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The Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development - www.racpd.org.uk

53-12: Triathlon bikes and equipment - www.53-12.com

Thomas's Cycling Revolution: Bicycles and bicycle accessories  - www.cycle-revolution.net

Latest Update:

9 July:  We cycled through the night on wonderfully smooth French roads.  The team averaged just over 20 miles per hour along what was a very hilly route in places and reached the outskirts of at 0630 hours.  After a brief stop to repair a damaged wheel and an opportunity to grab a quick coffee and croissant we set off for the final 15 miles to the Arc de Triomphe.  This final stretch was great fun with riders making the most of ' slow moving rush hour traffic to weave between.  The geography of meant that we did not see our target until getting within a mile of it but, as the Arc loomed into sight legs miraculously recovered and the race was on to reach the top of the rise, negotiate the staggeringly chaotic roundabout and reach the Arc de Triomphe. 

With the team complete at the Arc, and the support vans having caught us up, it was time for a quick photo before heading off to find our hotel and grab some much needed sleep. 

8 July:  We arrived at Dover Marina early on Wednesday morning but, with the words of the skipper of the support boat ringing in our ears - "you may get across but it is going to be uncomfortable".  Our first swimmer, Andy Syrett, dived in to Channel to swim to the start point on the beach.  With the team each swimming hour-long legs, we managed to cover a reasonable distance given the sea state but, with waves of 2m plus, seasickness and worsening weather conditions the crossing was becoming untenable.  There were some real legs of note, Jason Patt swam a superb leg, as did Jamie Brookes but eventually as we neared the 7-hour point it became obvious that a crossing would not be possible.  A last ditch effort Roy Keane and then James Spelling attempted to make up some ground but, it was still not enough to make a difference and with both the white cliffs of Dover in sight behind us and the French coast someway ahead of us a decision was taken to call off the attempt.  It was a bitterly disappointing moment but the team all acknowledged that given the conditions there was little alternative.

A little crestfallen, we reached at about 1830 hours and set about readying the team for the cycle and just a little over an hour later the first pair set off.  The route was broken down into between 60 and 65 mile legs which were completed in pairs followed by a final 15 mile leg that was cycled en masse.

7 July: The challenge begins.  The 87 mile run kicked off from Marble Arch in the early hours (0400 hours to be precise).  The first leg saw Andy Syrett and James Spelling make their way through the early morning gloom via the Gunner War Memorial to the outskirts of Sidcup.  Next up were Jason Patt and Tom Bright who made quick work of the next leg.  Of particular note was the very fast pace of Jamie Brooks, Rob Hooper and Paul Franklin; the debate over who ran the quickest leg still rages on.  As the morning wore on the temperature and humidity both increased and running over the undulating countryside became harder.  The team reached in a very respectable time of 10 hours 58 minutes; averaging just under 7:30 minutes per mile.  Having reached we contacted the skipper of the support boat to be told that a crossing would not be possible that night as had been planned due to the poor weather conditions.

6 July: The team had an official launch today at MOD.  We had Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson come to join the launch.  Ben was severely injured during the Regiment's tour in in 2006 and it was great to have him there with us today.  The Assistant Chief of the General Staff was also there to wish us well.  Following the launch the team made its way to and 'rattled some collection tins and buckets' and collected a significant amount from a very generous and supportive public.

2 July: The Arch to Arc team competed in the 16 Air Assault Brigade Sprint Triathlon this afternoon and were just beaten into second place by a very strong team made up of a number of elite Army triathletes.

28 June: 7 Para RHA's triathlon team finished runners-up in the Army Triathlon.

Background:

The Arch to Arc Challenge is a team race with competitors running from Marble Arch to , swimming the Channel to followed by riding from the beach to Paris and the Arc de Triomphe. 

I am sure that you will believe that the team of 6 must be made up of professional athletes in full time training, in order to be able to run the 90 miles to , swim the 21+ miles across the Channel and cycle the 180 miles to but, this is not the case.  Those taking part are all serving soldiers from 7 Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

The idea to undertake such an arduous event was hatched over a cup of tea whilst the Regiment was deployed in support of 16 Air Assault Brigade on operations in towards the end of 2008 and has grown from there.

The main aim of the race is to undertake a challenging endurance event and in the process to raise money for the charity Help for Heroes, which is doing superb work in assisting British soldiers who have been wounded on current operations.  If you feel that this is a worthwhile cause and that you would be willing to donate a small, or even better a large sum of money, the most effective way to do so is via our website:

www.justgiving.com/7paraarch2arc