Nottingham to host the next Ironman event.

THE world’s toughest one-day endurance event is coming to Nottingham in August next year.

A long-distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon run are to be completed consecutively and all within one day of racing.

The event – to take place in Nottingham on August 8, 2010 – will be restricted to 1,000 entries.

Organisers are working in conjunction with Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils, as well as some of the major sporting venues within the city to deliver a breath-taking long distance triathlon.

It will start from the National Water Sports Centre and finish at the Victoria Embankment.

Nottingham Forest chief executive Mark Arthur said: “Having an event such as this come to Nottingham is great news.

“As a keen cyclist, I think we can use events such as these to engage a wide audience and inspire them to get active. Having the route pass under the City Ground is brilliant and we fully support the event.”

The swim and bike transitions will take place at Holme Pierrepont, where thousands of triathletes already enjoy racing the National Relay Championships every year.

The bike course will be fast but challenging, taking in the best that Nottinghamshire has to offer. The course, which will be partly on closed roads, will enable the competitors to concentrate on racing, as well as taking in the beautiful Nottinghamshire countryside.

The run will loop between Holme Pierrepont and the Victoria Embankment, making it perfect for spectators and competitors alike. The route will run alongside the River Trent and past Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Forest’s City Ground and Sven-Goran Eriksson’s new home, Meadow Lane.

Organiser Iain Hamilton is a former Nottinghamshire county swimmer and Great Britain triathlete, who set up One Step Beyond Promotions as part of a college project in 1991.

He said: “We have been working for nine months with various authorities to get us to this stage and still have many months of very hard work until we stage what will be the best full distance triathlon in the UK.

“We put a big wish list together to create this event, such as central location, challenging but fast bike course with road closures, entertaining run course and the ability to attract a high number of spectators. When we finished our list, there was no where else in the world we wanted to stage this event but Nottingham.”

Tags: Ironman event

Category: Sporting Events