Box Hill, near Dorking, saw more than the usual ramblers ascend on Saturday, as around 400 took part in the Winter BallBuster Duathlon.
Box Hill, an outstanding area of beauty overlooking the South Downs, also provides a 224m climb for duathletes taking on the 8 mile run, 24 mile bike and 8 mile run, a race not for the faint hearted.
Wayne Smith, who has won the race three times already, smashed the field and won again, this time an amazing full seven minutes ahead of second place. As he crossed the finish line in 2hr 37min 58sec, Wayne commented: "This was much better than last year. I am in much better running shape. It was quite slippery on the bike today and there seemed to be a lot more people on the course. But I am really pleased with that!"
Finishing strongly in second place was Ballbuster regular, Rich Hunt, in a time of 2hr 45min 15sec with third placed Richard Anderson just 35secs behind.
First woman home was Carla Molinaro from the Army Triathlon Association in 3hr 9min 2sec. Carla said of her performance: "That was tough! But I really enjoyed it. The good weather helped. I felt really strong on the run. I did this event in 2007 and finished fifth. I'm really pleased with my result today, but my legs hurt now!"
The BallBuster event at Box Hill is a bi-yearly event, with the Autumn and Spring races attracting a large field; it is as popular as ever, as athletes look for something more challenging than your average race.
Race organisers Human Race said of the event "It is always great to put on a really challenging event and watch athletes accept the challenge in their hundreds. This year has been no exception."
The Spring BallBuster Duathlon takes place on March 5, 2011 and is now taking entries.
