Inside Leeds’ Olympic training venue that reduces flooding and helps nature

Elite athlete backs campaign to protect sports facilities from extreme weather caused by climate change

Former European triathlon champion Non Stanford has hailed a “brilliant” Leeds sports facility and urged the public to demand more action from politicians to protect sports facilities from extreme weather as a result of climate change.

Stanford, who won gold at the 2022 European Triathlon Championships in Munich, trains regularly at the Brownlee Triathlon Centre, named after Team GB Olympic legends Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee.

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As well as hosting both elite and amateur athletes in multiple sports, the University of Leeds site has also been designed to make the city more resilient to flooding through features such as leaky dams, balancing ponds and tree planting which slow the flow of water.

Michael Howroyd, biodiversity programme lead at the University of Leeds, on site at the Brownlee Triathlon CentreMichael Howroyd, biodiversity programme lead at the University of Leeds, on site at the Brownlee Triathlon Centre
Michael Howroyd, biodiversity programme lead at the University of Leeds, on site at the Brownlee Triathlon Centre

Stanford says that the site’s benefits to nature and the community are bonuses to its excellent facilities. “It’s great that we can combine a varied training facility with benefits to the community and local area,” she said. “Training in a beautiful spot is always nice, too.”

According to Stanford the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly important for triathletes, after problems with water pollution in the River Seine in Paris caused repeated postponements of the Olympic triathlon events this summer.

“Clean water is a huge issue for us,” Stanford says. “Increasingly we're finding that waterways are dirty, and more and more athletes are getting sick from swimming.

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“There's also rising temperatures globally,” she continues. “We’re often finding that the races are getting hotter and hotter, and that that comes with a risk for the athletes.”

Feature such as leaky dams, left, help to slow the flow of water on the siteFeature such as leaky dams, left, help to slow the flow of water on the site
Feature such as leaky dams, left, help to slow the flow of water on the site

Stanford’s comments come after sporting legends such as Paul Merson join the Common Grounds campaign to at London’s famous Hackney Marshes last week to play a football match in wellies, highlighting the risk climate change and nature loss poses to sports pitches and facilities.

One in four stadiums across the UK can expect partial or total annual flooding by 2050, while extreme weather has stopped 130,000 cricket overs in the last decade and 120,000 football games are now lost every season.

Commons Grounds, which is backed by Gary Lineker, Judge Rob Rinder, Helen Glover and Steve Backshall among others, calls on sports fans and participants to contact their local MPs and urge them to “save our grassroots sports” by championing action that is good for people, nature and the climate – a message Stanford endorses.

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“At the end of the day, the natural world is here for all of us to enjoy,” she says. “If we don't protect it then it will no longer be here for us to be able to participate in the sporting activities that we all enjoy doing.”

European triathlon champion Non Stanford (C) with training partners Bradley Colver (L) and Aaron Royle (R)European triathlon champion Non Stanford (C) with training partners Bradley Colver (L) and Aaron Royle (R)
European triathlon champion Non Stanford (C) with training partners Bradley Colver (L) and Aaron Royle (R)

Michael Howroyd is the Biodiversity Programme Lead at the University of Leeds and says the site, which also houses a cycling track and multi-use pitches, is showing how sporting needs can work alongside schemes to reduce flooding and increase natural capital.

“The whole Brownlee Fields site is a part of our living lab programme that seeks to use our world-class research and teaching to answer operational problems in the real world,” Howroyd says. “We’re constantly learning from the challenges it throws up and sharing what we find.

“We worked with the Environment Agency and Leeds City Council to invest in long-term natural solutions which have multiple benefits for the city “It’s gone from being an area with little natural value to one that is thriving with life.

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Howroyd believes there should be more investment in natural flood alleviation schemes such as this one.

“Government and local authorities are always looking at value for money from their investments – hopefully this site can be an example to them of how you can produce elite athletes and tackle the effects of climate change at the same time.”

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