Search
shop

British Olympics legend Alistair Brownlee swaps triathlon for Quid Games ‘The Dark Edition’

How did the two-time triathlon gold medallist fare when he tackled a night-time race with "equal parts of thrill, strategy, and mystery"?
News Director
Last updated -

When two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee announced his retirement from the sport late last year, he promised: “There’s an exciting array of events, challenges, and adventures awaiting me – things I’ve always wanted to have a crack at but haven’t had the chance to pursue.”

And he was good to his word when he took part in the intriguingly-named Quid Games ‘The Dark Edition’ in Skipton, North Yorkshire at the weekend.

Advertisement

How did Alistair get on?

Billed as “a race with equal parts of thrill, strategy, and mystery”, The Dark Edition challenged athletes to think on their feet and outpace the competition whilst navigating the stunning Broughton Hall Estate through an unpredictable series of checkpoints and surprises.

With just 60 minutes on the clock, there were 10 secret checkpoints to find in the quickest time possible. Each control was worth 10 points and they could be visited in any order, so it meant planning a race strategy the moment you were given a map.

Up against Brownlee were plenty of the Great Britain orienteering team as well as many of the country’s best fell, trail and road runners in a quality field of over 100.

And he went close to winning too, achieving the maximum score of 100 in a time of 26 minutes and 18 seconds to take seventh place, with less than a minute separating the top nine men.

The winner was GB orienteer and HOKA athlete Kris Jones, who powered clear late on to stop the clock in 25:53, the only person to dip under 26 minutes.

What next?

“It was good, I just feel like I’ve sprinted around in the dark – it was a combination of a quick look at the map but mostly following other people to be honest!” Alistair told Ben Mounsey of race organisers SportsShoes afterwards. “But it was great, I really, really enjoyed it.”

SportsShoes created the event in partnership with British Orienteering, explaining: “The aim of the games is to inspire and encourage athletes of every age and ability to try something new and really put Orienteering on the map, excuse the intentional pun!”

Alistair Brownlee Quid Games 2025 photo credit Jamie Rutherford
Alistair Brownlee was all smiles chatting to Ben Mounsey afterwards [Photo credit: Jamie Rutherford]

It was certainly a Saturday night hit with Brownlee who later posted on his Instagram account: “Had a blast taking part in @quidgames_ this weekend! A proper change from the usual – starting the year with a night orienteering/trail race 🔦

“Excited for more fun and adventurous events to come this year!”

It remains to be seen which challenges Brownlee will tackle in 2025 and beyond but he’s already shown a massive interest in gravel biking while a professional athlete.

In 2021 he was seventh in the iconic Badlands gravel race in Spain, which covers 746km of rugged terrain, and in the last couple of years he’s taken part in the UK’s biggest event, the Gralloch in the south west of Scotland.

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
TRI247 Wahoo KICKR RUN treadmill review
Wahoo KICKR RUN treadmill review – can Wahoo do for treadmill running what they did for indoor cycling?
Challenge Cesenatico 2024 debut - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
5 ways to improve your FTP – Expert tips to level up your cycling
sumarpo triathlon swimming wetsuit
Wetsuit buying guide – How to choose the best wetsuit for triathlon, open water swimming, SwimRun and cold water
Challenge Almere-Amsterdam long distance triathlon bike course
How to cycle in a head wind – tips for riding your bike in windy conditions
latest News
Jonny and Alistair Brownlee Ask AL AI
Triathlon’s Brownlee brothers made each other great with love and war philosophy which drove them to Olympic glory
Lucy Gossage finish line wall Montane Winter Spine Race 2025 [Photo credit: Wild Aperture Photography / The Spine Race]
How one key piece of triathlon advice helped Lucy Gossage win Britain’s most BRUTAL ultrarunning race
Paris 2024 Olympics - Cassandre Beaugrand wins
Olympic champion targets 5k test and says triathlon in February ‘makes no sense to me’
IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga 2024 - Matt Hanson finish
US triathlon star is ignoring ‘armchair quarterbacks’ as he plots IRONMAN Pro Series bid
Beth Potter (GBR) won the 2024 supertri E World Triathlon Championships.
Blockbuster triathlon showdown confirmed as Beth Potter returns to defend Supertri E world title
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...