Sub7Sub8

The Pho3nix Foundation Sub7Sub8 Project will be one of THE MOST eagerly-awaited triathlon events in 2022.

Four huge names in swim/bike/run will attempt to set new standards for what the human body can achieve.

It’s a concept which has not found favour with everybody – many purists bristle at the use of pacers to help.

What is Sub7Sub8?

Pretty much what is says on the tin. Two male athletes will look to go under 7 hours for the Ironman distance. And two women will look to go under 8 hours. Neither milestone has been broken before.

Who is taking part in Sub7Sub8?

We have a stellar cast of household names attempting to help triathlon cross over into the sporting mainstream to attract new fans, though unfortunately not Alistair Brownlee nor Lucy Charles-Barclay who have both been ruled out through injury.

Kristian Blummenfelt, the Olympic and reigning IRONMAN World Champion as well as the man who set the fastest time ever for the Ironman distance in Cozumel in November 2021 will now take on Joe Skipper.

Former Olympic gold medallist and Swiss superstar Nicola Spirig has achieved just about everything in a glittering career, and now she steps up to the plate in a bid to write a new piece of triathlon history, with Kat Matthews the replacement for Charles-Barclay.

When will Sub7Sub8 happen?

The event is set to take place on June 5-6, 2022 at the Dekra Lausitzring near Dresden in Germany. The event will be broadcast live globally with exact details and times still to be finalised.

What are the rules for Sub7Sub8?

This is where it gets really interesting, and also the bit that makes some tri purists recoil in horror.

Each athlete can use up to 10 pacers and these can be deployed in whatever way they want across swim, bike and run. Drafting on the bike leg is allowed, with significant time gains expected from that change alone.