British triathlon superstar Lucy Charles-Barclay claimed a brilliant victory at IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman in Maryland on Sunday.
The 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and 2023 IRONMAN World Champion showed she is in top form heading into the key part of her season by just about leading from gun to tape in this IRONMAN Pro Series blockbuster to win in a new course record time.
She held off the fast-finishing 2022 IRONMAN World Champion Chelsea Sodaro (USA) on the closing half-marathon to take the tape. Another American in the shape of Grace Alexander took third to complete the podium.
Swim – LCB has company for once
Charles-Barclay is pretty peerless in the swim and it was unusual to see her have company in the opening discipline here.
American Margarita Ryan was able to keep pace with LCB for the entire leg though, even overtaking the British superstar at one stage. But it was Lucy who had a fractional advantage as the pair exited the water to head for T1.
After that leading pair there was then a sizeable 1:56 gap to Alexander in third with Sodaro close behind her.
Bike – Charles-Barclay in front, Becharas charges
Charles-Barclay is well used to leading from the front and challenging her rivals to bridge the gap, and she gradually built her advantage during the bike leg here.
She had a lead of 2:52 by the time she and the chasers arrived in T2, ahead of American Lisa Becharas, who had produced a terrific 2:06:59 bike leg – which saw her charge through the field to second.
Another American in the shape of Alice Alberts was right with Becharas in third after a course-record 2:06:49 bike split, while Sodaro and Alexander were fourth and fifth – a few seconds behind them.
It was all to play for on the run and a familiar question – could the chasers run down LCB on the final leg?
Run – Lucy holds off Sodaro charge
Sodaro wasted no time in beginning her charge on the run, quickly moving up to second place as Becharas began to fall away. By the time the leaders reached the halfway stage, the gap was down to 1:22 and it looked for a moment as though we might have a grandstand finish.
But Lucy stemmed the tide as they moved into the closing miles and Sodaro could never get the deficit down to under a minute. The British star would take the tape with an advantage of 1:11 over the 2022 Kona winner, while Alexander was 7:54 adrift as she crossed the line to complete the podium.
Daniela Kleiser of Germany clocked a terrific 1:15:24 run split to claim fourth spot, with Becharas having to settle for fifth after falling away following that blistering bike leg.
IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman Results
Sunday June 8, 2025 – Pro Women
- 1. Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) – 3:58:10 (25:10 / 2:09:09 / 1:19:18)
- 2. Chelsea Sodaro (GBR) – 3:59:22 (27:09 / 2:10:03 / 1:17:26)
- 3. Grace Alexander (GBR) – 4:06:05 (27:06 / 2:10:01 / 1:23:51)
- 4. Daniela Kleiser (GER) – 4:06:32 (35:06 / 2:10:53 / 1:15:24)
- 5. Lisa Becharas (USA) – 4:09:03 (29:54 / 2:06:59 / 1:27:28)
