Challenge Barcelona 2024: All the details as Learmonth and Dickinson fly flag for GB

This was a preview of the race – click here to read about impressive wins for Caroline Pohle and Jonathan Wayaffe.

A strong cohort of PRO and age-group athletes are preparing for the next race on the Challenge Family calendar, as Challenge Barcelona welcomes almost 3,500 hopefuls to the Catalan capital this Sunday (3 November). 

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee was second in the men’s race last year, with Imogen Simmonds topping the women’s field.

This year, Challenge Barcelona features a new run course and over 70 professional triathletes, with five Olympians amongst them. 

Jess Learmonth, a gold medallist for Team GB in the mixed relay at the Tokyo Olympics, takes top billing, along with fellow Brit Sam Dickinson, who earned a bronze medal in the same event at Paris, and has now moved up to middle distance.

Start time and how to watch 

Challenge Barcelona had been set to start at 8.00am local time (CET) on Sunday 3 November – that’s 7.00am GMT and 2.00am EST.

However the swim was cancelled due to a heavy swell that was forecast to increase throughout the morning. Athlete safety is a top priority and with recent events in Spain at top of mind, the race organisation has confirmed Challenge Barcelona 2024 will be a duathlon with the professional athletes now starting at 8:15am.

There is no live broadcast of Challenge Barcelona 2024, but you can follow the race HERE, with live timing updates via an app HERE.

Men’s PRO start list 

Olympic bronze medalist Sam Dickinson will be hopeful of a big performance in the Catalan capital. 

In his completed 2024 races, Sam has finished in the top-ten every time. Notable results include victory at the 2024 Europe Triathlon Cup Kielce when he beat Jonny Brownlee to all but seal that Paris place.

Germany’s Justus Nieschlag would have been one of the favourites after his superb third place at T100 Lake Las Vegas but he’s been forced to withdraw after losing 3kg, likely due to either food poisoning or a virus.

“Right now I feel very weak and I don’t think it makes sense to start in Barcelona,” he said. “The race was meant as part of my buildup for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, which is my top goal for this year. I want to recover well and then complete a strong final training block.”

Other big names include Tom Hug, who will be hoping to build on his recent Challenge Peguera Mallorca win which saw him climb further up the Challenge Family’s World Bonus rankings in pursuit of its $100,000 prize purse. He currently sits third after that victory at as well as one at St Pölten and a second-place finish at Walchsee. 

And Spanish athlete Guillem Montiel, who took first place at Challenge Salou earlier this year, is relishing taking on the big names, saying: “Competing in Barcelona is always special, and even more so with such a high-calibre line-up of triathletes. It’s a fantastic opportunity to challenge ourselves against top-level athletes and to showcase the high level of talent we have here.” 

Women’s PRO start list 

Jess Learmonth is the biggest name on the start list in Barcelona. Having achieved a gold in the mixed relay at the Tokyo Olympics, she’s returned to action this year following the birth of her first child.

Her comeback race was at IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau in May where she came second and she had been scheduled to race T100 London before a hip injury ruled her out.

Alongside her will be the Swiss athlete Imògen Simmonds, who is the reigning Challenge Barcelona champion. This will be hers first Challenge race of 2024, having won four such events last year. 

Both will have one eye on Caroline Pohle. The German is in fantastic form heading into Barcelona after 70.3 wins in Tallinn and Zell am See which have pushed her up to number 15 in the latest PTO world rankings.

And home hopes will largely rest on Sara Pérez Sala who was third at Challenge Turku in July.

Challenge Barcelona course  

The main thing to say about the PRO races is that the ‘Short’ distance is an unusual one – somewhere between Olympic and middle distance.

First the 1,500m swim (the same as Olympic distance) should have seen competitors just off the Mar Bella beach with views of the entire coastline, before the 56km bike sees them head into the streets on a flat and fast route. 

There’s a new 15km running course for Challenge Barcelona this year, with athletes set to enjoy a faster, more streamlined route.

Much of it follows the Mediterranean coast, and will feature enthusiastic crowd support along the way. There is also a reduced number of 180-degree turns, with the route taking athletes past Barcelona’s most iconic sites such as the Bogatell Promenade, Nova Icària Beach and Barceloneta. 

Discover more about Challenge Barcelona in our race guide.