A major new sports event due to take place in Pateley Bridge has been moved to Masham.
The three-day Long Course Weekend caters for swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes of all abilities over one weekend.
North Yorkshire Council paid a £25,000 hosting fee to the company behind Long Course Weekend, whose event in Wales attracts 11,000 athletes and 35,000 supporters from 56 nations to Pembrokeshire.
The inaugural Pateley Bridge event was due to take place in September but the council announced today the location had changed due to “difficulties over using the Nidderdale Showground”. No further details were revealed.
The showground was supposed to be the focal point for the event, which the council has estimated will bring £2 million to the local economy.
But the council said today the Long Course Weekend was now scheduled to be hosted in Masham from September 6 to 8.
The weekend is based on the triathlon but events are tailored to open up the three disciplines of swimming, cycling and running to as wide an audience as possible. Competitors have the choice to participate in one of the individual disciplines or all three.
The swim distances range from 1.2 miles to 2.4 miles, cycling routes will be from 56 miles to 112 miles and the run will start at five kilometres to a full marathon. There will also be a children’s running event.
Events are still expected to pass through Pateley Bridge and around Nidderdale but Masham is expected to host the event for the next three years.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said:
“I am delighted that the community of Masham has taken the opportunity to be the new host town for this prestigious event, and that Pateley Bridge will still benefit from events coming through the town and the visitors they will bring with them.
“It will take place in Masham for all three years and we expect it to extend the local tourism season both there and the surrounding areas as it brings in extra income to local businesses and tourist providers.
“To be hosting such a well-respected and internationally-renowned sporting event is a real coup. It will give us the chance to showcase to a global audience what we can offer here in what is one of the most beautiful and diverse parts of the country.”
Competitors from across the country are expected to descend on Masham for the event.
Matthew Evans, chief executive of Global Long Course Weekend, said:
“We are delighted to be hosting the latest Long Course Weekend in Masham. The town’s enthusiasm for hosting events is clearly evident and the passion and support the local community has shown us is second to none.
“We also look forward to developing the legacy programme and working with the parish council to support local causes. The Long Course Weekend is built on local community partnerships to market a real Yorkshire experience to a global audience.”
The event was established in Wales in 2010, and now has annual competitions taking place in countries including Holland, Belgium, Mallorca, Australia and New Zealand.
From left to right: Matthew Evans, Cllr Derek Bastiman, Masham, Ian Johnson, and Flo Grainger in Masham.
Masham Parish Council vice-chair Ian Johnson said the event would provide “a big boost to our local economy”, adding:
“We have always been keen to support big sporting events such as the Tour de France’s Grand Départ and the Tour de Yorkshire when many thousands of visitors came to Masham.
“We have a reputation for volunteer-led events with the annual steam rally and sheep fair raising thousands for charity. The town always likes to celebrate and will embrace this weekend with gusto.”
Flo Grainger, owner of the Old Station Caravan Park in Masham, said:
“The benefit to tourism businesses in the area will be great, and will provide a much-needed lift over the winter months, which can be very lean in these rural areas.
“It will showcase what is on offer and will boost trade and assist employment for years to come, bringing fresh hope to many in a time of ever rising overheads, for a fragile rural economy, largely based on tourism.”
Details of the courses have not yet been revealed.
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