21st June 2026 — Kennett, a premium British Watch & Accessories brand, has announced its support of Bridge to Blanc, a world-first endurance challenge led by former Special Forces operator and television star Ollie Ollerton, taking place in June 2026.
Starting at Tower Bridge, London, four pioneers will cycle 1,500km through England, Belgium and France into the heart of the Alps; then transition straight into climbing the three most demanding peaks in the range, consecutively, fatigued and against the clock. The entire challenge, fully self-supported from start to finish, must be completed in under 14 days. Each of the three peaks has been climbed before. Riding 1,500km and climbing all three consecutively, as one unbroken effort, never has.
It is a challenge built on the same principles that have defined Ollerton's career and his work since leaving the military: no blueprint, no precedent, and a willingness to embrace the unknown. The team will be entirely self-supported throughout; carrying their own equipment, managing their own logistics, and relying on their own resilience across thousands of kilometres of road and altitude.
As well as standing as a world-first sporting achievement, Bridge to Blanc will raise funds for charities close to the team's hearts, continuing Ollerton's long-standing commitment to supporting causes connected to the military and veteran community.
Expedition Commander: Ollie Ollerton Leading the team as Expedition Commander is Ollie Ollerton, former UK Special Forces operator and directing staff on Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins. A leading voice in performance and mindset with a global audience of over 1 million, Ollerton sets the pace, direction and standard under pressure; bringing the same operational discipline that defined his military career to a challenge with no precedent to follow.
Kennett joins the challenge as an official partner, backing a team whose ethos of preparation, precision and performance under pressure mirrors the values at the heart of the brand. As part of its involvement, Ollerton will wear a special, as-yet-unreleased Kennett Watch throughout the expedition; putting the watch through its toughest possible test, across multiple time zones, extreme conditions and round-the-clock effort, well before its public release.
"This challenge is about doing something that simply hasn't been done before; there's no blueprint to follow, and that's exactly the point," said Ollie Ollerton, Expedition Commander. "Having Kennett on board, and wearing a watch that's being tested for the very first time out here with us, feels fitting."
"Bridge to Blanc embodies everything we believe a Kennett watch should be built for: real performance, under real pressure, with nothing to fall back on but preparation and grit," said Tom Kennett, Founder. "We couldn't think of a tougher proving ground for what's coming next."
The partnership marks the first stage of a wider collaboration between Kennett and Ollerton, with further details to be announced in the coming weeks.
