London Duathlon cancelled to 'unforeseen factors' including safety fears over speeding bikes

A longstanding duathlon run in one of London's biggest parks has been cancelled due to "unforeseen factors", thought to include safety concerns.

The London Duathlon, which has been advertised as the world's largest run/bike event, sees about 4,000 people run, cycle, then run around Richmond Park. It was due to happen on 8 September, but has been cancelled due to Richmond Park's operator, The Royal Parks, embarking on a review of its cycling policy following "several cycling-related incidents".

It is not the first cycling event cancelled in Richmond Park; in June, it was revealed that two time trials were cancelled over fears of cyclists breaking speed limits and related incidents.

London Dynamo organised two time trials in Richmond Park in late-June and early July, which have been running for 15 years. They were well-organised and abided by Cycling Time Trials' regulations; they were due to take place on 23 June and 7 July. It was understood to be a permanent decision.

The cancellation came in the wake of a deluge of coverage on the case of Hilda Griffiths, who died after being hit by a cyclist in another of The Royal Park's charges, Regents Park, in 2022.

Her death was recorded as an "accidental cyclist collision death" by a coroner's court earlier this month, with no prosecution brought against the bike rider. She had stepped into the road in front of rider Brian Fitzgerald, who had averaged 25mph around the park perimeter as part of a pace-line, reaching speeds of up to 29mph.

The news also prompted many anti-cycling stories in the UK media. The cancellation of the Richmond Park events were linked to Griffiths' death and the ensuing coverage.

The tragedy led to the Royal Parks contacting Strava to ask that segments within the parks be removed from the platform, to discourage fast riding. 

It is understood that the London Duathlon has been affected by the same Royal Parks review.

On its website, the organisers wrote: "There have been a number of unforeseen factors this year that have led to this difficult decision, particularly in relation to the operational complexity of producing a multi-sport event.  

"This includes an increased focus on the security and logistics of cycling events in public spaces which creates significant operational challenges. Our team has been working hard to explore all available options in recent weeks, but we have concluded that we can’t make the event work this year.  

"We understand that this will be unwelcome news, and we apologise for the disappointment caused.  Currently we are not able to confirm whether a 2025 London Duathlon will take place, and we will be working to establish this in the coming months."

In its own statement, The Royal Parks said: "A range of factors, including significant operational challenges, have meant that the London Duathlon will not be going ahead in Richmond Park this year. We will work closely with potential event organisers to determine the future of the event."

Speed limits do not apply to cyclists, but riders within the park are expected to abide by them.