Sutton Park

Sutton Park development

Photo at Sutton Park across the lake, with a backdrop of large trees

Chosen to be part of the Commonwealth Games Sutton Park is a 2,400 acre National Nature Reserve located 6 miles north of the city centre. It’s one of the largest urban parks in Europe and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

What is Sutton Park?

The park has open heathland, woodlands, seven lakes, wetlands, and marshes - each with its own rich variety of plants and wildlife, some rarely seen in the region. Cattle and wild ponies graze on the land.

Sutton Park has been designated as a National Nature Reserve, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

What event(s) will Sutton Park hold during the Games?

Sutton Park was chosen for the triathlon and para-triathlon events as it provides the perfect setting with Powell’s Pool, the Park and the local roads to accommodate all three disciplines.

A triathlon consists swimming, cycling and running events.

  • Triathlon – 29 July 2022
  • Para Triathlon – 31 July 2022

How many spectators are expected?

  • 2,000 ticketed spectators
  • 20,000 non-ticketed spectators

How is Sutton Park benefitting from hosting a Games event?

To meet the Organising Committee’s requirements, the venue at Boldmere Gate will be required to meet international triathlon standards and provide a sufficient surface area to allow the installation of the athlete’s zone and media areas. To achieve this, the existing hardstanding car parking surface area will be upgraded to provide a suitable surface area for the transition area and athletes’ zone. The improvements to the car park will result in an improved permanent car park area for the benefit of visitors post-Games, as well as legacy benefits. Additionally, two electrical hook-up points will be installed to provide power to the Games and for future outdoor events.

The provision of additional car parking spaces via the increased hardstanding at Boldmere Gate will provide the opportunity to close existing car parking spaces further into the park, minimising traffic movements within the park and enabling conservation benefits. The improved electrical provision will allow the park to host large scale events at Boldmere Gate without the need to use temporary generators. The improved hardstanding provision with dedicated accessible spaces improves customer experience for park users.