Published Wednesday 30 June 2021 at 10:44
The UK’s number one triathlon is taking place this weekend as Supersapiens IRONMAN UK comes to town.
Usually attracting athletes from around the world, the event will take place in Bolton and the surrounding area, including Darwen and Bury, on Sunday, July 4.
Top pro athletes race for a total prize pot of $100,000. Three-time Olympian and four-time ITU World Champion Tim Don will join Joe Skipper, Nikki Bartlett and many more to compete for the number one spot which will take them to the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
As part of the IRONMAN weekend, the popular Night Run event will also take place on the evening of Friday, July 2.
Bolton Council Leader Cllr David Greenhalgh said:
We’re delighted to be welcoming back IRONMAN to Bolton this weekend. There’s always a great atmosphere for this event and it’s a fantastic family friendly day out.
Covid safety measures will be in place and we ask anyone attending to adhere to government guidelines and social distancing.
Council staff will be working as COVID Officers and will be on hand to remind people of these safety precautions, as well as handing out face coverings and signposting people to the nearest hand sanitising units.
To stop the spread of infection, spectators are advised to take a test prior to attending the event, even if they do not have symptoms.
Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests can give you a result within 30 minutes. Pop-up LFD test collection points will be made available near to the race route ahead of the event.
Neighbouring councils who host sections of the gruelling swim, run and cycle course are equally anticipating a great weekend of sporting activity.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s Leader Mohammed Khan, OBE said:
We are especially pleased that the event is able to go-ahead this year, giving many people something positive to focus on and look forward to.
We would love people to come along to support the event, we would ask that everyone takes a lateral flow test before attending to ensure we all play our part to help limit the spread of Covid in our community
Cllr Andrea Simpson, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Bury Council, said:
We are delighted to welcome IRONMAN back to Bury, and hope it encourages everyone to get fit and active and look after their health, especially after a year of lockdown.
Cllr Michael Green, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said:
We’re pleased to support this world-class event, which puts the North West on the international map.
IRONMAN encourages people to boost their fitness, wellbeing and take on one of the toughest courses in the world.