The local organising committee (LOC) of the AJ Bell World Triathlon Leeds has made the difficult decision to postpone the event from the original date of 6-7 June 2020, due to the current situation with the COVID-19 outbreak.
ITU and British Triathlon note that ‘When hosting major events, the welfare and well-being of everyone involved in the event, including athletes, officials, spectators, volunteers and staff is the absolute priority.’
The UK Government’s current advice is to increase social distancing, and has suggested that mass gatherings or events that require emergency services provision will not be able to go ahead. Therefore the LOC has taken the decision to postpone the early June event.
‘The LOC are extremely disappointed for the athletes, who have been training hard and were looking forward to competing in the event, and for the staff and volunteers who have been working tirelessly to deliver an outstanding event. However, with the evolution and fast-paced change of the situation regarding COVID-19, this is now the most responsible and best course of action to take.’
The LOC are in consultation with relevant authorities and partners to find a suitable date to reschedule the event with an update to be provided by 30th April.
Participant entries will automatically be transferred to the rescheduled date. Those who have grandstand tickets for the event will be contacted directly regarding their purchases.
Additional information and updates will be shared with participants as appropriate and will be made available via email, on the event website and Facebook and Twitter accounts.
A release from the LOC added, ‘Please do bear with us as we navigate through this difficult time, we look forward to welcoming all athletes, spectators and partners to Leeds on the re-scheduled date.’
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