Tenby’s North Beach was a sea of orange on Saturday as an impromptu unofficial Ironkids fun run took place.
The official Ironkids event, which is the opening race of the Ironman Wales weekend in Tenby, was cancelled as a mark of respect following the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
The main Ironman event on Sunday went ahead as normal with a minute’s silence and rousing renditions of both national anthems beforehand.
However, an unofficial breakout fun run was organised by parents on Tenby’s North Beach so that the kids could still get a bit of Ironman magic, while paying tribute to the Queen.
The North Beach fun run saw a great turnout of Ironkids, who had been given their finishers T shirts from this year’s cancelled event.
Cheered on by parents, onlookers and supporters the crown of kids ran the length of the beach that many of their parents would be taking the plunge from the following day.
The run was suggested by parents on the Ironman Journey Facebook page and received an enthusiastic response.
Ironkids running event usually runs from noon to 5pm on the Saturday before Ironman on Tenby’s South Parade is Ironkids Wales.
The organisers say that the event is ‘focused on participation and fun and aims to inspire children to lead a healthy and active lifestyle’.
However, on Friday they announced:
“The Ironkids Wales event originally planned for Saturday, September 10, will no longer take place.
“We understand that this news will cause disappointment, and while we looked forward to hosting our young and aspiring Ironkids athletes, we believe this is the best decision during the current circumstances.”
In celebration of the tenth edition of the event, Ironkids also hosted a treasure hunt throughout Tenby from Thursday September 8, to Saturday September 10. Residents and Ironman families were invited to explore the local area using clues to track down key landmarks.
Registered participants for today’s Ironkids will be deferred to the 2023 Ironkids Wales edition and will receive a deferral confirmation link once registration opens for the 2023 event.
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