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07
Jul
‘I think it’s the right decision’: locals react after Masham's Long Course Weekend cancelled
The Long Course Weekend Yorkshire has proved divisive from the outset.
The three-day sports festival, which former council tourism boss Gemma Rio had hoped would follow in the footsteps of the Great Yorkshire Show, was held in Masham last September.
It was the first time the event, which is loosely based on a triathlon, had ever been held in England.
But this year's Long Course Weekend Yorkshire, scheduled from August 29 to 31, has been scrapped due to a lack of “community buy-in”, according to one of the organisers.
Scott Powell, of Activity Wales Events, said in an email to Masham’s steering group for the event that community buy-in is essential to the Long Course Weekend’s operation, but it could not be achieved locally.
The Long Course Weekend Yorkshire's first year received mixed feedback both in the lead up to the event and after, with some people raising concerns over a lack of communication between the organisers and residents.
Christopher Duke, owner of the Galphay Inn between Ripon and Masham, previously told the Stray Ferret he had “no idea” about the event until just weeks before when signs alerting people to the 26.2 miles of road closures were put up.
Mr Duke considered closing his pub entirely on the Sunday – when the roads were closed – despite already having a high number of bookings for that day.
He later said the road closures “impacted heavily” on trade.
The Stray Ferret approached Mr Duke for comment after the organisers announced the Long Course Weekend Yorkshire had been cancelled.
Whilst this year’s running route was not set to affect Galphay, Mr Duke said the impact of road closures in other villages was “just not sustainable”.
He added:
Coupled with the organisers already [having] demonstrated a lack of ability to consult and liaise with residents and local businesses, I think it is the right decision for them to take.
Mr Duke expressed disappointment for charities that were hoping to raise money through the event and “are now not able to do so”.
“However, a lot of local businesses – my own in Galphay included – will be more than happy to support charitable events during the summer and into the autumn", he said.
Last year's swimming event.
‘I thought the organisers had taken on board feedback’
Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, a Liberal Democrat who represents Masham and Fountains on North Yorkshire Council, told the Stray Ferret feedback from last year’s event was mixed.
People felt the event was well-run and competitors enjoyed themselves, Cllr Cunliffe-Lister said, adding she understood entries for this year were higher than last.
However, she acknowledged people’s concerns over engagement between the organisers and residents, and said it was not “adequate or timely”.
Cllr Cunliffe-Lister added:
The organisers relied on notifying the parish councils and sending out letters in the post, and they acknowledged after the event that would have to improve. I felt that awareness this year was higher, due to it being a repeat event, but I had been encouraging the organisers to do more to use social media to reach out to the community as a whole.
The organisers this year extended free entry to pupils at Grewelthorpe CE Primary School as well as Masham Primary School, which Cllr Cunliffe-Lister was pleased about, but she had also requested organisers include Kirkby Malzeard CE Primary School.
Masham Community Office carried out a survey after last year’s Long Course Weekend Yorkshire. Cllr Cunliffe-Lister said, “broadly speaking”, the event was well-received, or people felt it had the potential to benefit the local area.
But she added:
The majority felt that in the run up to the event the organisation and communications were poor or could be improved. There was a second survey carried out by some residents, just [for] Market Square dwellings and businesses, which was less supportive.
Cllr Cunliffe-Lister told the Stray Ferret the organisers’ engagement with the community could have been better last year, but she was happy to see they had taken feedback on board and thought this year’s event would be an improvement.
She added:
This is an event that attracts visitors looking for active and outdoor exercise, which is often year-round and which the local area lends itself to well. Although the event was only going to be held in Masham for three years, it was an opportunity to get the area on the map for this type of tourism, which would be of long-term benefit.
The feedback from the organisers was that tickets were selling well and that they were on track with where they hoped to get to. The organisers have not given me any detail on what they refer to as lack of community support, and it might be there were other ‘operational issues’ that they have not shared with us.
North Yorkshire Council, which agreed a £75,000 deal with the organisers to host the event over a three-year period, last week told the Stray Ferret the search find an alternate location in the county for the 2026 event was underway.
The Stray Ferret has covered the Long Course Weekend Yorkshire extensively since it was announced in 2023 – more than any other news organisation.
Over the weekend, we published a timeline of the event from its announcement to this year’s cancellation. You can find that, and plenty more stories on the Long Course Weekend Yorkshire, on our website.
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