Beastie triathlons will return to Balloch Park this summer, with organisers hoping to see a bumper turnout to take on one of the country’s most scenic events.
Organisers Lomond Swimming and Triathlon Club hope the event, which takes place on Saturday July 30, will attract plenty of competitors - as they aim to make it as open and accessible for newcomers to the sport as possible.
Secretary Charlotte Wallace explained: “We hope that people can use some of the time they’ve had to develop new interests. Open water swimming for example has become really high interest, especially around Loch Lomond.
“Our event is about having fun, keeping safe and achieving something.
“Crossing the finish line feels utterly amazing. No matter how big the distances are.
“Because our Beastie triathlons are held in Balloch Park then the running part is like a Parkrun. People do that all the time.
“The swim is in nice shallow waters in Loch Lomond. And then it’s an epic bike around the park that is a bit off road and a load of fun.
“We have people coming back to us with a big grin on their face because they’ve had such a good time.
“We want to get as many people as we can involved in the event.
“We’re really keen to help everyone understand that the event, whilst a triathlon can sound scary, really isn’t.
“It’s short distances if you want it to be. It’s really accessible.”
After lockdown axed events planned for 2020 and 2021, Charlotte said that she was delighted that the Loch Lomond Club could start giving something back to the community.
She continued: “The club is run by volunteers and it’s something that we love, so we can’t wait to see everyone back again.
“We came together as a club online over lockdown, but the running of an event like this is our opportunity to share our love of triathlon with everyone else.
“We’ve really missed having the focus and having something to organise for people.
“As a club we enter into loads of different events. This is our opportunity to give back a little bit to the sporting community.”
And Charlotte admitted that entries are already coming in from across the country, with Balloch’s charm appealing to a wide audience.
She added: “We have people from all across the UK coming to do our event.
“But we’re really keen that plenty of people locally know about the event. It’s so easy to get to on the train or by car.
“The setting with Balloch Castle and Loch Lomond is just stunning. It takes your breath away. It’s an epic setting for an event.”
For more information on the Wee Beastie email beastietriathlon@gmail.com and to sign up visit entrycentral.com/beastie2022.
