Emma Broadhurst took sixth place among the 35-39 age group women at Istanbul in Turkey at the weekend, while Will Slater claimed ninth in his 25-29 age category.
Emma had found time between training sessions to speak to BBC Radio Stoke about her story before flying out to the race. Listen again to her interview or read the BBC website article.
By Emma Broadhurst
Swim – Jellyfish and Wetsuit Woes
A 750m swim in the jellyfish-filled Bosphorus Strait kicked things off. After much deliberation — wetsuit or no wetsuit — I changed my mind countless times, but in the end sided with the majority: wetsuit. A decision I briefly regretted when the zip jammed on swim exit!
The swim started fast, racing out to the first yellow buoy side by side with another Brit. Two sharp 90-degree turns later, we were heading back towards the pontoon — but sighting was tough. There were no buoys, the finish arch was sky-blue (perfect camouflage), and the rising waves didn’t help. I latched onto a pair of feet, hoped for the best, and suddenly bumped into the ramp — to my surprise, the swim was over! Cue the wetsuit battle. Note to self: get that zip fixed.
Bike – Over Bridges and Extra Miles
The bike leg began with a long climb up to the spectacular Bosphorus Bridge, linking Asia to Europe. Mostly riding solo, I managed to grab a couple of wheels for short stretches, which was a welcomed break — especially as the course was 25% longer than planned due to an organiser’s error - an error only some triathletes can appreciate. The silver lining to a tough ride? An incredible descent back towards transition that made all the suffering worthwhile.
Run – Heat and Home Support
The 5.2km run was undulating, hot, and buzzing with energy. Crowd support was fantastic — a chorus of “Go Team GB!” followed me throughout, complete with Mexican wave-style shouts. My travelling family added their voices too, and that really carried me to the finish.
Finish – Team Spirit
Post-race, the atmosphere was relaxed and celebratory. Team GB athletes shared stories in the cold pool, congratulating each other on conquering the course. One highlight was catching up with Will Slater afterwards — great to share the experience with an NTC teammate and friend.
Reflections
Istanbul is an incredible city, and despite a few mishaps (including nearly not making it there at all), this was an adventure I’ll never forget.
Next stop: Australia.
Swim 12:53, bike, 49:12, run 24:43, total 1:30:35, 6th age group
My race by Will Slater
It was very much up in the air as to whether or not wetsuits would be permitted. At the bike check in the evening before, the water temperature reached over 22 degrees. However, this dropped to 18 degrees on the morning- permitting wetsuits. I’m glad I took the wetsuit with me now as it made a big difference for me!
I had a good swim (for me) which put me where I wanted to be early on in the race.
The bike was brutal with just the one lap mostly spent on the highway. Shortly after leaving transition, there was a steep climb up to the Faith Sultan Bridge. I managed to bridge onto the lead group after the climb, but I was eventually dropped on the bridge after a Belgian guy nailed it on the front and I couldn’t follow the wheel. I then rode solo for a while before tagging on the back of a big chase group which was a relief. This group of us then all came into T2 together.
The run was an undulating out and back- 2 laps in total. You were either running up or down!
There were big ice baths and ice cold cans of coke at the finish- which was really nice!
I really enjoyed the race and racing in such a unique location.
Swim, 11:36, bike 41:25, run 19:24, total 1:16:47, 9th age group