Location: Central London
2012 Olympic Venue Preview: Hyde Park
Hyde Park, the largest of the eight Royal Parks of London, will host Triathlon and Swimming’s 10km Marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Events: Triathlon and Swimming (10km Marathon)
Construction: Enclosed as a deer park by Henry VIII in 1536; open to the public since 1637
Acres: 350
Hyde Park, the largest of the eight Royal Parks of London -- grounds originally owned by the Crown and typically used by the royal family for hunting -- is the site of the 10km Marathon Swimming and Triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The 350-acre park is divided by the Serpentine, a lake created in 1730, and the main part of the park that will be used during the Games. The body of water will be the site of the men’s and women’s 10km Marathon swimming events and the swimming leg of men’s and women’s Triathlon. Much of the bike portion and the entire run of the Triathlon will take place within Hyde Park’s walls.
(Photo by Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images)
After the 1500m swim, triathletes will complete seven laps of a 6.137km bike course and then finish by running four laps of a 2.5km course around the Serpentine.
After the Games, “the park is left in the same condition that it was received.” All the seating and venue structures will be removed and Hyde Park will continue to serve the public and be used for recreational and leisure activities.
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