Corby Kids of Steel is BACK with more than a thousand children set to take part

Corby kids are set to swim, bike and run their way to glory as the town’s mini-triathlon returns.

The Tata Kids of Steel event is back next month after a Covid hiatus and up to 1,200 key stage two pupils are due to take part.

The youngsters aged betwee seven and 11 will gather for the non-competitive event on Friday, June 24, at Corby International Swimming Pool.

Tata Steel’s Corby site lead Gary Blackman said: “I’m thrilled to see Kids of Steel return to Corby after the pandemic. It is such a fantastic event where a thousand local youngsters have the opportunity to try out three sports in one, in a safe environment.”“It’s also a brilliant team-building activity for lots of Corby steelworkers who volunteer to help out on the day.”

The event takes place in partnerhips with the Brownlee Foundation. Olympic gold medal triathlete Alistair Brownlee from the Brownlee Foundation said: “Exercise is really important for people’s physical and mental health throughout their lives, so it’s good to get youngsters started early.

"Not only does triathlon give kids a chance to try three sports in one go, it’s also lots of fun, and a sport in which lifetime friendships can be made.”“It would be impossible to hold events such as these without the partnership of companies such as Tata Steel, so we are delighted they have such a strong commitment to community events such as Kids of Steel.”

Every youngster that participates takes home a medal, a t-shirt, a swim hat and a goody bag in recognition of their achievement.

The events are free for primary schools to take part in and all equipment, including bikes and helmets, is provided on the day to remove those potential barriers to participation.

The Kids of Steel series has enabled more than 50,000 children to participate in a triathlon since it was launched by Tata Steel in 2007.

The children will swim about 40 to 60m, cycle 800 to 1,200m in a traffic-free zone, before running 400m to the finish line.