talent Squad for GB to develop for the Olympics. This was one of my aspirations for the year and I was very happy to have achieved this. I’ve been on a couple camps already and have enjoyed the benefit and opportunity to improve and have taken some very valuable things away from both.

I’ve also started my xc season and so far just racing the Sussex League I have won all the rounds I’ve competed in. At the time of writing I raced the Sussex Champs too and with an attack won the title again, meaning I’ve won a Sussex Champs title in every category I’ve competed in from U13, through to U17. I also secured automatic qualification for the UK Inter Counties in Nottingham too.

I also raced one of the cyclocross league rounds and despite brakes that failed on me mid way through and having to abandon my bike on one of the off camber sections I managed a 4th place finish and 5th overall. The weekend just gone I raced at the National Cyclocross Champs at Cyclopark. Being gridded dead last in 45th, I climbed my way to just outside the top 25 by the second lap, but unfortunately crashed on the very icy course, losing some valuable places and time. I got back up and gained some more places to finish 29th and was left feeling pretty sore after. Not too bad as a bottom year in the junior category and considering the crash but it was annoying to get pulled out by the 80% rule with 2 laps to go and only just being caught out, when the riders I was close to got through. I was feeling good and reeling in places pretty quickly so would’ve hoped to have closed more in the remainder. With the cross season pretty much over I’m looking forward to xc racing on the mountain bike and as well as racing the Southern XC MTB Series will hopefully be racing some of the National XC Series too.

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Thanks very much to all those who have helped with any support from this year. I have been trying hard to obtain some sponsorship over the last several months to help with financial aspects and costs as I try to expand my international racing, so any help would be greatly appreciated and I would be grateful if you can send me an email at finlaygoodman14@outlook.com if you have any enquiries to help support me. Thank you