Preparations are well under way for the staging of the Triathlon event at the next Island Games here on the Isle of Man.

The Islands 'Tri Club' has a wealth of experience in organising Triathlon championships having staged the British Home Nations team championships this year at Port Erin in the South West of the Island.

However, for the 2001 Games a new venue is being used in the North of the Island at Ramsey. The event will be staged around the beautiful Mooragh Park including the 1500m swim which will be in the lake pictured. The surrounding gardens, pathways and easy access to the abundance of low traffic roads nearby lend themselves to both the cycling and running.

The cycling will take place on the Northern circuit around Andreas and Jurby, which is also being used for the Cycling Time Trial.

TRIATHLON is being included in the NatWest Island Games programme for the first time next year. As hosts, the Isle of Man were able to select to accommodate the sport, providing sufficient interest was shown by other islands. A demonstration triathlon took place at the Isle of Wight Games in 1993, but the sport looks set to make its proper debut in the inter-island competition next July.

Ramsey has been chosen as the venue and around 50 participants from member islands are expected to take the plunge for the first of the sport's three stages by swimming in the lake at Mooragh Park.
Having completed the 1500 metre swim, the triathletes will then mount their bikes to cycle two laps of a 20 kilometre course. On leaving Ramsey, riders will head out towards Bride before returning to the park via Andreas.
The third and final leg of the gruelling event will be a 10 kilometre run based around Mooragh Park in an attempt to make the event spectator friendly.

The Isle of Man team will be hoping that Manx woman Sian Brice, ranked in the top 10 in the world for the triathlon and who competed for Great Britain in the Olympics, will be able to secure victory for the hosts on the first day of Island Games competition.

Manx Tri Club gained much experience after hosting the British Home Nations team championships last year in Port Erin, and hope this will stand them in good stead with preparations for next year's Games' event.