ALL PROFITS FROM POPULAR LOCAL SPORTING EVENTS, CROYDE OCEAN TRIATHLON AND EXMOOR SWIM, WILL NOW GO TO CHARITY
We are excited to announce that, with the help of our amazing sponsors dryrobe®, 79 Group, and Ninety One, we are now the proud owners of the infamously beautiful and challenging Croyde Ocean Triathlon and its sister event the Exmoor Open Water Swim. As well as building on the events’ notable sustainability credentials and continuing to foster the passionate and welcoming community they are renowned for, 100% of the profits from these events will now go to charity.
The Plastic Free North Devon team has already been closely involved with the event since its inception. Lyn Strahan, one of our trustees, founded the Croyde Ocean Triathlon in 2015, alongside Mike Morris, before she passed the baton onto the fabulous race director, Pete Wright. By 2018, we had worked with event organisers to be awarded the accolade of being the first ‘Plastic Free Sports Event’ of its kind by Surfers Against Sewage, thanks to innovative solutions such as the provision of a bespoke water bar, built by another of our trustees Andy Clee, to eliminate single use plastic bottles.
Lyn shares a little more about what this partnership means going forward:
“I’m really proud of what Croyde Ocean Triathlon has become, and I’m looking forward to all that we can achieve going forward. The Triathlon is close to my heart, and I’ve been involved as Race Director, competitor, and volunteer marshall. From the beginning I believed it was a fabulous opportunity to showcase the wonderful place we live in, offer a seriously challenging course to triathletes from across the UK, and to put on a professional event that the local community and community of returning competitors and marshalls could be proud of. I can’t wait for the next chapter of this awesome event.”
- Lyn Strahan, Croyde Ocean Triathlon Co-founder and PFND Trustee
Claire Moodie, our Sea-E-O, elaborates:
“As a charity, we work by the principle that people protect what they love. Events like this really connect people with the stunning landscape we are lucky enough to call home and are an important way to foster that connection and to get people engaged in protecting what we have, for future generations and for the health of our planet. We have an incredible community here in North Devon, and these events are part of that tapestry. Bringing different people, organisations and charities together in the magical outdoors, amongst some of the most stunning scenery in the South West to deliver highly professional, sustainable events is a legacy we intend to build on.”
- Claire Moodie, Plastic Free North Devon CEO
Now in its eighth year, and taking place on Sunday 2nd July 2023 against the unique scenic backdrop of the coastline from Putsborough Sands to Baggy Point, the Triathlon welcomes local and international competitors to brave the ‘stunning and savage’ 1500m sea swim, 38km cycle route, and 12km off-road run over hilly terrain. Its sister event, the Exmoor Swim, takes place at Wimbleball Lake on Sunday 24th September.
The main sponsor for both events is North Devon based dryrobe®, a company on a mission to inspire, enable, and improve the experience of an active outdoor lifestyle for everyone, and whose recent B Corporation™ certification reflects their ongoing commitment to building a sustainable business with environmental protection at its core. Ninety One and 79 Group are also currently signed on as sponsors, and event organisers are on the lookout for two more sponsors to come on board in the coming months - please contact Jo Hibberd on jo@croydeocean.co.uk if you are interested in getting involved.
Tickets are available for the Croyde Ocean Triathlon from Weds 1st February at croydeocean.co.uk and you can enter the Exmoor Open Water Swim at exmoorswim.co.uk.
Previous years have sold out, so make sure to secure your place ASAP. If you're interested in raising money through sponsorship for Plastic Free North Devon or other local charity partners, please get in touch on info@plasticfreenorthdevon.org, there are a limited amount of spaces available.
See you at the start line!