A TRIATHLON, attended by more than 22,000 people, was disrupted after a tourist coach damaged a pedestrian bridge.

The temporary bridge providing access to the Blenheim Palace Triathlon, which took place on Saturday and Sunday, was “badly damaged” on Friday.

Organisers were forced to set up a pedestrian crossing point on the cycle course, which meant competitors had to dismount for a short section to make way for people crossing.

But the event, organised by IMG Challenger World, was a success, and is expected to raise about £250,000 for charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

Spokesman Gemma Cobb said: “It was great, a fantastic weekend. The sun was shining and we had some really great racers.”

The challenge saw amateurs and professionals try to swim 400m, cycle 13km and then run 2.9km in an hour – and that was the short version. The longer sprint involved a 750m swim, a 20km bike ride and a 5.4km run.

Among the competitors in the longer race were seven friends from Oxford construction company EW Beard.

Lee Flashman, Steve Colmer, Nigel Rowe, Luke Bennett, Craig Mitchell, Nick Kent and Edward Nolan raised £405 in sponsorship for Newbury and District Cancer Care Trust, in memory of colleague Kevin Cripps who died last year at the age of 50.

Mr Mitchell, 48, from Bicester, who finished in one hour 32 minutes, said: “It went very well.

“This is the third year we have done it as a company, it has become a hobby and a bit of competition for us.

“I run a lot of triathlons, and Blenheim is the most spectacular location. It is also one of the toughest triathlon routes for the distance – permanently undulating, it is never easy.”

Kevin Dartnaill, 35, and his brother Danny, 36, completed the triathlon to raise money for their brother Rick, 32, who has Williams syndrome – a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Kevin, from Surrey, said: “As brothers, it was absolutely not competitive at all.”

An event spokesman said the bus, which he said was not associated with the event, had “badly damaged” the metal bridge after missing “clearly stated” maximum height signs. The bridge was over a road within the palace and was the only link between the car park and the event.

The spokesman said: “As a result of the damage, event organisers were forced to implement a contingency plan – a controlled crossing point for pedestrians on the bike route.

“To ensure the safety of both pedestrians and participants on the bike route, the plan included a very short dismount for cyclists.

“The event organisers thank spectators and participants for their patience and understanding during the weekend, in spite of the unfortunate situation.”

He said dismantling the bridge and building a new one would not have been possible in the time available.

The Blenheim Triathlon is the second largest triathlon in the UK, with more than 7,000 participants and 15,000 spectators.

The fastest woman this year was Vicky Holland, who represented Great Britain in the London 2012 Olympics, and the fastest man was rising triathlete star Tom Bishop.