World Championship Triathlon Series event will not return to Roundhay Park in Leeds in 2024 due to 'financial constraints'

British Triathlon announced on Monday that in conjunction with Leeds City Council and UK Sport, it had decided not to host a World Triathlon Championship Series event in 2024.

The WTCS races for professional male and female triathletes take place in a number of cities around the world, and Leeds first hosted the British leg in 2016.

The event proved hugely popular with spectators, in part due to the participation of local Olympic champions Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, who live and train in Leeds.

The swim took place in Waterloo Lake at Roundhay Park with the run finishing in the city centre. The weekend was combined with other events aimed at widening access to the sport, including the British age-group championships and short-course races for beginners.

It was announced last year that the elite race would move to Sunderland in 2023 as part of a move to broaden appeal and reach new audiences, but it was scheduled to return to Leeds in 2024.

The statement read: “British Triathlon, in conjunction with Leeds City Council and UK Sport has decided not to bid to host a World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) event in 2024.

"The costs of hosting WTCS races has been escalating for several years. Following a detailed feasibility process and in consultation with all event staging partners, the challenging economic climate has meant that it would not be financially viable for the event to take place in 2024, despite the considerable financial and value in kind commitment from Leeds City Council and UK Sport.

"Leeds has been a great host of WTCS events for many years and is synonymous with triathlon as the training centre for several of British Triathlon’s World Class Programme athletes. It is also a key partner in British Triathlon’s efforts to grow swim, bike and run amongst under-represented communities.

“Hosting major events remains a part of British Triathlon’s strategy, and the organisation is working with its partners, including Leeds City Council and UK Sport, to explore different ways to enable a return of a WTCS event in future years.”