Routes unveiled for Sunderland's World Triathlon Championships weekend

The cream of the sport will run, swim and cycle around Roker and Seaburn over the weekend of July 29-30.

And thousands of other people will get the chance to try their hand too – and now organisers have released the routes that will host the action.

There are four different distances on offer for participants over the weekend.

Swim Bike Run Mini will provide families with children aged 4+ the opportunity to swim 50m and run 1km, whilst the BIG Swim Bike Run provides a great introduction to the sport with a 200m swim, 10km bike and 2.5km run.

Four distances to choose from

The sprint distance, an achievable target that was one of the most common in Britain in 2022, will set entrants a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run, with the standard distance option challenging participants to swim 1,500m, bike 40km and run 10km.

There will also be an elite doubleheader over the weekend, as Sunderland hosts individual and mixed relay racing.

All the activities, from the family event to the elite racing, will start on the beach with a sea swim and conclude at the same finish by Marine Walk, providing participants with the same experience across the line.

Following the sea swim will be a bike route along Whitburn Road towards Seaburn, with plenty of opportunities for spectators to line the course.

The bike segment will also show off Roker Park to a worldwide audience, with the bike and run courses seeing the park feature live on BBC Sport as part of the elite broadcast.

A great backdrop

The run for the participation races will take place around Sunderland Marina before participants head back to the finish line on the beachfront.

Representatives of the city council and British Triathlon visited Seabun Dene Primary School to unvel the routes.

British Triathlon CEO, Andy Salmon said the venue was perfect: “The seafront in Roker provided a great backdrop to British Triathlon’s Grand Final in 2022 and offers an amazing setting for swim, bike, run.

“Releasing the routes is always a really exciting moment because it shows participants, the host city and everyone involved in the event exactly where the action will take place.

“This year, with the World Triathlon Championship Series and live BBC coverage of the event, the participants, Roker and the wider Sunderland area will show swim, bike, run in Britain at its best.”

City council leader Coun Graeme Miller added: “We’re incredibly excited to be hosting the UK leg of the World Triathlon Championship Series here at Roker this July. It’s not every day that you get to see some of the world’s finest athletes running past your front door.

“The triathlon weekend promises to be a brilliant event for residents and visitors alike. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to showcase our stunning seafront and I’m especially thrilled that our residents get to be part of an event with the world’s best.”

To find out more about the various opportunities to take part, visit the event website: https://sunderland.triathlon.org/2023.