DESPITE his world class status Horsforth triathlete Alistair Brownlee took time out to defend his title in the annual Boxing Day Chevin Chase.

Indeed he did more than defend his title, he and younger brother Jonathan, made it a one-two in the race for a third successive year.

The aspiring Olympic medallists made it a hat-trick of one-two finishes in this year’s race which saw 825 hardy souls complete the race over the snow-covered Chevin after starting out in Guiseley.

Current World Champion triathlete Alistair, appropriately wearing race number one, finished the just over seven mile course in 38.02. Alistair’s winning time was just short of his winning time of last year which was 37.19.

For the rising star of British triathlon this was his fourth Chevin Chase win - he missed out on running the race in 2006.

The elder Brownleee, World Triathlon champion, was recently announced as one of the British Olympic Association (BOA) recipients of the 2009 Olympic Athlete of the Year trophy.

The award was introduced in 2005, to mark the BOA’s Centenary Year and the success of London being awarded the 2012 Olympic Games.

The BOA presented a trophy to each of the 33 summer and winter Olympic sports for them to award on an annual basis to their top performing athlete of the year.

To mark outstanding performances in 2009, Alistair , who competed in the Beijing Olympics and is now looking forward - along with brother Jonathan, silver medallist in the World Junior Triathlon Championships - to the 2012 Olympics in London, was awarded the trophy for the top triathlete of 2009.

On receiving his award Alistair said: “Winning the BOA Athlete of the Year award was a great achievement. To receive such a prestigious award just further motivates me to perform at this level.”

It has been an exceptional year for Alistair for as well as winning the series of races which formed the World Triathlon Championship travelling to France, Spain and the USA amongst other places, he also competed in duathlons, 10Ks and cross-country.

After racing in Liverpool earlier this month and finishing sixth he was selected for the Great Britain U-23 cross-country team.

The year culminated with him not only picking up the British Olympic Triathlete of the Year award he also won the UK Sports Journalists Association award.

The 21 year-old already has a degree in physiology and sport from Leeds University and is currently studying for an MSc in finance at Leeds Metropolitan University.

l For a full page of pictures and results from the Chevin Chase turn to page 20.