County to welcome top British triathletes

A major British long distance triathlon event is to be held in a county for the first time.

The organisers of the Lakesman, based in Keswick, Cumbria, are to host the British Championships and English Championships for the middle distance races in 2025.

Also known as a 70.3 triathlon or half Ironman, the event is made up of a 1.2-mile (1.9km) swim, a bike ride of 56 miles (90km) and a half marathon.

Race director Phil Whitehead said: “It is a first ever for Keswick, a first ever for Cumbria and brilliant for the event, the athletes, the volunteers and all of our suppliers.”

The Lakesman began in 2016 and each year several hundred athletes take part in the middle distance event, which begins with a swim in Derwentwater.

Mr Whitehead said the Championships were a “massive chance to further showcase our beautiful county and inspire future generations of athletes”.

“It is down to the hard work of a lot of people, and we will all celebrate together next June,” he added.

Event director Marie Whitehead said: “It’s not just that next year there’ll be extra athletes who are some of the best in the country, it’ll also be a real boost to the local economy.

“We estimate the event brings in about £2m each year and the competitors are not just staying in Keswick, they’re staying in places like Cockermouth, Carlisle and Workington too.

“We do this because we love Cumbria and we love triathlon and we’re just so delighted that more athletes will get to see just how beautiful this county is.”

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