An exciting sporting weekend is in store for Athlone, with the return of Elite triathlon to the town and the arrival of 1,500 athletes to participate in the weekend’s events.
This Sunday July 7 will see the first Elite Triathlon event take place in Ireland since the European Championships were hosted in Athlone in 2010.
A strong Irish squad, led by Con Doherty (bronze medallist at the Junior World Championships 2012 ) will be challenging for European Cup medals on home soil for the first time ever. It promises to be an exciting spectacle, with the stars of the future battling it out in the riiver Shannon and on the streets of Athlone for the European honours.
The Sunday event takes place against the backdrop of the ever-spectacular Waterways Ireland triAthlone series of races that includes the Irish Sprint Distance Championships and Irish Paratriathlon Champions for 2013.
Olympian Gavin Noble leads the field and is favourite to be crowned champion this year, but certainly not without a challenge. With almost every county in Ireland represented and up to 15,000 spectators expected to line the streets, Athlone is gearing up for yet another great event.
The Waterways Ireland triAthlone begins with a swim in the river Shannon, from which the competitors will then take to their bikes for a cycle through south County Roscommon, before the exciting town centre run which will see the event finish in the heart of Athlone.
Speaking about the event, chairman Liam Heavin said: “We are delighted to be bringing elite racing back to Athlone where it belongs. This has been a team effort and couldn’t be achieved without the support of Waterways Ireland and Athlone Town Council. We would like to encourage as many people as possible to come along and support the event this weekend – and especially to take in all that the elite races have to offer and cheer on Team Ireland!”
For further information on the weekend’s events, see www.triathlone.com
