26/08/2025
Scot Set to Make History by Taking on World’s Hardest Triathlon
Buzzworks Holdings’ Lyndsey Blair set for the ultimate endurance test for charity
A Troon woman is preparing to make history by becoming the first Scot to complete one of the world’s toughest endurance events – the Enduroman Arch 2 Arc triathlon.
On 6 September 2025, 44-year-old ultra-endurance athlete Lyndsey Blair, whose family runs the award-winning hospitality group Buzzworks Holdings, will attempt the epic three-stage challenge. It begins with an 87-mile run from London’s Marble Arch to Dover, followed by a 21-mile solo swim across the English Channel, before finishing with a 181-mile cycle from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The event, regarded as the hardest triathlon on the planet, has only ever been completed by 64 athletes, including just 14 women. Lyndsey, who began her endurance journey less than 12 years ago, now hopes to etch her name into history as the first Scot to finish.
Alongside the physical and mental battle, her attempt will also raise funds for Hospitality Action and Ayrshire Cancer Support.
Lyndsey is no stranger to extreme tests of endurance. She is a multiple Ironman finisher, a Celtman competitor, a Team GB age-group triathlete, and in 2022 successfully completed a solo swim across the English Channel.
Her most recent ultra-distance challenge took place on 3 August at Dean Castle Country Park, which she completed alongside her father as part of her training programme.
Speaking ahead of the challenge, Lyndsey said:
“This is a challenge I’ve been building towards for years now, both physically and mentally. I know it will push every part of me, but that’s exactly why I want to do it.
I visualise everything, from the start line in London to finishing in Paris, and I’ll be drawing strength from my family and supporters to not only complete this challenge but raise vital funds for two good causes along the way.”
Her husband, Kenny Blair, Managing Director of Buzzworks Holdings, praised her dedication:
“Lyndsey has never done things by halves. Her training is relentless, her mindset is inspirational, and watching her prepare for the Enduroman Arch 2 Arc has been nothing short of incredible. We’re all immensely proud of her, as a family and as a business, and we’ll be there to cheer her on throughout this incredible challenge.”
Lyndsey’s passion for endurance sport was inspired by her late best friend, Gillian McCluskie, who first introduced her to open water swimming. Tragically, Gillian died from breast cancer in 2018 at the age of 36, adding a deeply personal motivation to Lyndsey’s efforts to raise funds for Ayrshire Cancer Support.
Training up to 30 hours per week, Lyndsey will be supported during the challenge by her husband, her niece and training partner Beth Barclay, and her coach Jon Cowell, who will also officiate the attempt to ensure it meets the strict rules of the Arch 2 Arc.
Funds raised will go towards:
• Hospitality Action, which provides training, employment and wellbeing support across the hospitality industry, and
• Ayrshire Cancer Support, which delivers vital services for cancer patients and their families.
Lyndsey’s attempt will begin between 6 and 15 September, depending on weather and tidal conditions in the Channel. If successful, she will join an elite group of endurance athletes who have conquered what many consider the most brutal triathlon in the world.
Updates from her journey will be shared via her Instagram account: www.instagram.com/lyndsey_b_tri_
Links to donate to her fundraising efforts can be found in comments ⬇️
