Organisers of IRONKIDS Scotland, a series of three fun and family-focused running events for young people aged 3 to 14, will be providing opportunities for young volunteers between the ages of 8 and 26 to become part of the event planning and delivery teams that will co-produce a key part of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018 celebrations and the newest events in the hugely popular IRONKIDS global series.

 

IRONKIDS Scotland is an exciting addition to the IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh triathlon race weekend for 2018. The three fun-packed, family friendly, mass participation running events, with routes of between 500 metres and 2 kilometres, are being staged in Midlothian, East Lothian and Edinburgh on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 June; with 1000 participants expected at each.

 

Co-design is at the heart of the Year of Young People 2018 and organisers of IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh and IRONKIDS Scotland are looking to recruit teams of volunteers from the local communities to take the lead in planning and organising the event and family entertainment at all three venues; Dalkeith Country, Park, Midlothian; Preston Links, East Lothian and Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. It will be a unique opportunity for Scotland’s young people to work alongside an experienced event team and to shine on a local and World stage.

 

The key focus for the organising team right now is to recruit an IRONKIDS Scotland core co-design team for each race venue, a group of young people [aged 8 to 26] who will get involved in the event management for each race. This will include planning, budgeting, booking and delivery of the event hub family activities, cultural entertainment and sport taster sessions; promoting the events to the local communities; organising squads of cheering supporters; race commentary, venue announcements and music playlists; as well as recruiting and coordinating volunteers to assist them with delivery on the day of the events.

 

In order to make the three events the best IRONKIDS events on the international circuit in 2018 there are also opportunities for young people to work with the event team in voluntary delivery roles on the day. These include competitor registration assistants, course marshalls, handing out medals to finishers and assisting competitors and spectators at the event information desk.

 

Volunteering with IRONKIDS Scotland offers young people a great opportunity to learn new skills, boost their CV’s, build volunteer hours and to learn from industry specialists in event management, event media and marketing and sports development. They will also have the added benefit of working alongside IRONKIDS Scotland‘s Project Coordinator, Catriona Morrison MBE, former multi World Champion duathlete and multi World Championship medal winning triathlete, in all aspects of the planning and organisation of the events.

 

Catriona Morrison, Project Coordinator at IRONKIDS Scotland, said: “If you are aged between 8 and 26 and are based in Edinburgh, Midlothian or East Lothian we have an amazing opportunity for you to join the IRONKIDS Scotland event team. Thanks to the support from Year of Young People 2018 we are looking for a core group of young volunteers to take the lead in all aspects of the planning and delivery of these international kids running events. We want you to give the IRONKIDS participants and their families a fantastic, fun and entertaining day out. There is also a great opportunity for an additional group of young volunteers to help out on the race days on the 29 and 30 June 2018. We have roles in all areas of sports event management so please do get in touch if you want to get involved.”

 

For more information on volunteering for IRONKIDS Scotland – Midlothian, East Lothian and Edinburgh, as part of The Year of Young People and to sign up go to http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/events/emea/ironman-70.3/edinburgh/ironkids/volunteer-at-ironkids-scotland.aspx#axzz59ph5YYLh

 

Registration for IRONKIDS Scotland is open. To enter IRONKIDS Scotland – Midlothian, East Lothian or Edinburgh go to http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/events/emea/ironman-70.3/edinburgh/ironkids.aspx#axzz5AC25F0FZ

 

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Media contact for IRONKIDS Scotland:

Paddy Cuthbert | Littlehouse Media | E: [email protected] |

M: +44 (0)7913 951717

 

Generic images of IRONKIDS UK events can be viewed and downloaded by going to: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/nyll1xty59h3og1/AACQuJQZs90cd6rs46j6pgv_a?dl=0. Please credit Huw Fairclough

 

IRONKIDS Scotland launch images (captioned images from launch events in East Lothian, Edinburgh and Midlothian) can be viewed and downloaded by going to: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2fdbuyxao2nnk7c/AABm3Ugirxs1tAgSKQosqvOAa?dl=0. Please credit David Cheskin.

 

Notes to Editors:

 

About IRONKIDS Scotland

IRONKIDS Scotland is the newest event in the hugely popular IRONKIDS global series of children’s running events, staged alongside the legendary IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon events, with 50,000 young people across the world taking part every year.

 

IRONKIDS Scotland – Midlothian at Dalkeith Country Park, Dalkeith [from 16:00] on Friday 29 June

IRONKIDS Scotland – East Lothian at Preston Links, Prestonpans [from 11:00] on Saturday 30 June

IRONKIDS Scotland – Edinburgh at Holyrood Park, Edinburgh [from 15:00] on Saturday 30 June

 

IRONKIDS events have a firm focus on participation and fun, incorporating a family element into the event weekend whilst at the same time inspiring children to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

 

IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh, organisers of IRONKIDS Scotland, are especially keen to make the events as accessible and inclusive as possible to young people aged 3 to 14 of all abilities living in the Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian communities. Registration is £4.00 (plus 8% Active fee) per person with the aim of encouraging at least 1000 young people to sign up at each venue and enjoy the running, the competition and the camaraderie with their friends, as well as the family entertainment and sports taster sessions that will be laid on. Each child who takes part will also receive an IRONKIDS T-shirt to race in and an IRONKIDS medal once they cross the finish line under the iconic IRONMAN finish arch.

 

About Year of Young People 2018

• A global first, YoYP 2018 is a part of the Scottish Government’s themed-year programme which focuses on celebrating Scotland’s greatest assets.
• A year-long programme of events and festivals are taking place across the whole of the country for all ages to enjoy, led by EventScotland part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate. More information at www.visitscotland.com/yoyp2018
• IRONKIDS Scotland is supported by the Year of Young People 2018 Event Fund, managed by EventScotland, part of the VisitScotland Events Directorate. EventScotland is working with the events and festivals sector to develop an exciting portfolio of Year of Young People 2018 public-facing events which provide opportunities for young people to express themselves through a wide range of activity.
• Local authorities, schools, youth groups and organisations are running their own YoYP 2018 activity. Search #YOYP2018 on Twitter for the latest news.
• Young people co-designed the Year. A group of young leaders, Communic18, lead on all key decision making. More than 500 Ambassadors based across every local authority are championing activity.
• The Year is delivered in partnership between the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and EventScotland – part of the VisitScotland Events Directorate, Young Scot, Scottish Youth Parliament, Children in Scotland, YouthLink Scotland and Creative Scotland.
• More information can be found at http://yoyp2018.scot/ , searching @YOYP2018 #YOYP2018 on Twitter or by emailing [email protected]

 

About IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh

The iconic IRONMAN Series of events, the world’s most challenging endurance race series, is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Beginning in 1978 as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 200 events across 50 countries. In 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh, a middle distance triathlon, was the first IRONMAN-branded event to be staged in Scotland. 1625 athletes (80% men and 20% women) from 31 countries registered to take part and the winner crossed the finish line in 3 hours 55 minutes and 21 seconds.

 

IRONMAN 70.3 Edinburgh will be staged on Sunday 01 July 2018. It begins with a 1.2 mile swim at Preston Links before athletes head eastwards from Cockenzie on a 56 mile one loop bike course, heading inland through rolling arable farmland via Haddington, Pencaitland and onto East Saltoun. From here, an out and back undulating loop incorporates the historic and beautiful estate village of Gifford, which entails the most technical part of the course on a route that hugs the hills of the Lammermuirs. After transitioning, athletes are lead around a beautiful multi-lap, 13.1 mile run within Holyrood Park before crossing the finish line.

 

About IRONMAN

A Wanda Sports Holdings company, IRONMAN operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock n’ Roll Marathon Series®, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon® Series, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, premier marathons including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events, provide more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 200 events across 50 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.