CELEBRITIES, Tony Blair's former spin doctor and hundreds of amateurs will be among the 1,000 triathletes racing around Salford on Sunday.

The amateur athletes will join 200 professionals in the fourth Salford BG Triathlon World Cup.

Last year 15,000 spectators lined the course to cheer on the competitors and thousands more are expected to watch them run, swim and cycle this year.

While the professionals will be aiming to win the $100,000 top prize and a place in the world championship, the amateurs - including the Prime Minister's former spokesman Alistair Campbell, Emmerdale actor Tony Audenshaw, and Manchester-born former England footballer Geoff Thomas will be raising funds for Leukaemia Research, the race's official charity.

Mr Campbell will head for London after the race and compete in the capital's equivalent next weekend.

"I may be biting off more than I can chew," he said.

Tony Audenshaw, who plays Bob Hope in the soap, has been training with fellow competitor and five times world 200m butterfly champion James Hickman.

Geoff Thomas was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003 but has been in remission for 18 months.

The race starts at the Lowry at 7am and finishes at 4pm. It will involve a number of road closures from 5am until 6pm.

Roads affected are:

The Quays (both directions), Broadway (towards Eccles), Trafford Road (both directions), Trafford Park Road (towards Manchester), Trafford Wharf Road (both directions) and Waters Reach (both directions).

For more information visit www.trisalford.info

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