Bolton Ironman is set to be slashed in half from 2024 onwards as the organisers rearrange their schedule.

The announcement comes a matter of days after the conclusion of this year's event, which is one of the biggest on the calendar, and which is estimated to bring almost £4 million to the area.

Traditionally, Bolton Ironman involves a 2.4-mile swim at Pennington Flash, a 112-mile ride across the region and a 26.2-mile run around the town centre.

It is set to be slashed in half from 2024 onwards, a format called 'Ironman 70.3 Bolton' in reference to its distance, as the organisers rearrange their schedule.

The Bolton News:

Nick Peel, the leader of Bolton Council, said: "Ironman UK has been incredible and it has enabled us to showcase Bolton across the country and the wider world. There is always a buzz around the town on race weekend, and we are excited to continue to host Ironman UK in our town. 

"We look forward to the 2024 Ironman 70.3 Bolton, alongside Ironkids and Night Run, as we continue to show what a great part of the world it is to come racing, and we hope we can attract a new generation of triathletes to our town."

Sam Brawn, the regional director for Ironman in the UK and Ireland said: "We are excited and we look forward to the 2024 Ironman 70.3 Bolton as we continue to improve the race experience and grow the sport of triathlon in the UK. 

"We want to thank Bolton Council for their continued support and our new vision for the race, and we look forward to making new finish line memories together for years to come.”

Ironkids and Night Run are set to be unaffected by the changes, in fact, their capacities are set to increase to allow for more participants from next year.

Bolton Council said information on the date, the route and other details is on its way.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.