JCT600 have announced their sponsorship of the Leeds & Bradford Junior Aquathlon, and budding triathletes from across the region will compete at The Grammar School at Leeds on May 9.

The event, which started in 2003, is open to youngsters between the ages of eight and 18 and will include 170 participants from across Yorkshire and Humberside, including five disabled athletes.

Now a popular fixture on the annual calendar, the race reached full capacity within four weeks of inviting entries.

Competitors will swim between 50 metres and 400 metres before running between 600 metres and 3000 metres, with distances depending on age.

Prizes will be awarded to the first three boys and girls in each age group, with medals and t-shirts given to all those who finish the race.

Nigel Shaw, group finance director at JCT600 said: “The Leeds & Bradford Junior Aquathlon is now a prominent event for youngsters in the region and we are extremely pleased to be able to support this increasingly popular sport in the local community.

"We fully appreciate the benefits that triathlons bring to so many youngsters and we hope that the aquathlon will continue to be a successful annual event in years to come.”

Home to the High Performance Triathlon Centre for the North of England, the Leeds Met Carnegie campus hosts weekly training sessions for the Leeds & Bradford Junior Triathlon Club and its staff have been an inspirational support to the young athletes.

The club has trained up a number of world-class triathletes, including Horsforth-based Alistair Brownlee, who is the current International Triathlon Union world champion and who won the first aquathlon in 2003.

Nigel added: “The juniors are extremely fortunate to not only have access to first-rate facilities at the Carnegie campus, but also to have a number of dedicated coaches who offer world-class training and guidance to up-and-coming athletes.

"Triathlon is fast becoming one of the country’s most popular sports and, as a result, the junior club is thriving.

Leeds are well placed to provide all the support our youngsters need to excel in these challenging races.”