Limerick Triathlon Club – with the support of Shannon Development, Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Limerick City Council, the University of Limerick Arena and Triathlon Ireland – is proud to announce that Europe’s top duathletes and triathletes will converge on Limerick City on 16-17 April 2011 to contest the European Duathlon Championships.
Speaking at the announcement of the 2011 event John Deegan, Chairman of Limerick Triathlon Club said “It is a great honour for Limerick and Triathlon Ireland to be awarded the staging of the European Duathlon Championships.
“It is a major boost for the sport and is a testament to Ireland’s ability to host international events, with this year’s European Championships in Athlone being a resounding success.”
Deegan added, “The club has a strong tradition of hosting some of the best races in the country. I am also delighted to announce that St Gabriels School & Centre in Dooradoyle is the chosen charity for this event.”
The championships are expected to attract approximately 600 overseas visitors, providing a significant boost to the local economy. Between 70 and 100 elite competitors are expected to participate in the main race event with a further 1,000 competitors taking part in a separate open race.
According to Triathlon Ireland CEO Matt McKerrow, “It is both an exciting development and another forward step for the continued development of the sport. Triathlon continues to expand [in Ireland] with membership growing from 800 in 2006 to 5,566 in 2010.
“The hosting of events such as this is vitally important to the continued development of the sport in Ireland.”
Shannon Development’s CEO Vincent Cunnane added, “The Shannon Region and indeed Limerick city is very fortunate to be the host of such a prestigious event during our year as European City of Sport 2011.
“Sports tourism is a major economic contributor to the city and the region and is worth approximately €60 million to our local economy annually. This event alone will generate a spend of over €1 million.
“The work of the Limerick Triathlon Club in securing this event emphasises the importance of local sports ambassadors and is a testament to the success of the sports ambassadors’ programme we jointly launched with the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau less than 12 months ago.”
