Challenge Almere-Amsterdam 2025 results: British duo Davies and Draper take European titles on full-distance debuts!

British duo Will Draper and Daisy Davies launched their full-distance careers in spectacular style as they took the wins at European Championship Long Distance at Challenge Almere-Amsterdam.

Their methods of victory couldn’t have been more contrasting – Draper hunted down his rivals before sprinting for victory in the shadow of the line while Davies was way ahead of everyone from the gun and came home nearly a quarter of an hour in front.

Harsh weather conditions, immense tension and much more – here’s how it all played out…

Pro Men – Stunning sprint finish

The men’s race developed into an extraordinarily close battle. Serbian athlete Ognjen Stojanovic led out of the swim, but on the bike it didn’t take long before Robert Kallin took charge. This was hardly surprising, as the Swede is known as one of the strongest riders in the field and was widely expected to make a decisive move.

Kallin did indeed stretch the field apart – while fierce winds swept across the athletes, especially in the exposed polder region – leaving a strong chase group behind him. This included Dutchmen Pim van Diemen, Tristan Olij, and Milan Brons, Brit Will Grace, Pole Wojciech Kopycinski, and Stojanovic. Van Diemen was the first to drop out, forced to abandon the race after a nasty crash around the 70km mark.

Meanwhile, Draper began a strong charge and bridged up to the chase group. Once there, he wasted no time taking control, causing Stojanovic, Kopycinski, Grace, and Brons to lose contact. Kallin, however, stormed ahead toward T2, arriving first to begin the marathon. Draper, on the other hand, lost significant time in the last 20 kilometres of the bike to a surging Olij, who entered T2 in second.

During the marathon, Kallin held the lead for a long stretch, but after about 28 kilometers Olij erased his three-minute deficit and seized control of the race. The Dutch favourite seemed destined to take the victory he so dearly wanted on home soil, but Draper refused to give in. Running even faster than Olij, he maintained a steady gap of around 50 seconds for much of the final 10 kilometres – keeping hope alive.

In the last few kilometres, the race turned completely. Draper clawed back the seconds, cutting the deficit to just eight with one kilometre to go. Olij appeared unaware, and as the athletes entered the stadium with 200 metres remaining, Draper unleashed a devastating sprint to pass him. With one quick glance over his shoulder, Draper confirmed the victory – Olij had no response.

Draper won Challenge Almere-Amsterdam – and the European Long Distance Championship – in 7:41:40. An emotional Olij crossed the line just eight seconds later in second place. Grace took bronze in 7:49:26.

Finish line reaction from Draper is below…

Pro Women – Davies a class apart

The women’s race was dictated by one athlete: Daisy Davies.

The British star, stepping up from shorter distances and racing her first-ever full-distance was simply untouchable.

From the opening swim, she seized the lead alongside Dutchwoman Maaike Vooren. Other favorites, such as Els Visser and Marta Lagownik, exited the water with significant deficits and had work to do on the bike.

Vooren soon had to concede to Davies’ pace on the bike, leaving the Brit to power away solo. Her lead quickly grew to over six minutes ahead of Visser, who had worked her way into second place. Despite the windy conditions, Davies’ advantage remained steady all the way into T2.

Starting the marathon, she was visibly lifted by the crowd – though no one received louder support than home favourite Visser, cheered on by tens of thousands of fans.

But Davies never faltered. There was no sign of inexperience, no hint of fatigue, and no chance she would relinquish victory. In fact, her six-minute cushion over Visser more than doubled in the second half of the marathon. By the finish, she had extended her lead to nearly 15 minutes.

Davies won Challenge Almere-Amsterdam – and the European Long Distance Championship – in 8:30:15. Visser finished second in 8:44:39, with Lagownik taking third in 8:47:27.

Again, the reaction is below…