TRI247
Search
shop

World Triathlon LD Champs: Challenge Almere, watch it LIVE

Challenge Almere hosts the World Triathlon Long Distance Championship - follow it live now!
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
SHOP

This is a preview of the World Triathlon Long Distance Championships at Challenge Almere 2021 – you can click here for a full report and results on how Kristian Hogenhaug and Sarissa De Vries claimed record-breaking victories.

With the postponement of the IRONMAN World Championship until February 2022, the World Triathlon Long Distance Championship status of Sunday’s Challenge Almere-Amsterdam takes on perhaps greater importance than it might normally. It certainly has a stronger field thanks to the (lack of) events in Hawaii this year.

And – on another packed weekend of live broadcast triathlon opportunities – you can also watch this one live too.

Advertisement

Start time, how to watch Challenge Almere 2021 LIVE

Sunday’s World Triathlon Long Distance Championship race will be broadcast live, hosted by Belinda Granger.

The race will start at 0700 local time (CEST), that’s an hour earlier in the UK (0100 Eastern Standard Time in the U.S.).

You can watch the race live without leaving TRI247.com via the video embed directly below.

History #1 – LD World Champs

The ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship (as it always was pre World Triathlon branding change), can boast a long-standing position on the annual schedule of its own. It made its debut in 1994 (won by Rob Barel and Isabelle Mouthon) and, until the global pandemic, it had not missed a year since.

The format and distance have varied over the years, with 3km swim / 120km bike / 30km run, being the most common in recent times. Not for 2021 however, as we go ‘full-iron’ this year for only the second time in the championship’s history. The first time that happened was 20 years ago in Fredericia, Denmark. I remember it well, I was racing as an age-grouper myself!

Jodie Swallow (twice), Leanda Cave, Chrissie Wellington, Rachel Joyce, Bella Bayliss and Simon Lessing have all topped the podium for Great Britain in the past, while the winners from 2019 (Pontevedra, Spain) were Javier Gomez (ESP) and Alexandra Tondeur (BEL).

Javier Gomez / Pablo Dapena Gonzalez Pontevedra ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships 2019

History #2 – Almere

The event itself, now known as Challenge Almere-Amsterdam, traces its roots all the way back to 1983, and has held European and World Championship events several times since. It is, according to Wikipedia, second only to Hawaii in terns of being the world’s oldest long-distance triathlon

The course is very flat and, wind dependent, can be very fast.

Course records are:

  • Men: Matt Trautman (RSA) – 7:50:15 in 2019
  • Women: Yvonne van Vlerken (NED) – 8:51:13 in 2017
Challenge Almere-Amsterdam 2019

Challenge Almere Prize Money

With World Triathlon Long Distance Championship status, there’s a hefty $110,000 prize purse total on offer, paid 15-deep:

  1. $13,750
  2. $11,000
  3. $8,250
  4. $5,500
  5. $3,850
  6. $3,300
  7. $2,750
  8. $1,650
  9. $1,240
  10. $960
  11. $825
  12. $690
  13. $550
  14. $410
  15. $275

Who’s racing at Challenge Almere?

ELITE MEN

Top names racing include Kristian Hogenhaug (DEN) – second recently at IRONMAN Frankfurt – plus the man who was just behind him that day, Great Britain’s David McNamee.

IRONMAN Frankfurt 2021 / Patrik Nilsson, Kristian Hogenhaug, David McNamee

Andrew Starykowicz (USA) told me at the Collins Cup that he was incredibly excited about this race, given his success at the likes of IRONMAN Florida. With potentially cooler temperatures, and maybe some wind, it could well be his dream course. He really wants a world championship podium finish.

Andrew Starykowicz / Collins Cup 2021
Credit: That Cameraman – Darren Wheeler – PTO

France are always strong performers in this championship, and based on form you have to consider the youngster Sam Laidlow. He came very close to winning IRONMAN UK, leading for the vast majority of the day, and definitely has a ‘youngest athlete to break eight hours over the iron-distance’ target in mind.

Sam Laidlow
Photo Credit: Oriol Batista

Spain boast Pablo Dapena Gonzalez, who was World Champion in 2018 and silver in 2019, though he has limited experience over the ‘full’ distance.

Completing the British squad alongside David McNamee are Pete Dyson, Kieran Lindars and Robert Fryer.

Pete, who works for the Department of Transport, recently set a Lands’ End to London cycling record. He finished fifth at Almere in 2019 (8:13:22), finishing just ahead of Kieran in sixth (8:17:14). Robert was fourth earlier this year at the Outlaw Triathlon.

ELITE WOMEN

Sarah Crowley (AUS), twice second in Kona and a previous ITU Long Distance World Champion, is on the start list but having raced last weekend at Challenge Roth (fifth), I’m going to guess may have more relaxing plans for this weekend.

However, another Aussie – Renee Kiley – will be racing just two weeks after her second place at IRONMAN Hamburg.

Team Denmark also look strong with both Camilla Pedersen and Michelle Vesterby start-listed. Michelle has already won IRONMAN Lanzarote this year (the polar opposite of Almere in terms of terrain), while Camilla has a gold and three silvers from this championship in previous years, winning in 2014.

Home favourite though could well be Sarissa De Vries. While she may not have the major profile (yet), she has already won this year over the half distance in Gdansk and Riccione, as well as taking second behind Nicola Spirig in Gran Canaria. That is solid form from an athlete who was also third at this race two years ago and second in 2017.

Second in 2017, can Sarissa De Vries win on home soil this year?

CLICK HERE FOR FULL LISTINGS

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
Wahoo Kickr Run treadmill running cadence
What is the ideal running cadence? Useful metrics to work on your run form
winter cycling
Winter cycling gear guide – Essential cycling kit and accessories to keep riding all year round
Wahoo KICKR RUN treadmill indoor running marathon workouts
Best treadmill workouts for marathon training
TRI-FIT Rapid X goggles Jenny Lucas-Hill
TRI-FIT RAPID-X swimming goggles review – A contender for the best swim goggles for pool and open water?
Triathlete riding a time trial bike wearing a Ryzon tri suit
Tri suit buying guide: how to find your perfect tri suit
latest News
Jonny Brownlee supertri Neom 2024 run photo credit supertri
Jonny Brownlee shows he still has “some speed in the legs” on record-breaking day for 5k running
Connor Bentley u23 World Triathlon Championship 2022
Where does GB triathlon strength lie ahead of LA 2028? The answer might be a surprise
Kristian Blummenfelt IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 Puking Bike
How Kristian Blummenfelt caused IRONMAN Kona CHAOS in Hawaii slugfest – Joe Skipper
TRI247 Breaking News
F1 superstar Valtteri Bottas completes Ironman triathlon – without leaving his house
Paris Olympics 2024 men swim start River Seine photo credit World Triathlon
Paris 2024 Olympics and the River Seine – British chief on triathlon’s gigantic GAMBLE
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
Invalid email address
The SBRX Group

Proudly elevating endurance sports through content, products & services

SBRX
RUN247
Share to...