A TRIATHLON festival will be held in Lochore Meadows County Park on Sunday August 28.

The event, organised by cycling club Edinburgh RC, will include swimming, cycling and running and is open to all ages and abilities.

In addition, it will feature the Scottish Water National Standard Distance Championship Race.

Iain MacCormick, from the ERC Triathlon Festival, said: "Lochore Meadows and the surrounding area lend themselves to a fantastic, beautiful and safe experience, for elite triathletes to those looking to experience the sport for the first time.

"The facilities are second to none, and the support from Lochore Meadows staff, Fife Council and locally, from the Lochgelly and Lochore areas, has been absolutely brilliant.

"Everything is set up for an amazing day!"

Edinburgh RC is one of the biggest cycling clubs in the UK, with over 600 members involved with road, track, time-trialling, triathlon and mountain biking.

The festival started out as a juniors event but the club decided to expand the event and create a day for all ages, abilities and capabilities. Mr MacCormick added: "It now incorporates the National Standard Distance Championship race, an Open Water Novice race as well as a series of junior triathlons – or Tristar races as they’re known in the sport."

The Standard Distance race will involve a 1,500m swim in Loch Ore, a 38km bike ride through the Fife and Perth and Kinross countryside, finishing with a 10km run within Lochore Meadows.

The Novice race will be a 300m swim, 12km bike ride and a 3km run.

The Tristar races also include a swim in Loch Ore but the bike ride and run will be on traffic-free roads within the country park.

Tristar 1, for ages 9-10, is 100m swim, 4km bike ride and 1,200m run.

Tristar 2, for ages 11-12, is a 200m swim, 6km bike ride and 1,800m run.

And Tristar 3, for ages 13-14, is a 300m swim, 6km bike ride and 2,400m run.

Councillor Mark Hood, chair of Fife Sports Partnership, said: “I’m delighted we are welcoming Edinburgh RC to Lochore Meadows once again this year.

"With around 600 competitors of various abilities visiting from all over Scotland, we’re once again delivering on our commitment to increasing sport and physical activity opportunities here in Fife.

"This event will showcase our beautiful country park to hundreds of visitors from outside Fife and I’ve no doubt that local people will once again come out to support the event.”

You can find more information online at edinburghrc.co.uk/ERCTriathlonFestival, or on Facebook; ‘ERC Triathlon Festival’.