The Salford Triathlon and ‘aquabike’ race is back with the 2024 event this July labelled as “bigger and better than ever.”
The triathlon is taking place around the Salford Quays on Sunday July 28 and was a sell out last year with standard entries costing £80.
The triathlon involves a swim, bike and run in that order while the aquabike race involves a swim, bike but no run.
There are five different age categories ranging from 17-39 and up to 70-79, excluding the aquabike competitors.
Co-organiser of the event, David Quarterman, said: “So what’s different is it’s going to be a little bit bigger than it has been in previous years. We’re still offering kind of like sprint distance and standard distance in both the triathlon and the aquabike.”
There are three different races, a sprint and the standard triathlon, with the sprint consisting of half the distance of the standard one alongside the aquabike.
The swim route is two laps of a 750m course around the quays in a rectangular-shaped route in the Huron Basin.
The bike route is six laps for the standard race and is 7.32km long. The route goes from MediaCity to Weaste (nearing Eccles) before crossing the Centenary Lift Bridge and then coming back around to complete a lap.
To finish, the run route is four laps of a 2.62km loop around the banks of the quays with the finish line in the heart of MediaCity.
David hopes that the event will continue to expand and the numbers will grow because of the family-orientated nature of the event.
David added: “Yeah, I think it’s got the potential to grow. It would be great if we can probably get around the 800 mark. What we really liked about the event is that it will be a multi-lap event. You tend to get a lot of families and friends stood in the same place watching their loved ones speed passed.”
The organisers are appealing for marshals to get involved as David explained: “We think marshals make the events because if you’ve got some who are really positive, clapping people and holding signs up, it brings the whole thing to life.”
The race is available and open to people of all abilities but is in high demand, with the 2023 triathlon selling out at a quick rate.
The event is raising money for St. Ann’s Hospice which is in Little Hulton. Race organiser David Quartermain has raised money for the hospice previously.
Last year was successful for raising money, David explained: “I think they probably raised about £5000 off the top of my head.”
Medals and goody bags are provided to everyone who competes with trophies rewarded to the leading female and male triathlete including in the aquabike winners of each age category and relay team. The winner of each category will also win a prize.
The idea of the medal comes from ideas of surrounding areas, with buildings in Media City featured previously. “This year, we’re going to be focusing on deep Detroit Bridge, which spans dock nine. And Detroit Bridge was obviously built in the 1950s as a railway bridge across dock nine when silver keys was very industrial. So we think that’s quite an iconic,” David added.
The flat nature of the race makes for quick times, with last years winner completing the triathlon in two hours 14 minutes, winning comfortably by eight minutes.
A host of running, cycling and swimming clubs from Salford and surrounding areas compete as a club in the event.
David added: “It is a brilliant event in the sense that it’s compact, multi lap, incredibly supportive of kind of newbies to the sports, and we really welcome people coming into it, and there’s a real nice energy. So we’d say listen, sign up, give it a go, you will really like it.
Further information including where to apply for the race can be found on the Salford Triathlon website.
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