Leicester academic wins bronze medal for Team GB in Age Group European Championships Triathlon in Madrid

Dr Charlotte Smith, Lecturer in Management at the University of Leicester School of Business, has just returned to Leicester from Madrid, Spain, where she represented Great Britain in the European Long Distance Triathlon Age Group Championships. She did brilliantly to finish third at Challenge Madrid and brought home a bronze medal for her efforts. 

The 2018 ETU Long Distance Triathlon European Championships, which took place on 23 September 2018 in Madrid, Spain, saw Dr Smith compete in the 30-34 age group race. All in all, Team GB sent 40 athletes to compete across all age groups at Challenge Madrid. 

The triathlon required athletes to complete a 2.4 mile swim in Buitrago de Lozoya Reservoir, with spectacular views to the Sierra Madrileña. Following this Dr Smith completed a 112 mile cycle ride on a mountain course that crowns the most representative peaks of the Madrid mountain range inlcuding Canencia, Morcuera and Cotos. This grueling course provided an altitude difference of 2,650 meters and finished in Madrid city centre. And to finish the triathlon competitors were required to complete a 26.2 mile run in the Madrid Rio, (4 x 10 km alongside the crossing river of Madrid, arriving at the Puerta del Sol). 

Dr Smith, who is currently researching the regulation of vaping in workplaces, academics’ well-being and care and equality in sports governance boards, is a keen triathlete and cyclist and held an All-World-Athlete Bronze Ironman status in 2017 and ridden for Great Britain at the UCI Masters Gran Fondo World Championships. 

She is also one of 4,000 Cancer Research UK funded scientists, doctors and nurses working on the front line in the fight against the disease and recently took to her bike to highlight Cycle 300; a new fundraising challenge from Cancer Research UK. Alongside Professor David Bartram, also from the University of Leicester, she urged men and women to clock up 300 miles on a bike in September. 

So how does this compare to previous competitions? Dr Smith explains: “This was one of the most beautiful and challenging courses I have ever had the pleasure of riding and racing on. It was a very long day in scorching heat with thousands of feet climbing on the bike, but doing so in Team GB colours and coming home with a podium place has given me plenty of memories to cherish.” 

In 2019 Dr Smith is planning to continue to race for Team GB at both half Ironman and full Ironman distance triathlon.