Following the respective gold and bronze medals won by brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the same course in Hyde Park hosted the World Triathlon Series Grand Final last month.

Non Stanford became the women's world champion while Jodie Stimpson and Jonny Brownlee each took silver medals.

As the many non-elite events in Hyde Park illustrated, the elite success has been replicated at lower levels and the survey, which took into account in depth interviews with many triathletes, found increased levels of participation, spending and events.

Spending on triathlon in UK has soared thanks to the success of competitors like Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee

This has occurred to the extent that triathlon is now one of the fastest-growing segments of the recreational sports market.

Over 100,000 Britons competed in 160,000 triathlon race starts, 20 per cent of whom were doing so for the first time and the survey found that 30 per cent of these bought a new bike and a further 25 per cent a new wetsuit.

The total expenditure figure still excludes significant expenditure on triathlon-related travel and accommodation, triathlon club and gym memberships, and magazine subscriptions.

The survey, which was completed by 3,800 respondents, also found that the average age of triathletes was 40.

The sport's participant population was found to be biased towards London and the South East with 39 per cent, and over 60 per cent of these participants train between five and 10 hours per week.

Spectators brave the rain to cheer on Great Britain's Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee at the World Triathlon Series Grand Final in Hyde Park on a weekend which showed both the elite success and the grassroots support the sport is enjoying 





Gary Roethenbaugh, managing director of MultiSport Research, the author of the report on behalf of TIA outlined the significance of the survey.

"Despite the sport's ever-increasing popularity, until now its growth has been measured by anecdote and event entry numbers," he said.

"TIA has set about putting this right with an annual authoritative study."

"The findings have been very warmly received, enabling us properly to benchmark the industry's current value, and has been instructive in highlighting areas in which the sport can do more to improve." 

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