A brand new triathlon event is set to come to Marlow in May this year organised by major running events organiser RunThrough.

On Sunday, May 24, the inaugural RunThrough Marlow Triathlon will be kicking off from Higginson Park.

Athletes will begin with an open-water swim in the River Thames, followed by a cycle through the Chiltern countryside on closed roads, before finishing with a run across the grassy terrain of Higginson Park.

Organisers have set three distances for the morning, starting with the most challenging Half Iron at 7am, which consists of a 1.9km swim, an 86km bike ride with 806m of elevation, and a 20km run.

Those enrolling can also do a sprint version of the challenge (the shortest, starting at 10am) or an Olympic version, which is longer (starting at 8.30am).

For those looking to share the load, a Half Iron Triathlon Relay is also available, at the same price as the regular Half Iron.

The swim takes place south of Higginson Park, in a stretch of the Thames southwest of Marlow Bridge.

The Sprint covers a 750m single lap, the Olympic is a 1.5km course consisting of two laps, and the Half Iron extends south.

The cycling leg is held on a 38km loop for the Olympic distance that exits Marlow to the west via Pound Lane and go along the A4155 Henley Road.


Athletes will pass through Medmenham and Mill End, head south down Marlow Road, north into Fairmile in Henley, and end in Nettlebed before returning.

Cyclists can expect an elevation gain of 312m considered a moderate, rolling/undulating ride. The Olympic tranche will then feature a 10k run.

The Sprint version of the bike ride will extend for 23km (elevation 176m) and the run will be 5k.

All participants in the triathlon will receive a unique themed medal, free race photos, chip-timed results, and post-race goodies.

Beyond the competition, the event village at Higginson Park will offer food and drink, and free goodies from RunThrough event partners, which include SportsShoes.com, Trek, Science in Sport, and Voltarol.

The event is also partnering with Macmillan Cancer Support to raise money for the charity. /

While standard entry fees range from £70 to £150, participants can opt for a Macmillan Charity Entry at a reduced upfront cost in exchange for a commitment to fundraising:

Sprint entry: £30 for £200 minimum fundraising
Olympic entry: £35 for £300 minimum fundraising
Half iron entry: £50 for £500 minimum fundraising
RunThrough says it is also working to be more sustainable in its events, starting with eliminating plastic goody bags.

In the past, further efforts have included offering wooden medals, roll outing more regular usage of water canisters and paper cups, and making RunThrough vests out of recycled plastic bottles.

The RunThrough Marlow Triathlon is set for Sunday, May 24, from 7am to 4pm.

People who want to roll up their sleeves for this challenge can register on the RunThrough website at {url]http://www.runthrough.co.uk/event/marlow-triathlon-may-2026[/url]