With thousands descending on Tenby for this Sunday’s IRONMAN Wales, it was the IRONKIDS in Wales who were the focus of the town on Saturday to mark the start of the weekend’s action.
A record 1,300 children, nearly double that of last year, aged between 3 to 14 took to the start line from 15:00 BST on Saturday 12 September. Running either 500m, 1.5K or 2K, depending on their age group, they all soaked up the glory of running down the IRONMAN finish line to the cheers of thousands of their supporters, in stunning sunshine.
IRONKIDS has become a key fixture on the event calendar since its introduction in 2012, but has grown significantly in size since the organizing team changed the format to a run only event in 2014, encouraging kids of all levels of ability to be part of the weekend’s racing. The field was made up of both local school kids as well as many whose parents were taking part in the main triathlon the following day.
The mayor of Tenby, Paul Rapi, who greeted the kids with medals as they crossed under the iconic IRONMAN gantry said “The whole IRONMAN Wales weekend brings such a boost to Tenby, and plays such an important part in the events calendar. The whole town really embraces the event, from the huge number of local competitors to volunteers from the local schools playing their part in the community.”
Also congratulating the competitors on the busy finish line was the Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council Wynne Evans, who said “This is such a memorable day for everyone involved and it’s fantastic to see so many children here taking part.”
Managing Director for IRONMAN UK and Ireland, Kevin Stewart, believes that the increase in demand to take part is testament to the development and reputation of the race. He said “We are delighted to see such a rise of children wanting to take part in IRONKIDS, and to witness their enthusiasm for the event.
“Hopefully this will inspire them to continue to take up sport and lead a healthy lifestyle for years to come.”
www.ironkids.co.uk
www.ironmanwales.com
