Canada's Lionel Sanders and Great Britain's Lucy Charles earned the victories at Saturday's The Challenge Championship in Samorin, Slovakia.
Photo: Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
An elated Lucy Charles takes a deep breath at the finish line. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon Photo: Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
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Two-time Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee prepares for the race. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
The professional men kick off the action with a 1.2-mile swim. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Canadian Heather Wurtele enters the water ahead of the race. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Great Britain’s Kim Morrison gets ready for the race action in Bratislava, Slovakia. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Lucy Charles of Great Britain prepares for the swim start. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
The pro women head to the start. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain and Michael Raelert of Germany take on the bike course. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Brownlee led off of the bike with Sebastian Kienle (GER) and Lionel Sanders (CAN) following. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
It’s a rare treat for Slovakia’s Richard Varga to race on home turf. He was first out of the water and ultimately finished 11th. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
South Africa’s Richard Murray on the bike. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Brownlee was strong through the swim and the bike but ultimately dropped out on the run, Tweeting “Tough day from the first stroke of the swim. Hate not finishing but didn’t have a choice today. Great event and well done to the other guys.” Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Some of the beauty on the bike course. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Part of the bike course. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Athletes on the bike course cross a dam as they race along the banks of the Danube River. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Lionel Sanders and Sebastian Kienle duke it out on the run course. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Brownlee on the run course before he decided to stop racing. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Lucy Charles concluded her day with a 1:25:09 half-marathon. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Charles has been impressive in 2017. Just a few weeks ago she dominated at Ironman Lanzarote.
Lionel Sanders takes the victory in 3:40:04. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Kienle and Raelert chat at the finish line. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
The men’s podium: Lionel Sanders (1st), Sebastian Kienle (2nd) and Michael Raelert (3rd) make up the podium. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Lucy Charles crosses the finish line in 4:14:32. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
An elated Lucy Charles takes a deep breath at the finish line. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
“I can’t believe it. I could see that I was closing the gap on the run, but I didn’t expect to claw in the race win. Epic course, epic race and I really am over the moon.” Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Australia’s Annabel Luxford celebrates her runner-up finish. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Canadian Heather Wurtele cruises in for third. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Lucy Charles gives a smile on the podium. Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
The women’s podium: Annabel Luxford (2nd), Lucy Charles (1st) and Heather Wurtele (CAN). Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
The women’s podium: Annabel Luxford (2nd), Lucy Charles (1st) and Heather Wurtele (CAN). Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
The women’s podium: Annabel Luxford (2nd), Lucy Charles (1st) and Heather Wurtele (CAN). Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images for Challenge Triathlon
Canada’s Lionel Sanders and Great Britain’s Lucy Charles earned the victories at Saturday’s The Challenge Championship in Samorin, Slovakia, taking home the titles and 30,000 Euros as part of a total 150,000 Euro prize pot. Overall more than 900 competitors from 57 countries lined up alongside the Danube River in the shadow of the x-bionic sphere.
Men’s Race
Slovakia’s own Richard Varga kicked off the action by leading out of the swim, with two-time Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee and two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion Michael Reelert following. Brownlee worked hard to lead off of the bike, but by that time uber bikers Sebastian Kienle (GER) and Lionel Sanders (CAN) had gotten within striking distance. Both Kienle and Sanders passed Brownlee and then went to battle for the win. Sanders gained the edge, using a 1:14:21 half-marathon to take the victory in 3:40:04. Kienle earned the runner-up spot in 3:41:46, with Raelert rounding out the top three. Brownlee ultimately dropped out of the race.
Women’s Race
Charles kicked off the day out front, coming out of the water in front 25 seconds ahead of Australia’s Annabel Luxford and 1:26 ahead of Australia’s Salthouse. The big mover on the bike was Great Britain’s Kimberly Morrison, earning about a one-minute lead over Luxford to start the run. Charles was fourth off of the bike, but worked hard on her way to a 1:25:09 run split to pass the three ahead of her and take the victory in 4:13:59. Luxford was second at 4:14:33, with Wurtele claiming third at 4:15:36.
The Challenge Championship Samorin, Slovakia – June 3, 2017 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run
Men
1. Lionel Sanders (CAN) 3:40:03
2. Sebastian Kienle (GER) 3:41:46
3. Michael Raelert (GER) 3:45:34
4. Andreas Dreitz (GER) 3:47:17
5. Richard Murray (RSA) 3:50:22
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