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30
Aug
Pub owner fears new Masham sports event will hit local businesses
A pub owner has expressed concerns that a major new sports tourism event coming to Masham next week will hit local businesses because of road closures.
The three-day Long Course Weekend follows a similar structure to a triathlon – with events in running, swimming and cycling – but people can choose how many disciplines they enter.
It begins on Friday (September 6) and culminates on Sunday when roads will close across the Harrogate district to facilitate an estimated 750 runners taking part. Road closures are not planned for the other two days, which focus on swimming and cycling.
The Stray Ferret has reported widely on the Long Course event, but Christopher Duke, owner of The Galphay Inn, told the Stray Ferret he had "no idea" about it – or the 26.2 miles of road closures that it entails – until he spotted someone putting up road closure signs in the village last Friday (August 23).
He told the Stray Ferret:
I didn’t know anything about it until last week. They did not come to us to make us aware.
There will be a marathon, a half-marathon, a 10k and a 5k on the Sunday, with roads set to be closed in Galphay from 9.30am to 2.45pm.
Mr Duke said the pub had bookings during those times and he was now unsure whether guests and staff would be able to make it in that day. He added:
The roads are closed, so people will struggle to even get to the pub. My staff might not even be paid because they won’t be able to get here – and that’s not their fault.
We serve lunch from midday until 5pm on a Sunday. We tend to do around 60 to 70 servings in a day — that’s money I can’t afford to lose.
Tourism events 'not doing much' for local businesses
Mr Duke told the Stray Ferret he asked someone at the Long Course Weekend if the route could be changed, but with just a week to go until the event kicks off he was apparently told this was “not an option”.
He then lodged an objection to North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les and transport boss Keane Duncan.
Both Cllr Les and Cllr Duncan have acknowledged his concerns, he said.
Mr Duke added:
There’s elderly people who won’t even be able to get to church as the road will be closed.
We just feel very frustrated that no one had the common decency to speak to us. Frankly, these major tourism events are not doing much for local businesses.
The Stray Ferret asked Mr Duke if he would still open on the day, given the concerns he has raised, to which he said:
This has raised questions over the viability of even opening.
The Stray Ferret contacted the Long Course Weekend for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
We have received little media information about the event since it was announced last September. You can find our report on road closures here.
A document seen by the Stray Ferret reveals the organisers anticipate around 400 swimmers will enter Grimwith Reservoir next Friday, and more than 600 cyclists will take part in Saturday’s 112-mile and 56-mile rides – which will take place on open roads.
The figures are considerably lower than those advertised on the Long Course Weekend website, which says more than “5,000 athletes and 20,000 supporters” could attend.
This is the first year the Long Course Weekend will be held in Yorkshire after originating in Wales in 2010. North Yorkshire Council has paid the company £75,000 to host it over a three-year period.
The council expects the Long Course Weekend to generate up to £2 million for the local economy.
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