THOUSANDS of local athletes will swim, bike and run as part of The Royal Berkshire Festival of Sport on August 24.

The festival, one of the largest sporting events in the South East, will take place at Dorney Lake just a year after the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Organisers have provided a wide range of events to encourage people of all levels to take part. Triathlons of various distances will suit newcomers and experienced athletes, with very short races for children aged eight and above, team relays for groups of friends or work colleagues and open water swims from 1.25 kilometres (km) up to 10km.

Olympic swimmer Mark Foster will even be taking part, encouraging people to raise money for the Level Water charity.

Along with the sporting events, the festival will also include activities to keep the whole family entertained from bouncy castles and face painting through to celebrity appearances, music and picnic areas.

There will also be a chance to try stand up paddle boarding and watch the experts in action as the National Club Championships take play on the day too.

Event director Martyn Edwards said: "Dorney Lake provides a great location for anyone new to the sport, the lake is warm and there are no hills for the cycle or run.

"It's a really safe venue for young people to try their first triathlon as they're never out of sight of cheering mums and dads." With over 2,000 participants anticipated it is set to be one of the biggest family sporting events in the Thames Valley. For more information or to enter any of the events please visit www.f3events.co.uk.

To encourage children and families to get involved the organisers have provided the discount code RBFSTRI offering local people �10 off every triathlon entry, or RBFSSWIM for �10 of the entry cost for the long swim or �5 off the shorter swims.

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