[imagesource:picryl]

At least 35 competitors found themselves getting “sicker and sicker” after the swimming leg of the 2,800-person Royal Windsor Triathlon in Berkshire on Sunday with almost a dozen triathletes suffering from severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

One competitor got so sick, she was throwing up blood and had to go to hospital 24 hours after the triathlon.

The illnesses come as water companies across the UK come under intense scrutiny over a litany of failures that have left Britain’s water systems teaming with sewage.

A 56-year-old TV producer who competed in the race, told The Independent: “I found myself getting sicker and sicker and I eventually had to rush out of a meeting to be sick”.

“It was cleary caused by swimming in the River Thames. A number of athletes have reported illness. It is too many to be a coincidence.”

He blamed organisers Human Race and Thames Water and claimed falling ill was a direct result of Britain’s “utterly dysfunctional water regulation system,” while vowing never to take part in the Royal Windsor Triathlon again.

Thames Water however warned that assuming the company’s actions were the cause of the illness outbreak would be “misinformed.”

“We support the government’s advice on open water swimming and are committed to seeing our waterways thrive,” a Thames Water representative stated. Not much of an answer.

Human Race is the UK’s leading mass participation events company, putting on events each year in triathlon, cycling, and running. The Royal Windsor Triathlon is one of UK’s most legendary multisport challenges, and in recent years, sports stars such as Jonny Wilkinson, Tanni Gray-Thompson, Gareth Thomas and Jenson Button have all taken part in the event.

Described as a”truly royal route” it takes triathletes through the streets of old Windsor, past Windsor Castle, and out into the surrounding countryside after they swim in the River Thames. After that, runners will enter Windsor Great Park and race along the Long Walk under the famous castle to finish their challenge.

Did you know Red Bull recently rated the Royal Windsor Triathlon as the top triathlon in the UK? You can read all about why this bucket list event still reigns supreme via the link below:https://t.co/Dsa6fM0Mvh

— Human Race Events (@HumanRaceEvents) June 6, 2022

Why anyone would willingly swim in the Thames is beyond us. The river has been used as a dumping ground for the capital’s waste for ages. It got so bad at one point in the late 1800s that the whole city reeked, a period often referred to as ‘The Great Stink’. Let’s not even talk about the average of one dead body per week that washes up on its shores…

[royalwindsortriathlon&independent]