Final countdown begins as further details for Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds revealed

The final countdown to the inaugural Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds has begun with the release of further details around the much-anticipated event.

The June 11-12 event, which forms part of the prestigious International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Series, will see the world’s finest triathletes and over 5,000 amateurs take to the streets of Leeds on the same course on the same day for the first time.

The elite races are expected to feature homegrown stars Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee as well as Leeds-based duo Non Stanford and Vicky Holland, taking on their rivals from across the globe in the British athletes’ final event on home soil before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

In January, Leeds City Council issued initial information to all residents and businesses impacted by the race route. This is now being followed up with a second letter offering further details and guidance around the event.

Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said:

“We are now just a few weeks away from the Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds and the excitement level is rising as we look forward to the next major international event in the city for people to enjoy.

“More information will be revealed as we get closer to June 12 but it is important everyone who lives on or near the route is aware of the impact on their normal routine of staging an event of this size. We want everyone in the city to get behind this fantastic free event and make for another unforgettable experience again showcasing Leeds to the watching world.”

The main event day takes place on Sunday 12 June, starting from 7am onwards when the mass-participation elements begin at Roundhay Park’s Waterloo Lake. A small number of final places remain available via http://leeds.triathlon.org/enter_now/

At 1pm the women’s elite race will start, followed at 3:45pm by the finale of the event with the elite men’s race, which is expected to finish in the city centre at approximately 5:30pm. Both the elite races will be broadcast live on BBC television to watching audiences around the world.

After a 1500-metre swim in Roundhay Park, the elite triathletes will take to their bikes and follow a 41.5-kilometre ride through Roundhay, Moortown, Meanwood, Weetwood, Headingley and Woodhouse before completing seven circuits of a city centre loop.

They will then transition on Millennium Square from bikes to running before covering 10-kilometres in four shorter laps culminating in a thrilling finish on the square.

In order to stage the event, road closures will be in place on the Sunday on impacted roads from Roundhay Park to the city centre from 3:30am before a controlled reopening from 5pm. In the city centre, roads will be closed from midnight on Saturday 11 June until midnight on Sunday 12 June.

Full route details of all roads on the route including the guidance specific to each area impacted and an interactive map can be seen at www.leeds.gov.uk/worldtrileeds.

The route needs to be clear of all vehicles so on-street parking will be suspended when the road closures begin. Any vehicles remaining on the route after this time will be towed away so owners are advised to make alternative arrangements.

Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained through the event and emergency services, health and social care providers, community meals at home and other agencies will ensure care and support individuals may need is provided.

Information on public transport arrangements will be available from mid-May on Metro’s website www.wymetro.com.

As with the success of the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2014, crowd numbers are expected to be high so spectators are advised to pick a single viewing point, get there in good time and remain in the same place throughout the day.

In terms of free spectator viewing areas, organisers have revealed initial information on two prime spots in the city centre – Briggate and Victoria Gardens. Both will see the elite men and women pass several times on the city centre laps, while there will also be street entertainment earlier in the day and big screens relaying all the drama of the race action live.

The previous day, Saturday 11 June, will see a programme of taster activities including aquathlon races and British Triathlon’s GO TRI events in Roundhay Park.

For more information on GO TRI visit leeds.triathlon.org/enter_now/go_tri_saturday/

To accommodate the Saturday activities in the park, Princes Avenue will be closed to through traffic from 5am to 3pm. Old Park Road will have on-site traffic management and restricted on-street parking. Park Avenue and West Avenue will see disruption to normal traffic so delays are likely and drivers are warned to allow extra time for any journeys.

As well as the second event letters being issued, Leeds City Council supported by Leeds BID (Business Improvement District) have also today released a business engagement pack offering guidance and ways businesses in Leeds can get involved and make the most of the Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds coming to the city. Copies of the pack can be downloaded from www.leeds.gov.uk/worldtrileeds

Andrew Cooper, Chief Executive, Leeds Business Improvement District (BID) said:

“It is great to see Leeds showcased on the world stage, hosting another prestigious sporting event. The Leeds BID has financially supported the business engagement pack, a free resource for businesses to maximise the opportunities of the triathlon, and we hope to see everyone supporting and getting involved with the event.”

The Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds is a UK Sport National Lottery-funded #EveryRoadtoRio event being organised by British Triathlon, IRONMAN, Leeds City Council and the ITU.

For the latest information on the event visit http://leeds.triathlon.org. For anyone interested in volunteering on the Sunday, visit http://leeds.triathlon.org/volunteer/

Notes to editors

About Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is a leading global asset management group that provides a broad range of actively managed investment strategies and solutions for individual, institutional and corporate clients around the world. With more than 2000 people including over 450 investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia, we manage £323 billion ¹ of assets across developed and emerging market equities, fixed income, asset allocation solutions and alternatives.

Columbia Threadneedle Investments started its successful relationship with the ITU World Series in 2013 and has since become Global Financial Services Partner. www.columbiathreadneedle.com

All figures as at 31 March 2016. Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.

¹Source: Ameriprise Financial Q1 2016 earnings release.

The Columbia Threadneedle Rankings

As a global asset manager Columbia Threadneedle Investments recognises the importance of being the best in the field, not just at home, but on a global basis. The Columbia Threadneedle Rankings are used to determine the best performing triathletes across the ITU World Triathlon Series.

The Columbia Threadneedle Rankings Leader Trophy is presented to the top male and female elite athlete at each ITU World Triathlon Series event. In 2016 the Columbia Threadneedle Rankings Leader will continue to wear the bespoke race markings and carry the colours of the Columbia Threadneedle Rankings logo on their bike rack in transition.

Launched in 2015, the Columbia Threadneedle Rankings Report identifies the trends and interesting statistics after each event throughout the season.

The official Columbia Threadneedle Rankings can be accessed at http://wts.triathlon.org/rankings. Engage with the conversation on social media using the hashtag #CTrankings, or follow @CTinvest_Tri.

British Triathlon is the governing body for the sport in Great Britain. It is responsible for raising the profile and delivering elite performance for Triathlon. Triathlon is a fast growing, dynamic and modern Olympic & Paralympic sport with talented world class athletes, coaches and support staff, focused around delivering world-class events and medal winning performances. www.britishtriathlon.org

Leeds City Council is the second-largest local authority in England with a population of around 776,000. Leeds has a very proud sporting heritage and we are committed to encouraging sport as a way of promoting the city and healthy lifestyles, as well as bringing world-class events, building towards our ambition to become European Capital of Culture 2023. www.leeds.gov.uk

UK Sport is the nation’s high performance sports agency responsible for the strategic investment of National Lottery and Exchequer funding into Olympic and Paralympic sports and bringing major sporting events to the UK. www.uksport.gov.uk/events

The ITU is the world governing body for the Olympic sport of triathlon and all related MultiSport disciplines. ITU is proudly committed to supporting the development of the sport worldwide through strong relationships with continental and national federations, working with its partners to offer a balanced sport development programme from grassroots to a high performance level. www.triathlon.org

A Wanda Sports Holdings company, IRONMAN operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^®Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, Iron Girl^®, IRONKIDS^®, six of nine International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon Majors Series, mountain bike races, premier marathons and other multisport races. The iconic IRONMAN^® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world, with more than 260 events across 42 countries and over 680,000 participants annually. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.

Leeds Business Improvement District (BID) is a not for profit, business led organisation, committed to driving commercial investment through added value in the city centre. The LeedsBID is the third largest in the UK and largest outside London and is funded by a 1.25 per cent levy via business rates based on properties above £60,000 rateable value.

The annual fund is set against a business plan which brings a range of improvements including public realm, business investment and increased footfall into the city centre. The LeedsBID covers the city centre business district of Leeds (LS1 and LS2 postcodes) www.leedsbid.co.uk

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Roger Boyde,

Leeds City Council press office,

Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk