Voices is the Dorset Echo's weekly youth page - written for young people by young people.

This week Emily Montgomery discusses the return of Ironman.

Ironman is back.

Athletes of the highest fitness levels will once again compete in the idyllic seaside town of Weymouth this September.

This gruelling triathlon will really put competitors through their paces with a swim of 1.2 miles around Weymouth Bay before jumping onto a bike and pedalling through the trying, yet beautiful Dorset countryside on a 56-mile loop. Finally, contenders must run from Lodmoor country park, along Weymouth’s iconic Esplanade before reuniting with friends and family.

Not one for the faint hearted!

But on top of being a challenging event for sportsmen, this event brings many people to the resort and provides local establishments with a lot of business.

There will be many a sign of ‘no vacancies’ spotted in the windows of the holiday accommodation and cafes and restaurants will be brimming with preparing participants and spectators.

However, despite the boost this event provides at the end of the season, it causes inconvenience for local residents.

Throughout the events, roads across large parts of the county will have to be closed. Leaflets have already been distributed by the organisers which offer details about the timings of closures.

This has sparked indignation from some of the road-users who say they will end up stranded in their villages due to the fact that the only roads in and out will be closed for hours.

This could mean that other businesses could end up losing money as they are not able to perform vital commitments and people will be stuck in queues or unable to get to work.

Although this undoubtedly causes inconvenience for road users, I think perhaps this is outweighed by the positive influence such a high-profile sporting event brings to this area.

Hopefully it could inspire others to partake in next year’s event.

By Emily Montgomery