UK sports fans should mark their calendar for Saturday 31 May as this year’s event promises to be a greater spectacle than ever before. This is the fifth time London will host a leg of the ITU World Triathlon Series. The race will see the likes of Olympic Gold medal winner, Alistair Brownlee, and his brother, bronze medal winner, Jonathan Brownlee, as well as reigning World Champion, Non Stanford, competing head to head against the world’s best triathletes.
For the first time, both elite male and female races will be staged back to back over the shorter Sprint Distance (750m Swim, 20km bike, 5km run), providing a fantastic experience for fans. Both races are scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday 31 May on a spectator friendly course in Hyde Park, with fans able to watch two world-class sporting events within a two and a half hour window.
Simon Morton, UK Sport Director of Major Events, said: "This is the fifth occasion we have been able to support the hosting of the ITU World Triathlon Series in London and it offers the chance for thousands of people to watch or participate in a world-class event staged in a world famous city.
"Through our ambitious Gold Event Series we have put in place what is believed to be the most complete post-Olympic and Paralympic Games major events legacy programme of any host nation with more than 35 already secured."
While the majority of both races are free to watch, organisers have announced ticket details for the Grandstand situated on the finish line. Ticketholders will be able to watch both races from the Grandstand in Hyde Park, with a direct view of the swim start, transition area and finish line. Big screens will show live pictures throughout the race.
Tickets will be available at £25 per adult and £10 for children. Tickets will go on sale exclusively to pre-registered fans at 10am on 17 April, with remaining tickets going on sale to the public at 10am on 21 April. Fans can pre-register for tickets up until midnight on 15 April for free on the World Triathlon website.
Organisers also announced today the release of further entries for the Mass Participation races the following day, on Sunday 1 June. While Saturday will see the world’s best athletes going head to head, Sunday is reserved for recreational participants of all abilities.
The Mass Participation races will see more than 5,000 participants taking on a triathlon challenge themselves. With a similar course and venue layout to the elite races, friends and family will be able to follow participants from start to finish.
For those that are not yet convinced to tackle all three disciplines, there is still an opportunity to complete a triathlon in the Olympic Triathlon venue of Hyde Park as part of a relay team. A relay consists of three people: one swimmer, one cyclist, one runner. For full entry options and Grandstand ticket pre-registration visit on the World Triathlon website.
The event, organised by Lagardère Unlimited Events UK and British Triathlon, forms part of UK Sport’s Gold Event Series, an ambitious National Lottery funded programme which aims to bring up to 70 world-class sporting events to Great Britain over the next six years and is supported by the Mayor of London. PruHealth will title sponsor the event for the second year.
Full course and schedule details visit the PruHealth World Triathlon London website.