Council would do 'everything the same' if World Triathlon Championships returned to Sunderland, meeting hears

The UK leg of the AJ Bell World Triathlon Championship Series came to Sunderland on July 29 and 30 this year, with both elite and non-elite athletes taking part in events.

Nearly 2,000 participants aged from four upwards, swam, biked and ran in two days of races against the scenic backdrop of Roker Beach and seafront.

The latest meeting of Sunderland City Council’s economic prosperity scrutiny committee (on Tuesday, October 10) heard from local authority chiefs how they estimate ” just shy of 30,000 spectators across the weekend” attended.

Victoria French, council senior manager for health and wellbeing, added the economic impact of the events was estimated at “just over £2.1million” with “£1.2million total spectator spending”.

She said: “There were great figures for us from a tourism perspective, 87% of visitors were likely or very likely to return to Sunderland. When you’re here for a weekend you see what else Sunderland has to offer.

“It’s had some really good coverage worldwide which we often don’t get from the events that we host within Sunderland, this has absolutely put Sunderland on the map.”

She added: “If we were to do it again next week, everything that we did, we would do again.

“There wasn’t anything that the city council didn’t do, there wasn’t anything that World Triathlon or British Triathlon didn’t do, so if we were to have that whole event again, we would do exactly the same, go exactly through the same steps.”

She made the comments after the issue of vomiting and diarrhoea being experienced by athletes who took part in the event was raised.

Norovirus was the ‘most likely’ cause according to an investigation launched by UK Health Security Agency (UKHAS) North East working with British Triathlon and Sunderland City Council.

Preliminary findings announced in August revealed a total of 88 people who took part in the events had at that time reported experiencing diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms after the event, with a full report to be released in the near future.

Councillor Stephen Foster, speaking at the meeting, said: “I was disappointed people tried to make a story out of it, something that wasn’t there.

“That was a disappointment, there was no story there.”

Looking at the legacy of the event, city council chiefs said it has been used as a platform to provide further opportunities for people of all ages to take part in swimming, cycling and running in Sunderland, either separately or as a triathlon.

Work is already underway to deliver this, with Swim Bike Run hubs and local events being set up in the city and more planned for the coming months.

Ms French added: “It’s about providing regular opportunities at beginner levels for people, whether it’s free or at low cost.”

Councillor John Price, portfolio holder for Vibrant City, praised staff and volunteers for their efforts organising the event and working with residents, who he added were “so supportive”.