THE Oldham Junior Triathlon is set to become a permanent fixture in the town’s sporting calendar following the success of the inaugural event.
Twenty one local children took part on Saturday, August 26, which comprised two race distances.
In race one, youngsters aged eight to 10 swam 50m, cycled 800m and ran 400m, while those aged 11 to 14 swam 200m, cycled 2,000m and ran 1,200m in race two.
Paul Thewlis, who is Oldham Community Leisure general manager that runs the Milltown to Moors race series, said: “GO TRI is a great way to encourage children to get active by taking part in sporting disciplines that are likely to already play a big part of their lives.
“The event is fun, safe and non-competitive. We record an overall time for each participant so each child is a winner.”
Failsworth Sports Centre was the main venue for the event, with the swimming leg of the races taking place in the pool and the cycle and run held at Failsworth School’s sports campus.
A crowd of 60 spectators were in attendance to cheer the children on during the activities creating a fantastic atmosphere.
Paul continued: “There are very few events of this type aimed at children. It was great to see the smiling faces of the youngsters as they finished the races and received their medals.
“We’ve had hugely positive feedback from parents, Triathlon England and the children themselves, and are hoping that Go TRI will become an annual event in Oldham.”