Colchester Harrier Ella Neale has a top podium finish at the Madrid Cross Duathlon championships

Having gone through a strict lockdown in Madrid, Ella took part in the rescheduled Madrid Duathlon Championships. The competition consisted of a 5k run, followed by a 15km off road mountain bike ride, this was followed by a 2.5km run.

Ella found few problems with her favoured element the runs but the mountain bike course looked like a desert in the heat of the summer sun, with the ride consisting of several tight turns, steep inclines and ditches making going very difficult. On one occasion the ditches causing Ella to fall, picking herself up she pushed onto the final 2.5km run, this she finished 1st in her age group and helping her Spanish club to also finish first.

Ella is now looking forward to 2021 where the competition will hopefully be run over the normal roads of Madrid.