ONE of the biggest Duathlons in the country descended on Stockton on Sunday when hundreds of competitors took over the town centre.

The combination of run-swim-run sees athletes of all levels tackle a variety of courses to suit their ability around the Riverside area of the town.

Now in its third year, the increasingly popular event caters for both participants and spectators alike, with the race set against the stunning backdrop of the River Tees.

And to add a little bit of extra spice to the occasion, the Sprint and Standard races also acted as GB Age Group Team qualifiers for the 2015 ITU Duathlon World Championships or 2016 ETU Duathlon European Championships respectively.

New for this year’s event was the ‘team challenge’ which pits clubs, work teams or family and friend teams against each other where the combined times of the five fastest finishers determined the overall winners.

Helping the competitors warm up before the event were a team from WattCycle, which is sponsoring the competition.

Joanne Bannatyne - ex-wife of Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Duncan – runs the company with her business partner, former Royal Marines commando Lee Howe.

To find out more about the event, visit www.stockton.gov.uk/duathlon