The Albi Urban Triathlon will switch to… duathlon mode

This year, the weather did not do the organizers of the Urban Triathlon d’Albi any favors. The fifth edition finds itself shaken up. A first stir in the young history of this competition which has become popular in the episcopal city.

This Sunday, May 5, participants will not have the chance to swim at the foot of Sainte-Cécile Cathedral. “The flow of the Tarn is much too great and the quality of the water does not allow swimming there,” declares David Baurès, president of the Urban Triathlon of Albi.

Water too cold

The heavy rainfall in recent days has pushed the organizing team to review a third of the copy. As a result, she therefore decided to cancel the swimming event, initially planned for the two Urban courses. “This does not delight us. What made the Albi triathlon special was its course, since swimming at the foot of the cathedral is an opportunity for the competitors. But this year, the weather decided otherwise and for the well-being of the participants, we prefer to prevent them from swimming in the Tarn”, regrets David Baurès, president of Albi Triathlon.

The Albigensian event, which normally takes place at the end of May, had to be postponed to this Sunday. “This change of date has not made our task easier since the public knows that the weather is not very good at the beginning of May. This has partly impacted the number of registrations, since the swimming event has scared away some of the potential competitors”, laments David Baurès.

Swimming replaced by running

Faced with the weather, the organizers decided to replace swimming with another running event. The program will therefore change for both courses (see box). “We want to make the triathlon accessible to everyone. Even if the weather conditions are not right, that will not prevent participants from having a good day,” assures the president.

Simple amateurs or high-level athletes? The races will start around 9 a.m. and can be done in an individual or relay format. Registrations can be done online, on the Urban Triathlon d’Albi website, until this Friday midnight.