Mazda sponsors Blenheim Triathlon

Mazda is bringing its Zoom-Zoom spirit to the adrenaline-fuelled world of triathlon racing next month, by becoming title sponsor of the ‘Mazda Blenheim Triathlon’ to be held in the grounds of the famous Oxfordshire palace over two days – 2-3 June.

The 2007 event, which presents competitors with a tough three-way challenge (swimming 750m, cycling 21km and running 5km), has attracted more than 5,000 entrants to enjoy the festival atmosphere at Blenheim Palace, with picnics, a special ‘Kids Zone’ and sporting action scheduled throughout the weekend.

Currently the UK’s second-largest triathlon, the Mazda Blenheim Triathlon is especially newcomer-friendly and will be accessible to people of all abilities, offering a choice of shorter distances for individual competitors (400m, 12km and 2.5km), plus the opportunity to enter as part of a team of three with each person completing a single discipline, rather than all three. The 2007 event is aiming to raise more than £500,000 for charities.

“Triathlon is the world’s fastest growing multi-discipline sport and the Blenheim Triathlon is an excellent platform for Mazda to reach an audience of consumers leading active lifestyles,” enthused Mark Cameron, Marketing Director Mazda UK.

“I believe that the values of triathlon – appealing to people keen to take on challenges and push themselves to deliver maximum performance – perfectly matches the values of Mazda. Our engineers embrace technological challenges and create distinctive cars with a blend of high performance and practicality that appeals to demanding drivers.

“We will be using triathlon to promote our new Mazda CX-7 sports crossover model, which is the latest embodiment of our brand’s core values and takes Mazda into a whole new sector of the UK market. We look forward to our association with the Blenheim event and to giving something back to triathlon fans and our consumers through this sponsorship,” concluded Cameron.

Blenheim visitors can get an early look at the new Mazda CX-7, the 130mph, ground-breaking sports crossover vehicle, scheduled for UK deliveries from September. The 258ps turbocharged, all-wheel-drive model delivers sports car?style performance and handling, along with SUV comfort and practicality – all in one highly desirable package.

Sponsorship of the Mazda Blenheim Triathlon is only the beginning of Mazda’s commitment to this stamina-testing sport and further associations and initiatives will be announced throughout 2007.