Team GB sprinter and British 100m and 200m record holder Zharnel Hughes has signed a partnership deal with Vita Coco, the UK’s leading coconut water brand, on his journey to the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer.
Hughes, 28, is based and currently training at the Usain Bolt Track at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica.
To launch the partnership Hughes has developed a smoothie containing coconut water with the award-winning nutritionist Rob Hobson.
Zharnel Hughes commented: “This is the perfect recovery drink for athletes of all standards. It is made with Vita Coco and my favourite fruits: mango, pineapple and passion fruit. I have called it the Swift Smoothie, after my nickname Swift, and I hope that I will inspire people to try making it and using it as part of their training regime.”
The Swift Smoothie:
- 100ml Vita Coco coconut water
- 1 passion fruit
- 80g frozen pineapple
- 80g frozen mango
- 1 cm piece ginger (peeled)
- 25g of protein of your choice (e.g. scoop of unflavoured protein powder)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1-2 tsp honey.
Hughes and Vita Coco have also partnered with the fitness website and app – Strava – for a January running challenge, the Thirst Place Challenge.
The Thirst Place Challenge asks runners to complete 9.83km between 22nd-28th January. 9.83km has been chosen as the distance as a celebration of Hughes’ record breaking 9.83 second run in 2023 which saw him become Britain’s fastest man over 100m, breaking Linford Christie’s 30-year record.
Those that run 9.83km and log their time on Strava will receive a 20% discount off Vita Coco coconut water and will be in with the chance of winning:
- one of 5 places at this year’s London Winter Run (25th February 2024)
- a trip to Jamaica for 2 to train with Zharnel Hughes at Usain Bolt’s Track.
Challengers must join the Vita Coco running club, sign up for the Thirst Place Challenge and then complete the 9.83km distance between January 22nd – 28th, 2024.
In the run up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, Zharnel will be powered by coconuts throughout his training program and competition season with ATL, digital, sampling, competitions and in-store media showing his journey across the coming months. At the Olympics he will be Sprinting for Thirst Place – ensuring he is properly hydrated with coconut water pre and post races!
Zharnel Hughes commented on his partnership with Vita Coco: “My partnership with Vita Coco is genuine as I have grown up drinking Vita Coco and since becoming a professional athlete, I use it as part of my training program.
“Vita Coco contains Vitamin C that keeps me healthy, helps lessen the risk of injury and contains the electrolyte potassium which helps my body recover quickly. You could say I am powered by coconuts!”
Tim Rees, MD at Vita Coco, speaking on the partnership, added: “Zharnel had a phenomenal 2023 breaking Linford Christie’s long-standing 100m British record and the 200m record as well.
“Partnering with Zharnel as he bids for Olympic glory is very exciting and with him training in Jamaica, he has grown up drinking Vita Coco, it makes perfect sense to us as a brand – it is a natural fit as he drinks our coconut water as part of his high performance training regime.”
Zharnel Hughes is an ambassador for Vita Coco, for updates and information on the partnership visit: www.vitacoco.co.uk
For more information on this partnership please email henry@henryrobsonpr.com and premea@vitacoco.com.
-ENDS-