Ashington Triathlon 2020

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we have had to make the decision to cancel this year's Ashington Triathlon.

Based on latest Government guidance around COVID-19, currently BTF have suspended all triathlon activity until at least 30th April and have advised they will provide updates in due course.

However as event organisers our prime concern is the health and wellbeing of competitors, volunteers and spectators and ensuring that we are able to deliver an event with the appropriate health and safety requirements.

The external suppliers who we rely on to stage the event will be having their own issues to deal with in the current climate, and we respect that there would be a possibility that they may have to withdraw their services potentially at short notice. Moreover we are fairly certain that we would not have enough volunteer resources to cover the event and this would compromise safety in its own right.

The option of postponing to another date was not really a consideration as the Triathlon calendar is already a very narrow window, so finding another date where all our suppliers could provide their services is virtually impossible.

We will be arranging for the event timing company to refund your entry fee minus their small management fee. This will take about 2 working days to complete; we plan to instruct them to proceed with this process today. All competitors will receive an email and refunds will be sent to the cards used to enter.

Tri Northumberland is incurring losses due to the cancellation of the event, attributable to some event upfront costs which we are obliged to contractually honour. As organisers we have always taken the view that we will assess the viability of the Ashington Tri on year on year basis taking into account the many external factors that can be imposed on us. For this reason we will not be offering deferrals and in the current uncertain economic climate believe that a refund is in the best interests of most people.

On behalf of the organising team I’d like to thank all competitors who had entered our event, volunteers who had offered their help, event sponsors and suppliers. I’d also like to thank the organising team who have worked tirelessly as usual in the background.

We hope you all stay safe in these unprecedented times.

Ashington Triathlon Organising Team

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An ever popular early-season triathlon, organised entirely by volunteers from Tri Northumberland Triathlon club and winner of the BTF North East Region Club Event of the Year 2018, returns for another year.

This event attracts a wide range of competitors from all abilities, especially those who are new to triathlon, and yes, a FREE T-shirt for each competitor so don’t delay in entering.

We continue to encourage more athletes to triathlon therefore we are opening 270 individual places and 10 non-competitive relay team spaces. If you’ve wanted to be part of a triathlon but not happy in one of the disciplines this is your opportunity: get together with a group of friends or colleagues, form a team and join in and have great fun.

This permitted triathlon event acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statuatory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and British Triathlon requirements.

Venue and course

Hosted in the once famous mining town of Ashington, based at Active Northumberland's flagship leisure centre.

A 400 metre pool swim sets you on your way, followed by a 24.5k bike route out of the town taking in the villages of Bothal (including a single ascent of Bothal Bank), Pegswood and Longhirst before returning to Ashington with some good long quiet straights to get low on the bars and hit top speed. The picturesque shelter of Ashington Woods will protect you from whatever the weather gods throw at you for your 5km run.

Please note the maximum swim time we can allow is 15 mins. You may continue with your race but will be asked to move onto transition and the bike.

Full details and course maps when available can be found at http://www.trinorthumberland.co.uk

Entry limits

The Ashington Triathlon has an entry limit of 270 individual spaces and 10 relay team entries. Please note, if you have registered for the sprint using a BTF membership number to get the £6 discount you MUST present your membership card at registration or you will be required to pay a supplement for a Day Licence. If you are entering as a relay team the entry system will collect details for all three members of the team and you will each need to bring your BTF licence to registration or pay the £6 day licence. It is expected that all spaces will go very early, there will be NO entries on race day.

Please note, we are unable to offer refunds on withdrawals.

Event sponsors

We are very proud that Active Northumberland have given us the opportunity to host this event at their flagship centre in Ashington.