ONE of the most popular amateur sporting events in the area has become another cancellation courtesy of the coronavirus

The Montgomery Canal Triathlon, which attracts competitors from across the UK and Europe too, was due to be held on Saturday, May 2.

But organisers have now said that it will be cancelled, as well as Shropshire Union Canal Society (SUCS) working parties, plus a planned presentation to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Waterways at Westminster on March.

With a week-long display of Shropshire canal projects at the Abbey Station Visitor Centre, Shrewsbury due to run from April 28 to May 4 and the Montgomery Canal Forum on April 27 also lost, Michael Limbrey, from Restore the Montgomery Canal Group, says they are disappointed.

He said: “The next few months were going to be a busy time for the Montgomery Canal.

"The annual Triathlon has already received more than 200 bookings from people who would cycle, run and canoe the canal from end-to-end.

"The SUCS volunteers on the restoration work parties were gearing up for busy summer to reline the canal to the newly-restored Crickheath Basin.

"Elsewhere there were plans for meetings to promote the next stages of restoration and, not least, for events at which we would be raising more funds for the next big project, the reconstruction of the last road blockage in Shropshire.

"It will be possible to resume some of these activities when the emergency is over but we shall have lost valuable time.

“The postponement of the Triathlon to next year will have been a great disappointment to entrants and to the organisers who were hoping it would raise funds for the canal.

"Some entrants have kindly donated their entry fees to the restoration, others have been happy to carry their entry forward to next year’s event on Saturday, May 8 2021 – that means there are bookings for next year's Triathlon 13 months in advance!

“Another cancellation is the Montgomery Canal Forum. This is an annual public meeting with news and updates about the canal and its restoration. It is hoped that the Forum can be rescheduled in the autumn.

“We are now starting to see the cancellation of rallies and shows where members of the public have been so generous with their support.

"The story of the Montgomery Canal and its restoration always generates a lot of interest at these events and we shall miss the opportunity to raise funds and recruit volunteers.

“We do still have to raise funds to rebuild Schoolhouse Bridge next year – and indeed to start some of the preparatory work later this year – so we can only appeal to anyone who can see the benefit of reopening the canal to Llanymynech and mid-Wales to support us through our website www.RestoreTheMontgomeryCanal.uk or www.LocalGiving.org/RestoreTheMontgomeryCanal”

Updated information about events on the Montgomery Canal will be on www.RestoreTheMontgomeryCanal.uk/covid-19.html