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14
Sept
How successful was Masham’s Long Course Weekend?
After the runners finished their races, the cyclists got off their bikes and the swimmers emerged from Grimwith reservoir, the Long Course Weekend completed its first venture into Yorkshire.
The event, which originated in Wales in 2010, was held in collaboration with North Yorkshire Council. The authority agreed a £75,000 deal with the organisers to host the event annually over a three-year period.
It promised to bring tens of thousands of tourists to Masham and the wider area, plus a boost to the local economy through tourism.
But just how successful was it and what do residents and businesses think in the aftermath of the inaugural Long Course Weekend Yorkshire?
New people to area
In September 2023, council officials announced the Long Course Weekend would come to North Yorkshire to much fanfare.
The weekend is loosely based on a triathlon – with events in running, swimming and cycling – but people can choose to enter as many as they like.
Ahead of the event, North Yorkshire Council published a press release which stated that the Long Course could “bring in as much as £2 million” to the local economy.
However, some local businesses and residents raised concern over the lack of engagement when it came to road closures on the weekend.
When asked how he felt the event benefited Masham, Neil Pickard, chairman of Masham Parish Council, said he felt it was a positive occasion.
He said:
I feel that the Long Course Weekend brought new people into the area and that some of the local businesses benefitted from this.
It was very well organised by the Long Course Weekend officials and they are hopeful that it will grow each year that it is held.
However, the perception that the event was organised well was not shared by everyone.
Cllr Felicity Cunliffe-Lister.
In the run up to the weekend, some residents raised concern that there was a lack of information on the closure of roads for the day of the running events.
Cllr Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who represents Masham and Fountains division on the council, told the Stray Ferret that while competitors gave positive feedback on the event, she was disappointed with a lack of engagement with residents.
She said:
Having spoken to some of the competitors, the feedback has been very positive. The event ran smoothly for them and they really enjoyed the location and the challenging terrain. Whilst numbers were capped for the first event, I am hopeful that more will attend in the coming years. This is a sector of the tourism market, those who enjoy the countryside and outdoor activities, that is a natural fit for this part of the world and benefits the local economy.
I was, however, disappointed with the level of engagement with the local residents in terms of providing them with enough information about the event and the impact any disruption might have. There were several opportunities missed and lessons to be learned, and the organiser has agreed to hold a debrief to establish what could be improved.
But, how much the event has benefited the local economy is also disputed by businesses.
‘What did it actually bring to the area?’
The council has claimed that the tourism generated by participants and supporters would help to bring as much as £2 million into the local economy.
Ahead of the event, the organisers' website had advertised that “5,000 athletes and 20,000 supporters” would come to Masham.
However, according to the Long Course’s own statistics, just 1,500 took part - a third of those that were expected.
Many of those who did participate did not finish their races.
The Stray Ferret broke the figures down in an article on Monday, which showed that 169 people entered the full Long Course Weekend – which required people to run a marathon, cycle 112 miles and swim 2.4 miles – but just 60 of them finished all three disciplines.
The Galphay Inn
Christopher Duke, owner of the Galphay Inn which is between Ripon and Masham, told the Stray Ferret following the conclusion of the event that the pub received no tourists during the weekend.
Mr Duke was among those who complained of the lack of engagement from the organisers.
A total of 26.2 miles of roads were closed on the Sunday to facilitate an estimated 750 runners - which transpired to be 640 in the official statistics.
One of the roads closed was outside Mr Duke’s pub. Following the event, he said the move impacted on trade.
He said:
It impacted heavily on our business because they closed the road off. It was just a complete lack of organisation.
What did it actually bring to the area? It was just a profit making exercise. It was not about tourism.
Mr Duke added that there would be “significant backlash” from residents should the event be held again.
Another year?
The Long Course Weekend has an agreement for three years with North Yorkshire Council.
It is expected to return to the district from August 29 to 31 next year.
When the Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council how the event benefited the area, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, said:
To be staging such a prestigious event as the Long Course Weekend in North Yorkshire is a real coup for the county. We have been particularly impressed by how professionally the event has been managed, and the organisers have a wealth of experience in staging the competitions across the world.
About 1,500 competitors from more than 600 sports clubs and from 20 countries including New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Kenya were represented across the three-day event, with many talking about making a return visit to the area for a holiday.
More than 400 volunteers were also involved, and we would like to thank them for their dedication and hard work that ensured the event went so smoothly.
We look forward to working with the organisers to help the Long Course Weekend grow, learning from the first event and listening to the community and local businesses to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum and everyone can benefit from this world-renowned sporting competition as much as possible.
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