Julia Creek loses Dirt n Dust junior triathlon after 26 years

Cost issues and a lack of volunteers this year has meant Julia Creek has lost the Dirt n Dust junior triathlon after 26 years.

For the first time in 26 years the Dirt n Dust junior triathlon will not be held in Julia Creek.

Cost issues and a lack of volunteers this year has meant Julia Creek has lost the Dirt n Dust junior triathlon after 26 years.

The festival will however still go ahead.

The Julia Creek Dirt n Dust committee announced the junior triathlon could no longer be held at Julia Creek but will still go on after partnering with the Mount Isa Rats Triathlon Club and sponsor Mount Isa Mines.

It will now be held in Mount Isa two weeks before the Dirt n Dust festival.

The relocation of the event will provide larger facilities, opportunity for more competitors to enter and more volunteers to join.

Junior athletes will still able to compete in junior triathlon in Mount Isa two weeks before the Dirt n Dust festival.

Dirt n Dust Club president Steve Malone said moving the junior triathlon was a tough yet necessary decision.

“We had a call out for over six months for a Junior Tri Coordinator and no one put

up their hand,” he said.

“In addition we had to weigh up the cost with road closures, timing, purchase of

race singlets and basically without a large sponsor coming to the table it was no longer

financially sustainable.”

In previous years a high number of junior competitors from Mount Isa travelled to Julia Creek to compete.

“The Mount Isa and Julia Creek communities have always enjoyed a close

relationship and this new agreement is a great example of that,” Mount Isa Mayor Joyce McCulloch said.

“I’m so pleased that the future of the iconic Dirt n Dust Festival’s junior triathlon

event has been guaranteed with this arrangement, and thank the Isa Rats Running

and Triathlon Club and Glencore Mount Isa Mines for ensuring it goes ahead.”

Isa Rats’ Kim Alcorn said the club reached out to Dirt n Dust shortly after hearing the junior triathlon was not viable to be held at Julia Creek this year.

“As a mother of three and an avid triathlete myself, having the opportunity to share the sport with my kids is really important, and I want to make sure that is something other families can do too,” she said.

“The Isa Rats are proud to support the Julia Creek Dirt n Dust committee by hosting the

junior triathlon this year, and we look forward to continuing to build prosperous relationships with our outback neighbours.”

Originally published as Julia Creek loses Dirt n Dust junior triathlon after 26 years