Stately home triathlon aids armed forces

Castle Howard provided the eye-catching backdrop for swimmers, at the launch of a new sporting event in aid of members of the armed forces and their families.

By The Newsroom

Published 27th May 2010, 00:44 BST

Updated 27th May 2010, 00:44 BST

Kent-based events organiser Telemark Productions has teamed up with forces charity Help for Heroes to launch a triathlon at the North Yorkshire stately home.

The event is one of the Castle Triathlon Series running from June to August, a new initiative to promote triathlon as a sport and encourage children, novices and families to have a go. Yesterday children from local primary schools joined local athletes at the Great Lake at Castle Howard to celebrate its leg of the event over the weekend of July 24 and 25, which will see competitors swim, cycle and run.

Telemark Productions managing director and race director Brian Adcock said triathlon was now one of the fastest growing pastimes in the UK. The number of people taking part has doubled since it became an Olympic sport in 2000 and it now has a following of some 2.5 million people.