Hundreds of school pupils from across Fife enjoyed a taste of Olympic sport triathlon at the Tata Kids of Steel event.

More than 600 pupils from schools across the area headed to Cupar Sports Centre for a hands-on experience of the fast-paced sport part of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Children aged 8 to 13 swam, cycled and ran their way around their very first triathlon, cheered along by their friends.

Each pupil received a t-shirt, medal, swim cap and goody bag to ensure they can come kitted to their local club for their next triathlon experience.

And talented national performance triathletes, including British Universities Champion Natalie Milne, were on hand to present the pupils with their medals at the finish line.

Milne said: “It’s great to see so many children enjoying themselves and discovering how much fun a triathlon can be. It’s hard work, but very rewarding and hopefully some of the children today will have picked up the triathlon bug.”

The event was organised by triathlonscotland and British Triathlon in partnership with Tata Steel.  Additional support was provided by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust.

It is the fourth event in the 2012 Tata Kids of Steel triathlon series, which will visit 24 venues across the UK this year.  Since launching in 2007, more than 35,000 children from over 400 schools have taken part in Tata Kids of Steel events.

Sytske Seyffert of Tata Steel said: “As the Corporate Partner of British Triathlon, Tata Steel is committed to nurturing the grass roots of the sport and enabling children to experience the sport of triathlon, regardless of ability.  This year marks the sixth year of Tata Kids of Steel and, with more than 20,000 children expected to participate in 24 events nationwide, it promises to be the biggest and most exciting yet. Many events take place close to our sites, demonstrating our commitment to the local communities that we are part of.”

Brown Ferguson, triathlonscotland Development Manager said: “The Cupar Tata Kids of Steel event was a fantastic success and I am delighted we were able to give so many pupils a chance to enjoy the fun of triathlon. I would like to thank Tata Steel, British Triathlon, the local sports development and active schools departments, Elmwood College, Bell Baxter high school and Howe rugby club for their support and all the volunteers who helped to make it an unforgettable day.”

To find out your nearest youth event this year, visit: www.triathlonscotland.org/events