As triathlon fans around the world have their eyes on the Gold Coast for the World Series Grand final, the aspiring stars of tomorrow compete for honours at the IRC’s and YJSS finale
Mallory Park in Leicestershire is once again playing host to the U20’s Festival, which features the Inter Regional Championships (IRC's) and Youth and Junior Super Series (YJSS) title on Saturday, in addition to the new Accenture British Triathlon Youth & Junior Mixed Relay and Accenture British Triathlon TriStar Mixed Relay races on Sunday.
The IRC's is the pinnacle of the competitive season for 11-14 year olds and represents the first steps on the elite pathway. 12 regions from across the UK compete in the TriStar 2 & 3 race category, with the hope of taking away the coveted IRC title won by the South Central region in 2017.
The British Triathlon Youth & Junior Super Series brings together the best young triathletes (15-19 years old) from across the UK, so they can race head to head at the best and most exciting venues in the country. The U20's festival is the final event of the series and all is still to play for with the rankings remaining incredibly close across both male and female Youth and Junior standings, with the best three results across the series to count.
You don't have to look too far into the history books to see evidence of this event providing a platform for Britain's best talent with Kate Waugh, Olivia Mathias, Barclay Izzard, Sophie Alden, Erin Wallace, Iona Miller and James Chantler-Mayne all having competed last year, and all out competing on the Gold Coast this week! The eagle eyed this weekend may be able to spot the next the make the step to international competition.
The introduction of the Youth & Junior and TriStar Mixed Relay races on Sunday is a reflection of the new importance this format has taken since it was added to the Olympic Programme for Tokyo 2020. Creating opportunites at the beginning of the performance pathway will allow athletes to gain experience in the race strategies and tactics involved over the short and fast distances, whilst representing their regional team.
Find out more information about the Under 20's festival including the full weekend schedule on our website here.
