Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain won the women’s title wire-to-wire at Challenge Roth.
Charles-Barclay combined a by-far women’s-best 49:01 swim, a women’s second-best 4:39:20 bike split and a women’s-best 2:59:42 marathon to finish in 8:31:09 with a 7:02 margin of victory over Sarah Crowley of Australia and 12:08 over 3rd-place finisher Daniela Bleymehl (nee Sämmler) of Germany.
Charles-Barclay thus avenged a runner-up finish at this race last year when Daniela Bleymehl of Germany came from behind to beat her British rival by 9 seconds at the line.
Charles’ 8:31:09 time was the 4th-best women’s mark at Roth, falling behind Chrissie Wellington’s 8:18:13 in 2011 and 8:19:13 in 2010, and Daniela Ryf’s 8:22:04 mark in 2017. A search of women’s all-time best Ironman distance records reveals Charles’ Barclay’s finish today was the 6th-fastest in history, falling behind Wellington’s 8:18:13 and 8:19:13 at Roth in 2011 and 2011, Ryf’s 8:22:04 finish at Roth in 2017, Ryf’s 8:26:18 at Kona in 2018 and Melissa Hauschildt’s 8:31:04 at Ironman Texas in 2018.
“I cannot thank the spectators enough for their support,” said Charles-Barclay. “It's so important, because you can never stop pushing and giving everything." Charles-Barclay added, “This was very important to me because last year I got beat right near the end.”
This win adds to Charles-Barclay’s glittering triathlon résumé which includes two second places at Kona, two wins at Ironman South Africa, a win at Ironman Lanzarote and a win at Challenge the Championship.
Sarah Crowley exited the swim in 5th, 5:37 behind Charles-Barclay, then passed into 4th place at the 70km mark of the bike ride on her way to a 3rd-fastest 4:40:26 bike split. Crowley then passed two more women for 2nd place overall with a women’s 2nd-best 3:00:02 marathon.
Bleymehl, who posted the women’s-best 4:36:17 bike split, ran 3:06:06 to finish 3rd, 12:03 behind the winner.
Photo by Ingo Kutsche
Challenge Roth
Roth, Germany
July 7, 2019
S 2.4 mi. / B 12 mi. / R 26.2 mi.
1. Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) 8:31:09 S 49:01 T1 1:40 B 4:39:20 T2 1:28 R 2:59:42 - EUR 14,000
2. Sarah Crowley (AUS) 8:38:11 S 54:38 T1 1:56 B 4:40:13 T2 1:24 R 3:00:02 - EUR 7,000
3. Daniela Bleymehl (GER) 8:43:17 S 58:03 T1 1:46 B 4:36:17 T2 1:07 R 3:06:06 - EUR 3,500
4. Agnieszka Jerzyk (POL) 8:48:49 S 54:41 T1 1:31 B 4:42:59 T2 1:23 R 3:08:17 - EUR 2,000
5. Carolin Lehrieder (GER) 8:55:13 S 54:36 T1 1:43 B 4:40:26 T2 1:17 R 3:17:13 - EUR 1,000
6. Rachel McBride (CAN) 9:06:47 S 54:29 T1 2:15 B 4:43:46 T2 1:30 R 3:24:50 - EUR 900
7. Els Visser (NED) 9:07:49 S 58:21 T1 1:32 B 4:49:10 T2 1:17 R 3:17:31 - EUR 800
8. Ruth Purbrook (GBR) 9:12:15 S 58:34 T1 2:05 B 4:46:16 T2 1:51 R 3:23:31
9. Elena Illeditsch (GER) 9:16:43 S 58:03 T1 2:05 B 5:00:57 T2 3:02 R 3:12:38 - EUR 700
10. Anja Ippach (GER) 9:23:58 S 54:33 T1 1:47 B 4:42:53 T2 1:32 R 3:43:14
