A FULL field of 200 competitors will take part in Sunday’s Wiltshire Times Trowbridge Triathlon – with the field having an international flavour.

Trowbridge Sports Centre and Clarendon College host the events, with this year’s triathlon, run by the local DB Max Triathlon club, also being part of part of Triathlon England’s South West series.

The event is appropriately timed, falling between tomorrow’s 2012 Olympic women’s triathlon in Hyde Park, London, and the men’s event which takes place on Tuesday.

Race director Jim Hart said: “Attendance is set to exceed previous records and we hit the entry limit of 200 competitors earlier this week.

“Novice competitors are travelling to take part from as far afield as America and Paris to take part.

“A guy called Mark Cathcart is travelling across the Atlantic from Austin, Texas, and has been in contact to tell us how excited he is to compete, especially in an Olympic year.

“We also have the Rugo family, from Paris, competing across the children’s age ranges, with Etienne in the nine-10 age group, Pauline in the 11-12 age group and Alana in the 13-14 age group.

Trowbridge youngsters Matthew Griffin and Kieran Hill, from Cycology Bikes, are expected to be vying for first place in the men’s race.

Matthew Everest, from the University of Bath, who has qualified for the World Championships in New Zealand later this year and finished second at the Bristol Harbourside Triathlon, is also likely to feature.

DB Max athletes include both Dan Ford and Mel Nichols, who have also qualified for the World Championships in their age categories.

Christopher Harrison, from Abbeydale in Gloucester, will be the oldest man racing on the day at the age of 70 with Liz Clarke competing in her very first triathlon event, having recently joined the club from running partners Avon Valley Runners. Meanwhile, Kate Gale will be competing in her first triathlon, raising money for Help for Heroes.

See justgiving.com/Kate-Gale0 or email Gale at sk8z@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

Meanwhile, Team Trowbridge, a line-up of paramedics and accident and emergency staff will raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, DB Max’s club charity for the year.

The first waves of the main sprint triathlon go off from 9am, with competitors completing a 400m swim, followed by a 26.2km bike ride and a five kilometre run.

The four Tri Star Aquathlon races start from 11am, the Start category (eight years) featuring a 50m swim and 600m run and Tri Star 1 (nine-10 years) a 100m swim and one kilometre run.

Tri Star 2 (11-12 years is a 200m swim, 1.4km run event, with Tri Star 3 (13-14 years) featuring a 200m swim and 1.4km run.