“I’ve been all over the world doing this, and Canberra is still my favourite pace to ride and train for sure,” says Weston Creek local, and holder of eight Australian cycling titles, 33-year-old Brendan Johnston. 

Speaking from Salt Lake City in the United States, where he has been training for the last month,  Canberra-based former electrician turned professional cyclist, Johnston, is preparing for the first race of the six race Life Time Grand Prix cycling series, the Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel event on 10 April in Monteray, California. The series will conclude in October, this year, in Bentonville, Arkinsas. 

However, the Canberra region still ranks as Johnston’s number one spot to ride and train. 

“I think the proximity to where we live is a great advantage. I’ve mostly lived in Weston Creek, and I can be out of town with maybe one set of traffic lights to the back roads where it is quiet and scenic,” he says.

But for now, Johnston is delighted to compete for the third time in the Sea Otter event, where he placed seventh two years ago, and fourth last year. He hopes he can unseat defending champion Keegan Swenson, who has taken first place overall for the last three years. 

“I think people are ready for him to be toppled, and hopefully I can do that. If not me, then someone else,” says Johnston.

TheLife Time Grand Prix is owned and produced by premier leisure brand, Life Time. It is among 30 iconic athletic events owned, produced and operated by the company, including the Chicago Half Marathon, UNBOUND Gravel and the Leadville Race Series.  

“There are 22 men, and 22 women invited from all over the world to compete,” says Johnston. 

 “And they are adding three ‘wildcard’ racers, who are drawn from those who were not selected, and they compete in the first two races. The three highest ranked out of those riders are then included in the series making it 25 men and 25 women,” he says. 

The duration of the races ranges from around three to ten hours. 

“Unbound, the second race of the series, will be in Kansas at the end of May and it’s 325 kms and takes around ten hours, so it’s really long,” says Johnston.

Johnston says that no matter where he goes, he never takes for granted that he gets to do what he loves professionally, thanks to his major sponsor Giant Bikes, and several other smaller contracts. 

“There are so many great rides you can do here, and fortunately that’s where I get to go to work every day and that’s pretty sweet,” he says.

To learn more about the 2025 Series, visit lifetimegrandprix.com