Olympic legend aiming to break world record in Oxfordshire

Jonny Brownlee, one of the most decorated triathletes in history, will attempt to set a new record for the Weekend Warrior challenge at Supertri Blenheim Palace in Woodstock in June.

He is aiming to set a new record by completing a staggering 10 sprint triathlons across the two-day event, targeting a mark no athlete has previously attempted in the challenge’s history.

Crucially, Mr Brownlee will not race in isolation as he will line up in the start waves alongside the thousands of everyday athletes who make up the Supertri Blenheim Palace field.

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The Supertri event at Blenheim Palace (Image: Supertri)

He will swim, ride, and run the same course, at the same time, as first-timers, club athletes and seasoned age-groupers, and that, he says, is the point.

“You don’t need to be a pro to take part in something special,” said Mr Brownlee.

“Blenheim has always been about people coming together to challenge themselves.

“I’ll be racing all weekend. It’s an immense challenge given the time cut-offs, but the best part is sharing the course with the triathlon community from first-timers to seasoned age-groupers.”

The record attempt will see Mr Brownlee complete approximately 7.5km of swimming, 200km of cycling and 50km of running across the weekend, competing in multiple waves each day alongside regular race entrants.

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Jonny Brownlee. (Image: PA)

Each sprint distance race covers 750m swimming in the waters of the Great Lake, 20km biking on a fast closed-road course through Blenheim Palace’s historic grounds, and 5km of scenic running around Queen Pool at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mr Brownlee has a storied history at Blenheim Palace. He and his brother Alistair raced the event as a warm-up for their London 2012 Olympic glories, with the pair officially finishing in a dead heat for first.

He returns to Blenheim Palace under Supertri’s stewardship, with 2026 marking the first year the event has been run by Supertri.

The event is the biggest triathlon in the UK and one of the five largest in the world by participant numbers. It has been staged at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, for more than two decades.

Michael D’hulst, CEO of Supertri, said: “Jonny taking on this challenge captures everything we believe triathlon should be.

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“The best moments in this sport happen when people race together, regardless of where they finish.

“To see someone of Jonny’s calibre lining up wave after wave alongside athletes who might be doing their very first triathlon is incredibly inspirational and speaks to our values of triathlon bringing shared connection, purpose and achievement.”

Supertri Blenheim Palace takes place between Saturday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7, and is open for registration now.

Entry options include SuperSprint, Sprint, Sprint Relay and the Weekend Warrior, which Mr Brownlee is undertaking.

The event also hosts a Supertri Pro Series race, bringing the world’s best triathletes into the same arena as the mass-participation field.