Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon - Leeds, June 12th 2016

This year’s Castlefield team fundraising challenge

After last year’s monumental hill climbing challenge, in which a Castlefield team successfully completed the Three Peaks Challenge over a wet weekend in August we decided that this year, we would do something shorter but still challenging, albeit in a different way. Consequently, we have decided to don the wetsuits and Lycra and enter the inaugural Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon in Leeds.

On Sunday June 12^th 2016, over 5,000 triathletes of all levels of ability will compete on the unique point-to-point course with two separate transition areas. The race starts with a bracing open water swim in the glorious Roundhay Park; the bike leg will see competitors completing laps in and around Leeds city centre before they embark on a testing run course and finish in the city centre. Amateur competitors are allowed to enter teams and, at this stage, our line up is; swim (Simon Holman), bike (Mark Elliott) and run (David Gorman). This provisional formation might change because other colleagues are keen to compete either as individuals or in an additional team.

The event offers amateur triathletes of all levels of ability the unique opportunity to compete on the same course as the world’s best triathletes across a range of distances. Following the exhausted amateurs, it will be the turn of the world’s best triathletes to take to the stage. Contested over the Olympic distance with a more technical, city centre-based bike course, both races are guaranteed to deliver a thrilling showcase of endurance and strategy.

This event represents the pinnacle of triathlon competition in the UK, providing recreational triathletes with a unique opportunity to compete on the same course as the world’s best. The organisers of this event hope to attract thousands of spectators to watch both the amateurs and the professionals – including home heroes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee who will be competing in their last event on home soil before they head off to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds is organised by Lagardere Events Unlimited and British Triathlon in partnership with Leeds City Council and UK Sport.