Brownlee brothers bring their first triathlon home to Yorkshire
Olympic medallists to host their first tri in September
World-beating triathlete brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have partnered up with the National Trust to host their first-ever triathlon this September in their native Yorkshire at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.
Alistair, who famously won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, and Jonny, the reigning ITU World Champion, are bringing this new triathlon to their home turf of north Yorkshire.
World Champion and Olympic bronze medallist, Jonny Brownlee, said: “It’s great to be holding our first Brownlee Triathlon at Fountains Abbey.
“As young children, our parents used to take us there for walks to try and wear us out so we have good memories of the place. We want this triathlon to be part of our legacy and to see as many people take part as possible.”
The ‘Brownlee Tri’ will taking place at the World Heritage Site on Saturday 21 September. A super-sprint triathlon, it will start with a 400m swim in Studley Royal lake, a 10km bike ride will take competitors through the medieval deer park before culminating in a 2.5km run. The run goes through Studley Royal water garden and the ruins of Fountains Abbey before finishing on the east green.
Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee added: “The whole area around Fountains Abbey is fantastic to train as triathletes and a perfect fit for us.
“The paths and trails in the abbey’s estate are a lovely setting for a run, with great views of Ripon Cathedral and the Yorkshire Dales. The lanes close to the abbey are some of the best in the country for cycling. We’re very lucky in Yorkshire to have some of the finest countryside around, and Fountains is a great place to see a lot of it.”
Chris Fowler, National Trust General Manager at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said: “This is going to be a unique event, not just for triathletes who will get to run through the iconic ruins, but for spectators too. We’re thrilled that Alistair and Jonny are combining their love of triathlon with this special place – one of their favourite stop off points when out training.”
Triathlon is the fastest growing Olympic Sport with 31% participation growth per year and 20% of the triathletes completing their first triathlon in 2012.
Alistair and Jonny are hoping to see this continue with more events like the Brownlee Tri. Enthusiasts have already started registering their interest for the inaugural Brownlee Tri to make sure that they are kept up to date with the latest information for the event.
People interested in taking part can register for a place from 10am on Tuesday 4 June; places are expected to sell out really quickly.
Chris Fowler continued: “We want our visitors to come and enjoy the outdoors, feel closer to nature and be inspired by wonderful experiences – the Brownlee Triathlon is just a fantastic way to do this.”
For more information about the Brownlee Triathlon, visit www.brownleetriathlon.com and look out for updates through Twitter @Brownleetri or www.facebook.com/brownleetriathlon
Matt Baird
Editor of Cycling Plus magazine 
