Search
shop

Alistair Brownlee confirms he is going off-road to ‘mix it up’ at XTERRA UK

British great to line up for off-road spectacular at Weston Park
Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Double Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee has never been afraid of a challenge, and this weekend he takes on another one as he lines up at XTERRA UK.

The British star made his seasonal tri debut in the much-hyped PTO European Open in Ibiza last weekend, eventually finishing sixth after leading for much of the day.

Afterwards Alistair was delighted to be back in proper race action following a 2022 season which was ravaged by injury and illness. He said: “Happy to stand on a start line, race hard from the gun and get to the finish line today. Felt good on the swim and the bike.

“Always knew coming into the race that the run was going to be a struggle. I’m going to build my running slowly over the next few months.”

Advertisement

Brownlee confirms XTERRA bid

Well, Brownlee is back in action quickly again this weekend as XTERRA UK lands at Weston Park in Shropshire. He confirmed his participation in an Instagram post, saying: “Excited to mix things up off-road this weekend as I head to another start line in Weston Park for XTERRA UK!”

Alistair Brownlee to race at XTERRA UK
Alistair Brownlee is set for XTERRA UK

The event, which takes place on Saturday, has a full-distance race which consists of a 1500m swim, a 27.5km bike and a 10.67km run.

Olympic great Brownlee, now 35, is no stranger to taking on a variety of formats. In 2021, while on the way back from ankle surgery, he competed in Spain’s iconic Badlands race. That provided the daunting challenge of 746km of rugged terrain – mixing deserts and mountains with more than 15km of climbing.

Brownlee also competed in the British Gravel Championships shortly after Badlands, claiming a title in the 19-34 age group.

This weekend is another test for Alistair as he accepts the challenge of XTERRA, complete with open water swimming, mountain biking and trail running.

XTERRA WC spots up for grabs

The Weston Park event also offers XTERRA World Championship slots for successful athletes, with the opportunity then to race for it all in the Dolomites in Italy in September 2023.

There are plenty of examples of elite triathletes who have also excelled in XTERRA competition – Olympic triathlon champion Flora Duffy is a six-time world champion while Kiwi Hayden Wilde won a world title in 2021.

Wilde himself responded to Brownlee’s news by telling the British star: “Aaaaaah welcome to the dark side 🫡”

Graham Shaw
Written by
Graham Shaw
Graham has been involved with TRI247 & RUN247 since the summer of 2021. Since then he has provided strategic direction for all news and is passionate about the growth of triathlon as a fan sport.
Discover more
TRI247 podcast p/b Challenge Family episode 2
Go behind the scenes at Challenge Roth with the latest episode of the TRI247 podcast
Cadomotus Chronos triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Challenge Family Roth
Five things you need to know about the Challenge Roth bike course
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
latest News
ironman hamburg 2025 podium laura philipp kat matthews solveig lovseth beer
Challenge Roth 2025: Laura Philipp backed to make triathlon history by crashing through magical time barrier
Challenge Roth press conference 2025
Challenge Roth 2025: Date, start times, how to watch live and who’s racing
Georgia Taylor Brown wins supertri Toulouse 2024
British Olympic legend Georgia Taylor-Brown to make triathlon return
Gwen Jorgensen reflective World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mer 2023
‘Unbreakable’ Gwen Jorgensen ‘bruised’ after bike crash but vows to bounce back
IRONMAN CEO Scott DeRue Women For Tri 2024
IRONMAN announce new age-group qualification system for Kona and 70.3 Worlds
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...