Triathlon called off because of volunteer shortage

An unusual triathlon has been called off because of a shortage of volunteers.

The Montgomery Canal Triathlon takes place along the canal on the Shropshire-Wales border every year and raises funds for restoration work.

But the Friends of the Montgomery Canal said it had lost "some key members of the organising team".

It has appealed for more people to help run the event in the hope it can return in 2027.

The group said the occasion attracted entries from all over Britain and had developed a reputation of "being friendly, well-organised with really good facilities for participants".

It said this year's event, which was due to take place in September, had a waiting list of people wanting to take part.

There had been some offers of help, it said, but not enough to complete an organising team.

It promised "extensive guidance" for any new leaders and said the larger the organising team, the easier the event would become to run.

Over the years, the group said the triathlon had contributed thousands of pounds to support its work.

That included opening up sections of the canal which have been closed for 80 years.

The Montgomery Canal runs from Frankton Junction near Ellesmere, through Welshpool to Newtown.

It was closed after a burst bank in 1936, with restoration work to restore locks, bridges and weirs ongoing since 1969.

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