This weekend, the Yorkshire & Humber Supporting Women & Girls in Triathlon Network will be out in force at the Ripon Triathlon Festival, running talks throughout the weekend aimed at breaking down the barriers that stop women and girls from getting into triathlon.

Women still only make up around one third of participants at most triathlon races in the UK, with that proportion dropping dramatically as the distance increases.

There are lots of reasons why. Body image concerns, worries about not being able to keep up, periods and menopause disrupting training, kit that's designed with men in mind, and family care responsibilities eating into free time are just some of the barriers women can face.

Lucy Hurn, a triathlon coach with 'Feel Fit with Lucy' and a member of the Network will be speaking at the festival. She said:

"When women break down these barriers, they find a sport that can be life-changing in terms of the confidence and fitness and mental health benefits that it can bring. We hope that our talks across this weekend will help to break down those barriers and bring more women into the sport we love."

Frankie Horsfield from Horsfield Endurance and Network member said: “The talks this weekend offer an insight into the differences between male and female considerations when training and racing. We’re looking forward to seeing you; come and find us if you’d like to chat about how we can help or if you’ve any ideas for future events."

Talks from the Yorkshire & Humber Supporting Women & Girls in Triathlon Network include:

Saturday 11th July

12.30pm: Nigel Hornsby, British Triathlon Federation, and Frankie Horsfield, Horsfield Endurance, “Supporting your child through their triathlon journey and addressing the challenge of teenage drop off in sport”

Sunday 12th July

11.30am and 1:15pm: Lucy Hurn, Triathlon Coach and Founder of Feel Fit with Lucy - "Training as a woman - through menstrual cycles, menopause, mindset and more!"