Olympic triathlon legend Alistair Brownlee awarded an OBE in King’s Birthday Honours List

British great Alistair Brownlee may now be a retired professional triathlete, but the accolades just keep on coming for the two-time Olympic champion.

The 37-year-old Yorkshire legend took the sport of swim/bike/run mainstream by claiming gold at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games. Together with brother Jonny, they became the most decorated siblings in the sport with incredible performances for more than a decade.

Off the course Alistair had been awarded an MBE for his services to triathlon back in 2013, but now he has been honoured again – this time in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

This time Brownlee receives an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his services to triathlon and to charity. An incredible honour which left him pretty much speechless. He responded to the news by saying: “What an honour! Never dreamt triathlon would take me here.”

Brownlee and the future

Alistair has been enjoying a variety of sporting pursuits since his retirement – taking in a bucket list of events around the world. Including Spain’s epic Traka gravel race and Yorkshire’s iconic Three Peaks Race.

Off the course Alistair has been a tireless campaigner to bring sport to young people who otherwise might not be able to experience it. As of March 2025, the Brownlee Foundation – set up with Jonny – had seen more than 66,000 youngsters take part in its events.

Our very biggest congratulations go to Alistair for another richly deserved honour – recognition again for everything he has done for the sport of triathlon, and for so many young people.