Jenson Button has announced that there will be a total prize fund of £7,000 for his triathlon on 14th July at the Luton Hoo estate in Bedfordshire, where 500 competitors will race against the Formula 1 driver.
Jenson said: “I’m delighted to announce that the prize fund has increased to £7,000 for this year’s triathlon. We felt it was important to have decent prize money on offer to attract elite athletes, as well as those starting out in triathlon. Entry is open and the spots are filling fast, so you need to be quick if you want to secure your place!”
The winners of the men’s and women’s categories will each take home £2,000, second place will be awarded £1,000 and third £500, a total increase of £4,900 on last year’s event. Participants will compete in a 300m lake swim, 9km bike and 2.5km run,all within the grounds of the beautiful Luton Hoo estate in Bedfordshire. The top 50 from each wave will then go into a final consisting of 750m swim, 19km bike and 5km run.
The remaining participants from each wave will go into a repechage – a ‘wooden spoon’ race-off final meaning that everyone has the chance to race twice. The distances are short but the format is challenging, making the event suitable for first-time and experienced triathletes. Post-race there will be live music, a barbeque and prizes will be presented by Jenson.
Competitors are encouraged to fundraise for Help for Heroes, with special prizes being awarded for top fundraisers. Entry is £120 and, in addition to any funds raised by participants, profits from the event will be donated to Help for Heroes via The Jenson Button Trust. Now in its fourth year, The Jenson Button Trust has raised vast sums of money for a number of charities close to Jenson’s heart.
The event was devised by the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver, a keen triathlete, as part of his training and to raise money for good causes. Last year’s inaugural event rasied over £27,000 for Help for Heroes.
For entries and further information: www.jensonbutton.com/triathlon
