Sustainability at AJ Bell 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds

Earth Day is an opportunity to bring into focus sustainability in all areas, with AJ Bell 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds taking the opportunity to share some behind the scenes efforts going in to promoting positive sustainable practices at the event.

Large scale events bring with them a broad logistical operation, with organisers of the British leg of the World Triathlon Championship Series committed to ensuring that sustainability and the environment is central to planning and infrastructure ahead of the event in Roundhay Park on 11-12 June.

Lindsay Impett, Event Director, said: “Through our planning and across the event weekend, we will be working hard to ensure our activities are sustainable whilst maintaining the high level of event delivery and satisfaction as previous years.

“Sustainability has and will continue to be a central focus for the event, with it being a central value throughout our operations.

“We are working with World Triathlon to achieve their gold certification and sustainability is being weaved into all elements of the event, across infrastructure, governance, participant experience, all angles of the event will have a sustainable stamp on.”

This year’s event is aspiring to achieve gold standard of the World Triathlon Sustainability Certification, with the interim report provided to World Triathlon for review. The award covers a wide range of elements of event delivery, something that Impett and the organising team have been putting into practise.

Thanos Nikopoulos, World Triathlon Head of Operations, said of AJ Bell 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds’ sustainability push: "We are delighted to have received the WTCS Leeds Event Sustainability Report, the first from one of our LOCs and a landmark moment for the assessment - and ultimately reduction - of triathlon's impact on the planet.

“Next, we will review all the details and initiatives that they are putting in place. I am confident that June's WTCS Leeds will become the first of our races ever to be held with its World Triathlon Sustainability Certification awarded."

Ensuring the natural environment of the park is protected and maintained beyond the event, organisers have engaged with Friends of Roundhay Park for litter picking to take place and, working alongside Leeds City Council, all waste from the event will be taken away and split into recyclable and non-recyclable waste. Recyclable materials will be processed by the council, with non-recyclables turned into refuse-derived fuel.

As part of this, the cups that are used to provide water to participants at aid stations will be taken away and recycled, whilst the finish line station will provide water for finishers in environmentally friendly containers such as biodegradable plastic bottles, recyclable cartons and bottles made from recycled materials.

As well as event operations being put in place to be more sustainable, the organisers want to support attendees to be as environmentally conscious as possible.

“We cannot do this alone,” Impett concluded. “We will be reaching out to participants, spectators and volunteers in the build up to the event to suggest how they can get on-board with sustainability at the event.”

As well as being Earth Day, Friday 22 April is also the 50 days mark to AJ Bell 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series Leeds.

With the countdown to the event, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved on 11-12 June, whether that’s supporting the delivery and experience by volunteering, watching the elite action on the two days or taking on one of the distances for a truly unique opportunity.

Find out more about what’s on offer and how you can enter here.