A summer of sport is set to inspire visitors to NewcastleGateshead in the same year that the world’s most iconic half-marathon, the BUPA Great North Run, celebrates its millionth runner on Tyneside.
The brand new Newcastle Triathlon will take to the starting blocks in July against the iconic backdrop of the NewcastleGateshead quayside. Combining open water swimming in the River Tyne, the route will take participants underneath the Gateshead Millennium Bridge with a quayside cycle circuit and a run that will pass by some of the destination’s most famous sights. Thousands from all over the UK and further afield are expected to turn out to see athletes of all abilities taking part.
The Triathlon follows a variety of sporting triumphs for NewcastleGateshead, which played host to Olympic Football in 2012, the European Athletics Championships in 2013, and most recently announced that Newcastle’s St. James’ Park will host Rugby World Cup matches in 2015.
Sarah Stewart, chief executive at destination management and marketing organisation NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: “The destination has a decades-long reputation for hosting world-class sport and the Newcastle Triathalon is a welcome addition to an annual programme that already includes international athletics at Gateshead Stadium and the celebrated Great North Run.
“Sport is just one theme in a programme of festivals and events that has continually developed and helped NewcastleGateshead enjoy a growing reputation as one of the UK’s most vibrant and culturally rich places to visit. It’s wonderful that we are continually able to add to that offer year on year.”
Sporting events due to take place in NewacstleGateshead in 2014 include; Virgin Money Cyclone (June), Great North 10k, Newcastle Triathlon and SkyRide Newcastle (July), BUPA Great North Run Weekend and Great City Games (September).
Additionally, Chinese New Year (February), EAT! NewcastleGateshead (August), Juice Festival (October), and NewcastleGateshead’s Winter Festival, including Enchanted Parks and New Year’s Eve Winter Carnival (December), will also return – all of which are produced and delivered by NewcastleGateshead Initiative.
EAT!, NewcastleGateshead’s festival of adventures in food, has for the last 7 years pushed the boundaries of the traditional food festival, offering diners an innovative programme including Secret Paladares, Cake City, and The Big EAT! Weekend. The festival will put culinary inspiration back on the menu in 2014 with a new programme of foodie events to tickle taste buds in two delicious bites. In August the festival will take advantage of the long summer days featuring a series of outdoor events, followed in February 2015 with a second helping of indoor events, warming up the winter evenings.
Last year NewcastleGateshead proudly embraced its scientific credentials – hosting both the prestigious British Science Festival and Maker Faire UK – and this looks set to continue into 2014 when the Life Science Centre welcomes BODY WORLDS, a groundbreaking exhibition of authentic human bodies, preserved through plastination by the world-famous Dr. Gunther von Hagens.
Seen by over 38 million people to date, in some of the most highly regarded cultural venues across the world, the exhibition is coming to the North East for the first time (17 May – 02 November), six years after it was last in the UK in 2008.
Those who are familiar with NewcastleGateshead’s annual programme of festivals and cultural events won’t be disappointed as the destination will also welcome back some old favourites, including the return of the biannual AV Festival (March), Gateshead International Jazz Festival – celebrating its 10th Anniversary (April), The Late Shows (May) and ¡VAMOS! Festival (June).
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Notes to editors:
• NewcastleGateshead Initiative is a destination management and marketing agency; a public-private partnership supported by Gateshead and Newcastle City Councils, working with around 170 private sector partner organisations across NewcastleGateshead and the wider region
• NewcastleGateshead Initiative is supported by a board offering expertise from a range of sectors and professions. We also work with a wide range of partners, stakeholders and businesses, who share our ambition to inspire people to visit and to live, learn, work and invest in NewcastleGateshead.
o Our marketing & communications team works to promote and position NewcastleGateshead as a vibrant tourism destination, through targeted campaigns nationally and internationally. Our visitor information team helps ensure visitors have the best possible experience when they’re here, providing information and support.
o Our cultural programming team work with partners across the destination to bring together NewcastleGateshead’s cultural offer and deliver some of our most popular festival & events, including EAT! NewcastleGateshead, Juice Festival and the NewcastleGateshead Winter Festival.
o Our Convention Bureau uses local knowledge and expertise to help organise conferences, meetings or events in NewcastleGateshead and the surrounding area. It provides a free service including, venue sourcing and accommodation booking, to arranging transport and entertainment for delegates
o Our inward investment team helps businesses locate, expand and flourish in NewcastleGateshead, providing a range of services to make it easy to realise their ambitions for growth
• United by seven bridges across a spectacular riverscape, Newcastle (a city on the north bank of the River Tyne) and Gateshead (a town on the south bank) form a single, diverse and extremely vibrant visitor destination. World-class culture, vibrant nightlife, award-winning dining, inspiring heritage, fantastic shopping and acclaimed architecture are combined here like nowhere else, by the famous Geordie spirit which is symbolised by Antony Gormley’s iconic Angel of the North as it welcomes travellers to the area.
Imagery / Photography opportunities:
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Images – NewcastleGateshead’s Initiative’s extensive royalty free image library
Useful links:
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Media – NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s media website
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com – destination website for NewcastleGateshead