A new triathlon relay event was announced by British Triathlon at Nottingham Castle yesterday evening, with both Brownlee brothers, Jodie Stimpson and Sophie Coldwell attending the launch.
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The British Triathlon Mixed Relay Cup takes place on Saturday 2nd September 2017, and will see each athlete completing a fast and furious 300m swim, 7.5km bike and 1.5km run before tagging their teammate – there are four athletes to a team, two men and two women, with British elite, junior and U23 squads competing and a “possibility” of some international teams. The format was a popular inclusion at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where the British team of Jonny Brownlee, Alistair Brownlee, Jodie Stimpson and Vicky Holland won gold.
The race is being organised by One Step Beyond Events and will take place in the heart of Nottingham, with a swim in the River Trent and bike and run courses along Victoria Embankment. It will also be televised live on BBC, with British Triathlon CEO Jack Buckner commenting that it was “fantastic for the BBC to be giving triathlon a prime TV slot”.
The Brownlee brothers were in attendance at the launch event alongside Sophie Coldwell and Jodie Stimpson; and although little has stopped them in their triathlon dominance, Storm Doris managed to delay their arrival by 30mins. Jonny said: “It’s usually Alistair who’s late, but today we both are. I hate Doris now!”
All athletes were hugely positive about the relay format and the new event in Nottingham. Stimpson commented: “Glasgow was amazing, and the relay format is exciting and fun for us and for the spectators. Every little thing matters in these shorter races, so it’s a really true test for the athletes. I’m really excited for this new event in Nottingham.”
Alistair Brownlee said: “Wherever the relay format has gone to it’s been really popular, and it’s definitely an exciting format for spectators. Hopefully lots of people will show up and have a great day out.”
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