Olympic legacy in action: Jonny and Alistair Brownlee delighted as their foundation welcomes 50,000th junior triathlete

There are a fair few sweaty brows, a clutch of medals hung around necks and, reassuringly, plenty of smiles on faces.

Welcome to a Brownlee Foundation triathlon, a free event run through schools that on this particular occasion witnessed its 50,000th child crossing the finish line.

When critics question what legacy London 2012 left us, they should come to Yorkshire and see it in action.

For earlier this week the Brownlee Foundation ran similar sized events in Sheffield, York and Leeds. They take them nationwide as well.

Watching the action unfold from the stands, mingling with Year 5 and Year 6 pupils who had finished and taking a keen interest in how much they enjoyed it on this Friday afternoon was Jonny Brownlee, who along with his brother Alistair, set up the foundation nine years ago.

“Funnily enough our very first event was here,” says Jonny, reflecting on a day that came two years after he won a bronze to Alistair’s gold in the London Olympic triathlon.

“And here we are now back at John Charles and we’ve had our 50,000th child across the finish line.

“It’s a huge source of pride. It’s an amazing number of children.”

Because of what he and his brother have achieved on the global stage - three Olympic gold medals, five medals in total, multiple world championships and great ambassadors for their sport at home and abroad - they had this platform to grow the sport.

And in the very least, the Foundation is giving schoolchildren access to a sport that when the now 33-year-old Brownlee was their age growing up across the city, was unimaginable.

“When I started triathlon at the age of five I’d go to school and tell people I’d done one and everyone would say ‘what was that – is it horse riding and shooting?,” he remembers.

“For pretty much all of these kids today it will have been their first triathlon. The whole concept is about giving children a positive experience about being active and getting them to achieve something they never thought they could have achieved.

“Many of these guys turn up at the start of the day not knowing what a triathlon is, not knowing if they could complete one and they cross the finish line having done it.

“Hopefully they can take that achievement into the rest of their lives.

“We put on follow-up events as well so if children enjoy it and do get the bug they can go to one of them and continue being active.

“So hopefully we’ve spread the word of triathlon and talked to people about what it is to be active, how you can enjoy being active.

“I’m proud it’s been done off our own back as well, and with thanks to some amazing volunteers who are here every single day, sponsors as well. People have put a lot of work into it and it’s all down to them.”

While getting people engaged is at the heart of what the Foundation does with these events, making it accessible for all by running events in schooltime was a big driver for Jonny and his brother.

“One of the big things we want is for it to be free, we don’t want cost to stop children doing it,” continues Jonny.

“Children turn up as part of their school, the bikes are provided, as are the helmets, the t-shirts.

“Doesn’t matter what background you’re from, it’s free, and that’s really important to me.

“Children quite often get told ‘no’, or that’s too hard – but everyone who comes here today will finish, whether walking or running, and they’ll have a big smile on their face and they’ll get a medal.

“I’m unbelievably proud of it, and it’s something that when I retire – whenever that may be – I want to be more involved in.”

Since he brought it up, what are the future plans of a man who completed the Olympic medal set with gold in the inaugural triathlon mixed relay in Tokyo?

“It’s simple for me, I want to be a genuine medal contender in Paris 2024, and I’ll find out in the next 12 months whether I am or not,” says Brownlee, who has been on that path since Tokyo two years ago.

“There are two events that are important for me, the test event in Paris in August and the World Series grand final in Spain in September, where I have to do well if I want to go to the Olympics next year.

“At the moment I want to go to Paris as an important relay member and to be there on my own rights, trying to win an Olympic medal.”