“United Utilities has pulled the plug”…
That’s a bit drastic could they not just have told them they couldn’t do it, and no wonder we have a water shortage every summer

Too right! I've got to drink that water!

The comments made by Mark Jackson are typical of someone who fronts an organisation assumes they have special rights,The responsible approach that united utilities have taken will be at the behest of thier insurance company who rightly see corolations in this activity with unsupervised swimming in what we all know are dangerous environments.Mark Jackson should thank his lucky stars that none of the members have come to any harm in the previous events.

In what way are the messages mixed? The message clearly is reservoirs are good to swim in. Idiots. Go tot he baths or the seaside.

"But United Utilities has pulled the plug because it gives `mixed messages' over the safety of swimming in reservoirs."

Not nearly as mixed as banning one event but continuing to allow another which attracts far more entrants and spectators.

NO SWIMMING! means no swimming

Downsize to a Biathlon...

Selfexiled.... UU have no liability for the Rivington triathlon, the triathletes have their own insurance.... Before shooting from the troublesome hip again, please consider that Bolton Tri Club receive enough revenue from the race to survive and prosper..... This prosperity has enabled the club to develop one of the largest junior sections in the country. It has introduced around 40 kids to what is a fantastic healthy & social lifestyle. That's 40 kids who don't hang around street corners doing anti-social things and 40 kids who won't become obese... The cancellation of this race is a direct threat to the further development of the junior section.

Just to make it clear to some of the other commenters, UU are not allowing a triathlon run by local club Bolton Metro Tri to take place using Rivington Reservoir to host the swim, even though the race has run without any problems for the past few years and is relatively small scale c. 200 competitors. However they are allowing Ironman UK to use Rivington; for a race of 1500 competitors taking place at this site for the first time.

So in this context UUs reason for not letting Bolton Metro Tri's race to take place makes absolutely no sense at all. It's shameful that they choose not to support local grass roots sport.

Martin Padley must be one of the most illogical men ever to hold a position of responsibility. He states that he won't allow the Bolton Triathlon because of mixed messages that swimming might encourage the public to think swimming was safe in the reservoirs. He then goes on to say that he is allowing the Iron Man UK event - which includes swimming in the reservoir. What a ludicrous way to manage a situation like this.

Selfexiled.... if you read the complete article, it is clear that UU are not only allowing the Ironman event this year, they are also continuing to allow the outdoor activity centre to use the water. I don't think special rights are being claimed here, just the right not to be discriminated against.

Uu are spot on, the place is teeming with kids swimming at the first whiff of sun - good on UU for taking action. the club are obviously very arrogant - putting its interests above all else. they should be thankful that Uu havn't closed the door to all events - talk about cutting yer nose off to spite yer face!

Teffers
So you are providing a service for a lot of youngsters that according to you would be hanging around street corners if you did'nt, doesnt say much for them does it .And before you accuse me of causing trouble without getting the facts ,you should study corporate law.United Utilities are by Law required to carry Third party insurance to protect the public when on their land.The insurance is not for your members it is for the public at large who might feel they would like to cool off on a warm day, are you getting the picture now.They don't want sueing by some bereaved relative because UU as sent out mixed signals and people involved in sailing activities are required to use life preservers and hopefully will be in a boat most of the time .

Jon2002 - you are perhaps unaware that club's event takes place between 8 and 9am on a Sunday morning in September. I'm not sure how many kids are about at that time, but I think it's fair to say that teeming might just be an exaggeration. Those kids that may observe the event (if any) would be witness to an organsied and well supervised event which it is hoped the Ironman one will emulate.

It takes little imagination to come up with possible explanations as to why one event that has a potential £3.5M benefit to the area is permitted and others are not. I wonder how much of a slice of the pie UU shareholders are getting or indeed UU's executives. However much or little that is, I'm sure it has not influenced their decisions.

It's like one set of rules for one and another set of rules for the other;Ironman UK are allowed to hold an event there and Bolton Triathlon Club can't-effectively double standards! if UU ban one they should BAN THEM ALL and not be twofaced about it as they are being.

Jon 2002: "UU are spot on, the place is teeming with kids swimming at the first whiff of sun - good on UU for taking action."

But they're not taking action! They are not taking action against the Iron Man UK which will allow swimming in the reservoir so that particular point is made a nonsense. In regards to kids swimming in reservoirs it won't make a scrap of difference, they've always done it and always will. Come the hot, sunny weather almost all reservoirs have kids (more aptly youths) swimming. Dove Stone in Saddleworth for instance can have about two hundred youths swimming on hot weekends. Yes it's wrong and dangerous but it's part of being young and growing up - live with it!

Self-exiled: I bow to your superior knowledge of corporate law & insurance. [yawn break] Bolton Triathlon Club don't believe they deserve any special rights for anything, simply fairness would be a start. Money has spoken louder than fairness on this occasion, and it will be the locals and grass root junior triathletes who will suffer.

If the rivington triathlon is re-instated I would encourage everyone to get up early on the sunday morning for the 8am start and watch it. You might be surprised how well run & safe it is. If it makes anyone fancy a dip after then i'll humbly change my opinion.

I'm not sure I follow the logic, if there is any, of the comments here or of the initial decision.

How does a triathlon that happens once a year very early on a Sunday morning with next to no spectators encourage illegitimate swimming at other times? If they actually turned up and watched said race they would see how seriously safety needs to be taken when entering open water rather than a reckless approach that some posters are misinformed into believing is the case with the Bolton Tri race. They would see a group of highly competent swimmers compulsorily wearing wetsuits, with a built in buoyancy at least equal to that of a buoyancy aid, swimming in a confined area of the reservoir surrounded by numerous rescue kayaks, and rescue ribs. Every competitor is counted in and counted out of the water. I am also a RYA qualified senior sailing instructor and have managed commercial sailing centres in the past. I can say unequivocally that the potential for danger whilst in the water is orders of magnitude higher in sailing than in triathlon because of the unpredictable nature of the inadvertent swimming involved with sailing and the potential for such events to be connected to accident (being hit by the boom or tangled with ropes) and surprise to the participant (novices often do not see it coming). I have unfortunately been witness to 2 fatalities where dingy sailors have drowned but as far as I am aware, no one has ever drowned whilst participating in a triathlon in this country.

The double standards issue here I am sure in financially motivated and highly dubious but what concerns me most is the reigning in of potential activities that some here and UU find acceptable. The solution to unsafe practices by unauthorised parties should be the trigger for the instigation of facilities to encourage safe swimming and the education of youths involved, not the prevention of events working a shining beacons of best practise. If UU really wanted to do something about this they should be proactive with reps visiting schools to educate and providing safe supervised swimming areas. I have experienced such positive attitudes on inland waters across the continent and Australia and I am sure the lower incidence of obesity in these nations is not a coincidence.

“If it give mixed messages” as the spokesman NWW said, what message does it give to kids with regards the high level tree assault course being erected by the reservoir some 60ft above the ground in some places, is that likely to put kids off climbing tree in the area and its dangers and vandalism! Yhe only mixed messages is from NWW!

The IMUK is televised - so potentially thousands of people will see coverage of swimming in a reservoir.
The Bolton Tri attracts hardly any spectators other than friends and family - very early on a Sunday morning.

I understand that they dont want people swimming in their reservoirs - but banning a triathlon will not have any effect at all.

The people who do swim in reservoirs are likely to be mischievious kids and people enjoying picnics on a hot summers day. Nothing short of draconian measures will stop these people from having a dip.

Put signs up and if anyone drowns in the water - well it would be their own fault. If you swim - its at your own risk - just like in the sea.

Triathlon swimming is very safe indeed - wetsuits are compulsory - so they are their buoyancy aids , and keeps them warm in the cold waters.

There are plenty of observers and safety boats shadowing the competitors, and the swimmers know what they are up against. Its ridiculous to ban triathlons in these reservoirs.

Maybe we should accept that sport is just too dangerous and we should all sit on the sofa watching televeision and eating crisps. Oh hang on - thats dangerous too.

Come on UU - do the decent sensible thing and permit properly organised events to carry on. A fitter nation is better than a lot of couch potatoes.

TommyB - I know when the event takes place - i live in Bolton, unlike most of the triathlon competitors that are commenting - i bet there's a triathlon forum telling people to comment on a local issue! all the Tri comments ignore the deaths from swimming - wake up and Frostee, dyimg isn't part of being young! Iron Man will have the nouse to flog UUs safety message - something i've never heard the local club do in the last 4 years. maybe time to talk, rather than shouting!

Jon2002 - "all the Tri comments ignore the deaths from swimming" as others and I have said, fine ban swimming, but ban it across the board. However if we take your argument further we would have to ban cycling, skiing, hill walking, climbing etc, etc, etc. You may wish to leave a sedentary safe existence but in common with the majority, I would not wish to dictate to others that they should have to do the same.

I am also at a loss to understand the naivety of the idea that some advertising by IMUK is going to have one jot of difference to the statistics. It’s merely a pretty poor attempt at an excuse to ban the local club’s event, whilst sanctioning a money-spinner.

I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the real truth is that UU were going to experiment this year with a total ban and then review the outcome next year. But then the opportunity to stage a high profile race comes along. Do you really think that UU would have been able to resist the pressure of banning the race?

If you can’t see the double standards and inequity of the situation then we will just have to agree to differ.

who wants a load of sweaty armpits and bottoms getting into the water supply