Harbourside businesses boom as Weymouth Ironman comes to town
Weymouth Harbour businesses say they've been busier than ever thanks to Weymouth Ironman 70.3
Weymouth Harbourside businesses are hailing a lucrative end to the season after the Weymouth Ironman 70.3 triathlon brought thousands of racers and their families to the town.
The event causes some disruption due to road closures, but hospitality traders aren't complaining.
Many say their cafés and restaurants were full from Friday onwards.
Josephine Parker from Ebike Café told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
"We've had the athletes here looking for something really healthy to maintain their bodies in the state they need to be, as well as obviously all their family and friends that have come here.
"We've not yet been open a year, but Saturday was one of the busiest days we've had to date.
"I live in Weymouth so I get the annoyance of the traffic diversions and road closures, but as a business it's been amazing."
This year thousands of athletes descended on the town with their families. Many made the most of the sunny weekend and spent it all in Weymouth.
Weymouth Town Mayor Colin Huckle told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
"I was out on the town on Saturday evening and it was absolutely heaving with people in the town centre and the Esplanade was packed with visitors.
"It's great for the area. This organisation, IRONMAN, they publish wherever they're going worldwide so Weymouth has got a lot of publicity from them tied to the event."