BLENHEIM PALACE DUATHLON faqs

General Information 

  • The Blenheim Palace Duathlon is the new addition to the Motiv Sports' event portfolio and it will take place for the first time on the 8th June 2025.

  • The Blenheim Palace Duathlon has 2 distance options:

    • Half Duathlon that consists of 5km Run - 22km Bike - 5km Run

    • Full Duathlon that consists of 10km Run - 44km Bike - 5km Run

  • The Blenheim Palace Duathlon is now part of the longstanding Blenheim Palace Triathlon event, so you can contact our team via hello@blenheimtriathlon.com

  • Keep an eye out on our website for announcements in the next few months!

  • You can find the British Triathlon Competition Rules at this link.

    To compete in the Half Duathlon, the minimum age for competitors is 15 year old by 31st December 2025.

    To compete in the Full Duathlon, the minimum age for competitors is 17 year old by 31st December 2025.

  • Your entry fee covers the staging of the event and third-party insurance. 

  • The BTF day license is a licence for racing and covers your public liability insurance for the day. 

    If you’re not already a British Triathlon member you need a day membership to comply with British Triathlon Competition Rules which require all competitors be a member of the sport for the day. There will be an option during registration for you to input your BTF membership details or purchase a day licence.

    Day Membership includes: 

    • British Triathlon membership on race day 

    • Race license to compete in the sport on the day of the race 

    • Individual public liability insurance cover up to £15 million on the day of the race

    For further information on race licenses please contact the BTF directly at: www.britishtriathlon.org. 

  • To ensure you race with friends, family, and work colleagues you need to choose the same race category, gender race (male, female or mixed). Please also agree on an estimated finishing time that you are all comfortable competing in.

  • Start times and waves will be published in the Race Day Guide. Wave allocations will be emailed to each participant up to two weeks prior to the event. 

  • Once wave allocations have been made it is not possible to change your start time. Please email us at ‘hello@blenheimtriathlon.com’

  • You cannot camp or park overnight in the Palace ground and will be asked to leave by security should you attempt to do so. 

  • Address: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1UL 

    Blenheim Palace is situated in Woodstock, 8 miles north-west of Oxford on the A44 Evesham Road and approximately a one-hour drive from the outskirts of both London and Birmingham. 

    BY CAR:

    Blenheim Palace is located eight miles north-west of Oxford, on the A44 Evesham Road. The Palace is signposted from junction nine of the M40. If you are using satellite navigation, please use the postcode OX20 1UL. There are car parking facilities and car parking is free for participants.

    BY TRAIN:

    The nearest British Rail Mainline station is Oxford Parkway. The S7 runs every 30 minutes from Oxford Parkway Station to Blenheim.

    BY BUS:

    Stagecoach Bus S3 and S7 run from Oxford City Centre to Woodstock, four times an hour, 7 days a week. Both start from Oxford Railway Station and pick up in Magdalen Street. Buses stop outside the main entrance, from there, it's a 10-minute stroll through the park to Blenheim Palace. For bus times and journey planner visit: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/

    BY BICYCLE: If you live close enough and are able to, please consider travelling by bike. Plan your cycle journey with CycleStreets.net.

  • In order to set up in transition and be ready for your race we recommend that you arrive 90 minutes before the start of your wave.

  • The bib number is used for the cycle and run elements of your challenge.

    The number goes on your back for the cycle and on the front for the run. This can be attached with safety pins, however, it is recommended to use a race belt. You simply attach your number to the race belt and then put the clip around your midriff. It can then be moved to show the number on your back for the bike and on the front for the run. 

    The bike number stickers are placed on the front of the bike and the top of your helmet which serves two purposes. 

    - To ensure you are taking the correct bike out of transition 

    - You can be identified on our official photos which you may wish to purchase 

    Your wristband needs to be worn to get you in and out of transition. Without this you cannot gain access to this area .

    You will also be given a reusable timing chip that must be worn on your left ankle. These must be returned post-event in the buckets at the finish line, there will be staff on hand to assist you in removing your timing chip.

    Any unreturned chips will be charged to the participant at £25 per chip.

  • Unfortunately, we do not allow participants to race with headphones in. The safety of our participants is paramount and through wearing headphones you will be less likely to hear other competitors or marshals, which could become a hazard on route. By not wearing headphones you will also be able to enjoy the experience more and soak up the encouragement from spectators. If you are seen to be wearing headphones on race day you will be kindly asked to remove them and if caught with them during the race you will be disqualified. Furthermore, no mobile phones or MP3 players are allowed to be used in transition or while you are racing.

  • Tri bars (and handlebars) must be plugged and they must be secure. There is no requirement for them to be shorter than the brake levers unlike in the elite races. 

  • Your helmet will pass the safety inspection as long as it has no cracks in it, has no damage to it and bears a CE & EU safety mark inside it. The strap must also be in good working order.

  • Drafting is against the rules for all but the Elite Competitors. You must not take shelter cycling behind or cycle beside another competitor during the race. You can be disqualified from the race for drafting. The draft zone is a rectangle measuring ten (10) metres long by two (2) metres wide. The centre of the leading 2 metre edge is measured from the back edge of the back wheel. 

  • For more detailed triathlon rules and regulations please click here or contact the British Triathlon Federation www.britishtriathlon.org

  • There will be no water stations offered on the route.  Water will be available once you cross the finish line. 

  • Participants do not need to buy a spectator ticket to compete in the event.

    Spectator tickets for family and friends who want to access the Blenheim Palace Grounds to cheer you on, will be available at this link closer to the event date.

Participants with Disabilities 

All Motiv Sports events aim to be inclusive, offering people of all abilities the opportunity to take part.   

Please read the information below about taking part if you have a disability and/or require assistance on event day.   

Unfortunately, The Blenheim Palace Duathlon is not suitable for wheelchair athletes due to the narrow paths on the run route, steep terrain to access the water and small transition entrance/exits in the Palace courtyard. The Palace itself is wheelchair accessible and we welcome spectators out to support along the route.  

Disabled participants who need assistance:  

If you are a visually impaired Duathlete or your disability and/or medical conditions mean that you require a guide/assistant, then please contact us at  hello@blenheimtriathlon.com detailing your request and reasons for it.   

Please contact our Customer Service Team, hello@blenheimtriathlon.com with a description of your disability. We will assess this and establish if it is possible for you to compete and what we require to make this feasible.  

We strongly advise that each participant and their guide should be appropriately identified and linked together in a safe way on event day. Guide dogs are permitted on the event site, however, they are not permitted on the Blenheim Palace Duathlon race route.  

Registration 

  • ‘Let’s Do This' is our partner registration platform to take on the Blenheim Palace Duathlon entries for 2025. 

    When you enter the Blenheim Palace Duathlon, your entry information and payment are processed by 'Let’s Do This' and passed securely to Motiv Sports. Your bank statement will show 'Let’s Do This' against your event entry, and you will receive a booking confirmation email from 'Let’s Do This'. Once you are entered, all event communication will come from Motiv Sports and the Blenheim Palace Triathlon & Duathlon team. 

  • You can check if you've registered for any of our events at this link, which will take you to our booking partner Let's Do This.

    When you completed your registration and purchased your entry you should have received a confirmation email from us containing all the details of your event booking including your booking reference.  If you can't access your Let’s Do This account or don't remember your details, please email support@letsdothis.com. 

  • Editing your registration details, including predicted finish time, and race pack delivery address is easy, you can go to your dashboard via this link. Once you are in, click on “edit”.

    You will not be able to amend details after the deadlines. Please keep an eye out for emails ( we suggest checking your spam folder and adding us to your contact list) months prior to the event as we will advise on key dates.

    If you need assistance you can reach out to us at ‘hello@blenheimtriathlon.com’ and/or Let's DO This at support@letsdothis.com and they will be able to update your information.

  • Each race category has a specific number of places and if this is full it will display ‘Sold Out’. Alternatively, if you cannot find the desired race category on the entry form please contact our customer service team who will be able to assist you; hello@blenheimtriathlon.com

  • Yes, you are able to do this. Please email hello@blenheimtriathlon.com with your request and we will assist you further. Please note: you will only be able to transfer into challenges with available places.

  • The entry fee to the Blenheim Palace Triathlon & Duathlon is non-refundable.

    We do offer options for your entry for a fee if you can no longer participate. You can choose to defer to the following year or transfer your entry to a friend by following the instructions below:  

    Transfer your place to a friend or family member.

    1. Manage your booking here and enter your booking reference

    2. From your dashboard, click 'Manage' next to your name

    3. Select the 'Transfer' option, followed by 'Transfer to a friend'

    4. Input their name and email address

    5. Click 'Send transfer link'

    Upon registration, your friend will be required to pay a £25 transfer fee.

    Please note that your entry will only be cancelled once your friend has entered the event and taken your place. There are a limited number of transfer to a friend places for each event. We reserve the right to close this option at any time. We recommend you submit your transfer to a friend invitation at your earliest convenience. Their entry is not guaranteed until they are fully registered.

    Defer your entry to 2026.

    1. Manage your booking here and enter your booking reference

    2. From your dashboard, click 'Manage' next to your name

    3. Select the 'Defer your entry' option

    4. Follow the prompts and review the deferral policy to defer your entry to the following year

    Upon registration to the 2026 event, you will be required to pay a fee of 50% of the 2026 ticket price. Registrations for the 2026 event will be sent out two weeks after the 2025 event.

    Please note there are a limited number of deferrals for each event. We reserve the right to close this option at any time. We recommend you submit your deferral at your earliest convenience. Your entry is not guaranteed until you are fully registered for the 2026 event.

    For further information on this please read the full entry Terms & Conditions here and the deferral policy here.

  • Yes, you can use your own place to fundraise for a charity of your choice! All you need to do is pick a charity important to you, open a Just Giving page and start fundraising!

  • Our charity partners for Blenheim Palace Duathlon are yet to be confirmed, however you can use your own place to fundraise for a charity of your choice!

    We recommend setting up a JustGiving page to assist with marketing and securing your funds.

Charity Participants  

Additional Information

  • If you’d like to volunteer and be #partofthecrew please contact: volunteers@motivsports.com

    We couldn’t do our events without our incredible volunteers. Working at the Blenheim Palace Triathlon & Duathlon is an incredible opportunity and an amazing weekend of sport. 

  • If you feel unwell whilst taking part, please stop as soon as you can and seek help. There will be marshals and stewards on the route who will be able to assist and contact the medical team.

    See your GP if you have a problem or worry that might make it a risk for you to take part in the event. If you have any known medical conditions (such as diabetes, asthma, allergy to penicillin, etc) inform us prior to the event by entering it in the box provided on the online application. 

    In addition, please write all medical details on the back of your event number. Whether you have a medical condition or not, if you feel unwell on the event day – don’t take part. If you have flu, a feverish cold or a tummy bug, do not train until you have fully recovered. Then start gently and build up gradually. Do not attempt to catch up on lost mileage after illness or injury – this may cause further damage or illness. 

  • Please contact the event organisers via email, hello@blenheimtriathlon.com, with a full description of the missing item and we will do our best to reunite you with the item.

  • Marathon Photos are our official photographer for the event. Please go directly to their website to retrieve your photos and further information. 

  • Provisional results will be available via the tracking link & results page. If you have inputted a British mobile number, they will be texted to you. They will also be emailed to you post event.

  • This year, all timing chips are reusable and must be returned. Any unreturned chips will be charged to the participant at £25 per chip. If you have accidentally taken yours home, please email hello@blenheimtriathlon.com for details on how to return it.

  • Your age group is based upon the date of birth that you entered. Note that your age group is determined by your age at 31 December of the race year and not your age on race day (in accordance with BTF rules). 

  • Please note that we don’t operate a reserve/cancellation list as we already take into account the usual drop-out rate prior to the event.

  • There may be several reasons for this.

    Emails can often get directed straight into junk/spam folders or get rejected by email servers altogether. Please ensure that you check those filters and additionally add ‘hello@blenheimtriathlon.com’ to your safe senders list. 

    If you have unsubscribed from our mailing list and would like to resubscribe, please click here

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