Published Monday 11 March 2019 at 14:31
One of the toughest race competitions in the World – Ironman UK – is coming to Darwen after deciding a new route for its gruelling 112 mile bike course.
Ironman UK has earned a reputation for being one of the most challenging races in the world, with some of the best spectator support and race atmospheres in Europe.
The Ironman UK triathlon is being held on Sunday 14 July, and involves a 2.4-mile swim, a mammoth 112-mile bike ride finishing with a regulation length marathon, 26.2 miles into Bolton town centre.
The new sections will bring the race into areas previously missed by the course, taking athletes and spectators to new locations providing a welcome boost for tourism and local businesses.
Blackburn with Darwen Council Leader, Mohammed Khan, said:
We’re really pleased to be welcoming Ironman UK to Darwen. We’ve worked with Bolton Council and Ironman to help make this happen and map out the new route for 2019 with a view to making it the best ever.
There will be some road closures on the day to allow the race to happen safely and we hope that people will embrace the event and come down and support the athletes. Ironman will be working closely with residents.
The event will really help to put Darwen on the map, it will be great for tourism, attracting competitors and spectators from all over the world. It will provide a real boost for our local businesses that will benefit greatly from the volume of people coming to town for this highly regarded event.
The new course also offers the very best of the natural scenery in the region adding to the true British nature of the course.
The cycling phase of the race will start in Bolton before athletes head to Bury and Ramsbottom fleeting past the infamous Rake Climb.
From here competitors will continue north towards Helmshore and Darwen, where athletes will enter the moorlands with views over Darwen’s Jubilee Tower and multiple reservoirs before descending Sheephouse Lane via Belmont, adding a new dimension to an athlete favorite.
Sam Brawn, Ironman UK Race Director, said:
After ten fantastic years in Bolton we continue to push ourselves to find new ways of improving the race experience for our athletes. We are confident that the new course will provide an intriguing challenge offering a new variation on an iconic event.
We are also particularly excited to bring the race to new communities and encourage spectators to come out in their numbers and add their voices to the renowned Ironman UK support this year.
We would like to thank the new council authorities for collaborating with us to make the new course a great experience for our athletes and for their enthusiasm in bringing the event into their communities.
Over the last ten years, this race has grown into the premier long-distance triathlon in the UK, welcoming athletes from all over the world.
We look forward to continuing that proud legacy and are excited to be able to extend the spirit of the event to new locations and communities this year.
The following roads will be in use for the cycle event, which consists of two laps and will be closed for the race:
– Jackson Heights Road
– Long Hey Lane
– Johnson New Road
– Johnson Road
– Roman Road
– Blacksnape Road
– Roman Road
– Blackburn Road
– Bolton Road
– Green Arms Road
– A666 Blackburn Road
– Stones Bank Road
– Egerton Road
– A675 Belmont Road
– Rivington Road
For more information on the new bike course and to register, please visit the Ironman website.