It’s not just the elite runners who make Hamburg the city of triathlon. Because while the world’s best are focused on the World Championship Series and setting their sights on the 2012 Olympic Games, the amateurs have their moment in the sun too. More than 12,000 of them competed over the weekend in a variety of different age-groups.  From as young as 10 to over 70s and somewhere in between including Freddie Tychsen, something of a triathlon veteran.

“I think it’s maybe 12 years ago, I read in a magazine about triathlon, and so I started to be interested in triathlon. I did a lot of sports all my life, and I was running before I started in triathlon, and so it just happened, step by step.”

Race day minus 1 – and Freddie is ready.

6am Saturday morning. A battalion of bikes as the competitors queue to register. You don’t just have to be fit to do yourself justice in this sport – preparation is just as important…with an almost military style attention to detail. 

“Got my shoes for the running, for a fast transition, and the gel for the start in the running, my bike shoes with the elastics…”

Just seconds to go now before the start – the first discipline…a 500-metre swim.

“I think it’s five times before, I’ve done the race in Hamburg, and yes, it’s a special race, with so many other athletes, and the unbelievable atmosphere…it’s very special for me.”

And Freddie’s having a special race – an excellent swim followed by an impressive 22-kilometre bike leg means he begins his 5k run bang on schedule for a fast time. Others may not set their sights quite so high – but many raise money for charity through their efforts.  In the end, Freddie finishes in a time of just under 1 hr 5 minutes – placing him an impressivefourth in his age-group.