The second edition of IRONMAN Leeds on Sunday (16 August) will be a duathlon after the swim portion was cancelled because of unacceptable blue-green algae levels in the water.
The event was launched last year – when there was also a male pro race – and is one of only two full-distance IRONMANs in the UK in 2026.
An all-age group race this year, it has attracted in the region of 2,500 athletes.
‘Significantly above the threshold’
But the day before they were informed by email and on social media channels that it wasn’t possible to swim in Waterloo Lake in Roundhay Park, which hosts the event.
The statement from IRONMAN read: “In conjunction with Leeds City Council and following the advice of the UK Health Security Agency Environmental Hazards Team, we are disappointed to announce that today’s swim practice and the swim portion of Sunday’s race will not take place.
“The recent hot weather across the UK has led to a bloom of blue-green algae, which can be hazardous to humans. Test results from Waterloo Lake confirmed the current blue-green algae levels are significantly above the threshold for safely proceeding with the swim.
“We recognise this is not the news our athletes want to hear ahead of race day, but rest assured IRONMAN remains committed to putting on an epic day of racing in Leeds.
“The event will now become a bike-run event with athletes taking part in a 112-mile ride and a 26.2-mile run, with the race starting from transition with a rolling TT bike start beginning at 7:00am.”
Mixed reaction
The news was met with disappointment and plenty of anger, with many athletes claiming they read about the cancellation on social media before they received the email.
Many called for a partial refund given that only two of the three disciplines will now take place.
But there was also understanding for IRONMAN’s position, one of the most balanced viewpoints coming from @hardandsmartcoaching on the original Instagram post: “Whilst it’s massively disappointing for everyone involved, especially given the hours people have put into getting there, I imagine a lot of the same people shouting here would also be shouting if the swim had gone ahead and athletes spent the next few days ill — or couldn’t even finish the race because they got ill that day.
“‘IRONMAN should have done something’ would very quickly have become ‘IRONMAN should never have let us swim in there.’
“Unfortunately, when you sign up for an outdoor event, there are factors beyond yours, the organisers’ or pretty much anyone else’s control that can put a massive spanner in the works. You can’t make a lake safe by simply really, really wanting it to be.
“Now, whether @ironman_uk should offer some form of compensation or partial refund is a different argument. We all know they won’t — yet we (myself included) continue to shell out ever-increasing race fees anyway. 😬
“Genuinely gutted for everyone who’s trained for the full thing though. You’re absolutely entitled to be disappointed — hopefully once the frustration subsides , everyone can still get out there, race hard and make the best of the day they’ve been given.”
