Triathlon will not be returning to Yeovil (From Yeovil Express)

Triathlon will not be returning to Yeovil

8:15am Wednesday 22nd March 2006 in Yeovil

THE UK Ironman Triathlon which last year attracted tens of thousands of visitors to Yeovil will not be coming to the town this year due to a lack of funding.

Town councillors were told at a meeting last week that the popular event, which attracts some of the world's fittest international athletes, would only be staged in Sherborne.

Last year, organisers extended the full course, which includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle race and 26.2-mile marathon run, to a full Ironman running primarily ar-ound Yeovil and Sher-borne.

In anticipation of this year's competition, Yeovil Town Cou-ncil put aside £5,000 to support it when the budgets were set last November.

But despite previous Half Ironman events contributing over £2 million to the local economy, councillors were told a decision by South Somerset Dis-trict Council not to provide any financial support to the event had been made under delegated powers.

At a meeting of the Promotions and Activities Committee, members expressed disappointment that the event would not be returning to Yeovil.

After some discussion they decided to write to the district council about the matter.

They were told a suggestion to raise the entrance fee for competitors to help reduce the deficit had not been possible, as entrants had already been told the fees would be the same as last year.