The Lakesman triathlon brought £1.49 million into the Cumbrian economy, new figures reveal.

The event, which took place on Sunday June 19, saw more than 300 competitors swim 2.4 miles in Derwentwater, cycle 112 miles across West Cumbria, then run a full marathon around the streets of Keswick.

The majority of athletes and supporters came to the area from outside Cumbria, so this saw a significant boost to the fortunes of businesses across Allerdale and local accommodation and hospitality providers in particular saw the benefits.

Independent research, commissioned by Allerdale council after the event, showed 74 per cent of athletes stayed overnight in Cumbria.

Around eight per cent of competitors were local to Allerdale and 21 per cent came from elsewhere in Cumbria, with the remainder travelling from outside the county.

The average group consisted of 6.1 people, their length of stay was around 2.5 nights and the average spend per group was £1,042.08.

There was additional economic benefit before the Lakesman weekend too. Because of the intensity of the challenge and the extreme distances involved, 72 per cent of athletes visited the area prior to the event for training sessions on the swim, bike and run routes, coming to Allerdale an average of 3.1 times.

Spend on these training trips was around £129.54 per visit.

The Lakesman was made possible by a partnership between Allerdale council, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Nuclear Management Partners, the Lakes Distillery, CN Events and specialist sporting event company Sport in Action.

Allerdale council part-funded the Lakesman.

Councillor Mark Fryer, executive member with responsibility for economic development, said: "This council has a really strong agenda for economic growth and we know we have to shout louder about everything Allerdale has to offer in terms of sport and leisure if we are to compete with other areas of the Lake District.

"To hear how much money the Lakesman has generated for the local economy is fantastic and shows how important it is that we continue to invest in events of all kinds.

“When we first heard about the idea for the Lakesman, we could see the potential and knew this could become a national or even international event. The location is stunning, Keswick already has a reputation as the adventure capital of the Lakes, and the landscape lends itself perfectly to a race like this. We’re already excited for 2017."