Harewood House Half Marathon unites 1000 in the fight for every heartbeat.

More than 1000 laced up their trainers this weekend for the BHF’s inaugural Harewood House Half Marathon in a united front against coronary heart disease, the UK’s single biggest killer.

The British Heart Foundation Harewood House Half Marathon which started and finished in the in front of the stately home saw runners cover 13.1 miles through the Harewood estate to raise urgently needed funds for the nation’s heart charity.

BHF Event Organiser Helen Wright said: “I would like to thank everyone who took part, everyone who supported our runners and all of our volunteers particularly the local Raynet group. Coronary heart disease is not beaten yet – it remains the single biggest killer in the UK and it’s because of your support, that we are able to continue our fight to find a cure.”

The BHF hopes to raise £70,000 from the Harewood House Half Marathon to help fund essential research which could create a better future for so many – from babies born with heart defects, to the millions of adults affected by heart disease.  Coronary heart disease is responsible for almost 80,000 deaths each year; that’s over 200 people dying every single day.

Join the fight today and register for a BHF event today. The next local British Heart Foundation event taking place is the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge on Saturday 11^th July from Horton in Ribblesdale. Registration is now open www.bhf.org/uk/y3p

Six months on from the Tour de France, following the magnificent Grand Depart event, Harewood House has been nominated to win Landmark of the Year 2014-15, a BBC Countryfile award.  Going up against Shakespeare’s Birth Place Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, Llanddwyn Island Lighthouse on Anglesey, The Kelpies in Falkirk and Dark Hedges in Armoy, Harewood will compete for the award in a public vote.

Lord Harewood said, “The Grand Depart was a great occasion for Yorkshire and I’m really proud that Harewood was able to play its part in it. Everything came right on the day – even the weather – and that’s a tribute to the hard work, energy and commitment of so many people, both here and across the county.”

The weekend was a fantastic spectacle of sport, community and entertainment which resonated around the world. Harewood stood at the start of the race as a true Yorkshire icon, hosting thousands of spectators including their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The sight of the peloton approaching the historic building as the Red Arrows flew overhead was one of the moments of the day, prompting race bosses to describe the start of the 2014 Tour de France as “the grandest Grand Depart ever”.

July 2014: HRH Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry open the 2014 Tour de France at Harewood

Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said, “The Tour de France was an amazing showcase for Yorkshire. Harewood House was a magnificent backdrop and helped raise Yorkshire’s profile around the world.”

Vote for Harewood:

To whittle down the contenders, BBC Countryfile asked experts in each field to draw up shortlists of candidates. They are now asking members of the public to vote for their favourites via post, email (awards@countryfile.com) and on the BBC Countryfile Magazine website, http://www.countryfile.com/article/landmark-year-201415.

• 2015 event date confirmed: Saturday 26^th September
• Alistair & Jonny Brownlee “Harewood a great venue for triathlon”

September 2014: Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee host the Brownlee Tri North at Harewood

The Brownlee Tri will be returning to Harewood House in Leeds on Saturday 26^th September 2015. Alistair and Jonny Brownlee’s hugely popular triathlon will once again offer Sprint and Super Sprint distances for individuals and a Sprint relay for teams around the spectacular Harewood course. Early bird registration for the triathlon is set to open within the next few weeks.

The 2015 Brownlee Tri will build on the success of the 2014 event, when over 1,000 competitors and 4,000 spectators enjoyed a fantastic day out at the stunning Harewood estate. The event proved to be an instant hit among the triathlon community, who praised the course for its breath-taking scenery, closed circuit layout and one of the most exciting new bike routes on the calendar.

Alistair Brownlee commented “We’re really pleased to be able to bring the Brownlee Tri back to Harewood House. It’s such a great triathlon venue with a course that offers something for everyone: young and old, experienced or new to the sport.” Jonny added “Last year was brilliant, seeing so many people competing and enjoying themselves at a venue only 10 minutes from our own home.”

The event will once again offer a packed entertainment village and the opportunity for competitors and spectators to explore the grounds of the Harewood Estate, including the Bird Garden and Adventure Playground.

Race Director Louise Cornish said “We’re delighted that the Brownlee Tri is returning to Harewood House, which we believe is one of the UK’s best triathlon venues.  As with this year’s Brownlee Tri, we want to deliver a premium triathlon experience for competitors of all abilities, as well as a great day out for the thousands of friends and families who turn up to support.’

Enter now by visiting www.brownleetri.com

Over 1000 participants and 4000 spectators attended the Macmillan Brownlee Tri at Harewood House on Sunday (21st September 2014). Alistair and Jonny led rival teams in the Sprint Relay, and even younger brother Ed Brownlee had a team! Alistair completed the 750m swim one second ahead of his younger brother, (00:09:33 and 00:09:34), but Jonny’s cyclist Ross Needham opened up a gap and then runner Stewart Randall stormed home, clocking an impressive 00:24:33 for the 5.5km run to deliver victory for Team Jonny.

Speaking about the event, Alistair Brownlee said: “It was an absolutely brilliant day for all the family at a spectacular venue. Obviously Jonny and I compete alongside all the time but it’s not often we get to race Ed and our Uncles Chris and Simon! Thanks to the spectators, volunteers and Macmillan supporters for making such a special atmosphere.”

Jonny Brownlee added: “We founded the Brownlee Tri to encourage people to take up the sport we love, so I was really pleased that more 350 people completed their first triathlon today. Over 250 kids took part in British Triathlon Trust’s Duathlon too, so there’s a promising new generation of young triathletes. We’re grateful to everyone who came and we hope to see you all next year!”

Fraternal rivalry has driven Alistair and Jonny to the very heights of triathlon, and another pair of siblings impressed at Harewood.

The female event was dominated by Johanna Spannagl, 21, who completed the Sprint distance event in 01:28:50 – more than four minutes clear of second place. As Johanna was being presented with her prize, a Boardman Team carbon bike, younger brother Bernie, 18, was already out on the course.

A tight Youth & Junior Super-Sprint race saw Bernie Spannagl and Sam Wardle complete the swim and bike section neck and neck. In a move reminiscent of the Brownlees’ winning tactic, Bernie pushed hard on the run to win the race in 00:43:31, a margin of 34 seconds. A family double was complete, and the whispers began – could the Spannagl siblings be the next Brownlee brothers?

For the full list of results: http://www.brownleetri.com/north/race-details-2/race-results.html

The Brownlee brothers are pleased to announce there will be a free Kids’ Duathlon at the Macmillan Brownlee Tri, delivered by British Triathlon Trust. Children of all ages can try out running, cycling and transitions at Harewood House on Sunday 21^st September.

Forming part of a busy Entertainment Village, the duathlon will consist of two 150m run loops, a transition area and a 400m bike loop. The number of laps can be adjusted depending on the participant’s age, allowing small children to simply try out a run and cycle while teens take on a 600m run, a 1600m cycle and a final 300m sprint.

Speaking about the announcement, Alistair Brownlee said: “Jonny and I would not be triathletes without our parents encouraging us to be active. We hope lots of mums and dads bring their sons and daughters to Harewood House to try out the Kids’ Duathlon!”

Younger brother Jonny added: “I have always been spurred on by racing my brother, so I would love to see plenty of siblings taking part in the duathlon. First and foremost we want kids to enjoy exercising and being outside.”

The Kids’ Duathlon is free to enter and there is no need to register: simply turn up and take part.  For more information visit www.brownleetri.com and look out for updates through Twitter @Brownleetri or www.facebook.com/brownleetriathlon