London Triathlon announces new name and distance

The London Triathlon is set to be rebranded as Challenge London thanks to a new partnership between organisers LimeLight Sports Club and global tri experts Challenge Family.

And it’s not only the name that’s changing, with the partners announcing that a new middle-distance triathlon will be added to the lineup.

The news, announced this afternoon, will see the new distance replace the existing Olympic Plus event.

What’s new?

For this year’s event the middle-distance tri will be made up of a 1.9km swim, 80km bike and 21.1km run, but there are plans to up the bike distance to 90km from 2024 to align with typical race distances.

This new distance will complement the popular supersprint, sprint and Olympic distances already offered at the London Triathlon.

As with those events, the swim will take place in the sheltered Royal Victoria Docks, which will be followed by a three-lap bike taking athletes from Docklands to Westminster via some of the city’s most iconic sights.

Once back in Docklands, the half marathon will unfold on a multi-lap course around the area.

While the new distance is sure to be popular with age-groupers, the organisers also intend for it to draw in big names from the pro fields, particularly as they look to qualify for Challenge Family’s The Championship.

In line with the Professional Triathletes Organisation’s recent update to its world rankings criteria, the race will be a Silver Tier event, offering pro athletes the chance to earn ranking points.

• 7 of the UK’s best middle-distance triathlons for beginners

What the pros think

Speaking about the news, British pro Emma Pallant-Browne said: “My first ever triathlon was London Triathlon back in 2012 so this race means a lot to me and it’s so cool to see it partnered up with the Challenge Family!

“I love racing Challenge events and London is such a vibey city that really gets behind its sporting events so looking forward to seeing this iconic event with the new partnership thrive.”

World number two Lucy Charles-Barclay echoed those thoughts, saying: “As a Londoner I am so excited to hear Challenge Family is coming to my home town. I have raced multiple swim races there before and it’s a great venue for triathlon.”

See our list of the best triathlons near London for more race inspiration.

Rob Slade

About

Rob Slade was 220 Triathlon's Content Editor between April 2021 and September 2024, but still contributes occasionally. He was previously editor of Adventure Travel magazine and has been testing gear for 10 years. Always up for an adventure, he's motivated by good views and regularly uses the scenery as an excuse for taking so long to complete events. While he may lack speed, he always retains his positive disposition, probably because he knows a pint will be waiting for him at the end.