CITY of Chester Triathlon Club has landed a major coup.
The club’s flagship event, the Deva Triathlon, will next year double up as a qualifier for the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Age Group World Championships in Auckland.
More than 700 triathlons will take place across the country in 2012 – but only three have been selected to give amateur triathletes of all ages the chance to compete for Great Britain at the New Zealand event.
Deva Triathlon organiser Dan Craigen said: “We are very excited the Deva Triathlon has been selected to have world championship qualifier status.
“We hope that this will see an increase in the participants of the event and will mean more people experiencing the sights of Chester.
“The race has evolved over 14 years from the original race to the current format, but is still entirely run by volunteers of the club with the aim of developing sports in and around Chester.”
The 2012 Deva Triathlon – which will consist of a 1,500m swim on the River Dee, a 40k bike and 10k run – takes place on Sunday, July 1 and will round off a weekend of top triathlon action in the city.
As a warm-up to the main event the Chester club will stage its popular Deva Divas race and the inaugural Little Deva on Saturday, June 30.
The Deva Divas is a sprint distance triathlon aimed at first time female competitors while the Little Deva is a new open water swim triathlon for triathletes aged between 15-19.
Cllr Stuart Park, executive member for culture and recreation at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “I would like to congratulate the club in bringing this fantastic weekend of triathlon together on the historic River Dee. This type of event celebrates not only 2012 but shows the real quality voluntary organisations can bring to the borough.”
Malcolm Westwood, British Triathlon director for age group, added: ‘It’s important that all the events which form the 2012 British Triathlon Age Group Major Events Programme provide the best possible racing experience and I have no doubt the Deva Triathlon will do just that.”
City of Chester Triathlon Club officials would like to hear from local businesses interested in sponsoring the 2012 Deva Triathlon. Those interested can email Dan Craigen at devatri@chestertri.org.uk.
For further information on the weekend, visit www.chestertri.org.uk.
