LONG COURSE WEEKEND COMES TO PATELEY BRIDGE, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Destination Harrogate is delighted to announce that the international sporting event Long Course Weekend is coming to Pateley Bridge near Harrogate in September 2024.
Established in 2010, Long Course Weekend is a multi-sport event encompassing swimmers, cyclists, runners and triathletes of all abilities over one weekend. It is now the largest multi-sport event in the country, attracting thousands of athletes from dozens of countries, with tens of thousands of supporters travelling to support friends, family and loved ones taking part.
From Couch-to-5k programmes to professional and elite-level athletes racing for the prize purse, Long Course Weekend is highly inclusive, with an “open to all” ethos at the heart of its success.
Taking place from 6th September to 8th September 2024, Long Course Weekend: Yorkshire is expected to attract over 5,000 athletes and 20,000 supporters from 30 nations over three incredible days. Participants can make the weekend their own, by mixing and matching the distances to which they’re best suited across the three events – or go long in each event to get the coveted 4th Medal.
Embracing the landscape
Kicking off with the Yorkshire Swim on the Friday, swimmers are offered the unique opportunity to swim in Grimwith Reservoir. While on Saturday, up to a thousand cyclists will start from Pateley Bridge and take on the choice of 56m or 112m bike courses around the stunning Yorkshire Dales.
The weekend wraps up with a range of distances from Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k & 5k on Sunday, when runners can take in some of the spectacular surrounding countryside, returning to Pateley Bridge and crowds awaiting on the red carpet finish line.
Embracing the local business community
Created as a Sports Tourism product, Long Course Weekend offers incredible business opportunities for the host location; consequently; the Harrogate area and wider area of North Yorkshire can look forward to a great boost to the visitor economy, with Pateley Bridge having been selected for Long Course Weekend: Yorkshire in 2024.
By its very nature, Long Course Weekend attracts groups, friends and families over the weekend and allows athletes to return year after year, increasing their events and distances. At the same time, new participants and supporters are attracted to the event as it builds momentum.
Bringing overnight visitors to North Yorkshire
The average length of stay for Long Course Weekend visitors is 3.1 nights, with each athlete bringing, on average, 3.7 supporters and averaging a daily spend of £50*.
Furthermore, athletes and supporters discovering the destination for the first time often decide to return for a holiday on another occasion, staying longer on their return visit as they explore the area further and inject more into the local economy.
Destination Marketing Partner
We will be working closely with the event organisers so that athletes and their friends, families and other supporters can use Visit Harrogate channels to learn more about this amazing location.
Working with Long Course Weekend we will tell the stories of locally produced food and drink, a protected landscape in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, great family attractions things to do and an award-winning high street and local shops to demonstrate why this part of North Yorkshire is the perfect place to spend a weekend of physical challenge, exploration and enjoyment. These messages will reach athletes and their supporters as they visit the area before and during the event in September 2024 and will help us encourage return visits. If your business is not yet on the Visit Harrogate website now is the perfect time to get involved.
We’d encourage you to get ahead and take advantage of the fantastic opportunities that Long Course Weekend: Yorkshire offers you, your business and the local visitor economy:
- Take a listing on the Visit Harrogate website, if you haven’t already. There are listing options that carry no charge, as well as paid partnership opportunities.
- Subscribe to Long Course Weekend social media channels via the Long Course Weekend: Yorkshire website for news and updates on the event.
- Watch this space, with more information coming later this year on this exciting new event. Have you signed up for the Destination Harrogate e-newsletter? It’s a great way to ensure you don’t miss anything, with news updates delivered directly to your inbox, free of charge!
*source: Long Course Weekend economic impact assessment
