Groundforce Bridge helps runners compete in the Macmillan Brownlee Triathlon

09 Oct

The 8m x 1.6m pedestrian bridge supplied by Groundforce Bridge provided access for the runners across a ditch on the challenging 5.5km route, which included grass paths, trails and hill climbs.

The event was organised by the Brownlee brothers and Professional Sports Group, in association with Macmillan support trust. The Brownlee brothers are one of athletics most famous family duo’s - Alistair is the current Olympic, European and commonwealth champion, having won gold at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Jonny is the 2012 world champion and Olympic bronze medal winner.

Over 1000 competitors turned up to swim, cycle, and run through the 100 acre grounds of Harewood House. The events included both sprint and super-sprint triathlon distances for individuals as well as a youth and junior super-sprint challenge. Both brothers competed in the event, leading teams in the Sprint Relay, with team Jonny coming in first.

Although usually associated with use on construction sites, the Groundforce pedestrian bridge is also ideal for events. The bridge will support loads up to 5kN/sq m, is lightweight and quick and easy to install – this particular bridge was installed by two people in under an hour. With anti-slip aluminium deck panels, this temporary bridge offered the perfect solution for the high volume of runners using the bridge in this event

Terry Mead, General Manager of Groundforce Bridge said: “We have had positive feedback from Professional Sports Group on our ease or service. A swift response with a site visit upon request, followed by a full design package including drawings, risk assessment and method statements as well as calculations ensured our client that every angle had been covered and the event was in safe hands.”

Groundforce Bridge supply a comprehensive range of temporary bridging solutions, from the 4 m x 3 m Micro Vehicle Bridge, up to the 12.6 m x 3.5 m Mega Vehicle Bridge, which can support loads of up to 110 tonnes, and can be installed in under 4 hours.