IRONMAN Kona: Lucy Charles-Barclay talks race strategy and staying cool when the heat is on

On her last two appearances at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Lucy Charles-Barclay led out of the water, on the bike and even on the run.

But she had to settle for second place both times, just as she had in 2017 and 2018, even though on the latter occasion she beat the course record by more than 10 minutes. The problem was the great Daniela Ryf knocked more than 20 minutes off it that day.

Whether it was Ryf (twice), Anne Haug or Chelsea Sodaro breaking the tape first, the common theme to the last four renewals in Hawaii was a super-strong performance from Charles-Barclay in second.

So is 2023 the year when Lucy gets a first IMWC crown to add to her 70.3 Worlds success from 2021?

‘Everything’s on the line’ for LCB

We spoke to her last week when she told us how she’s bounced back from a mid-season injury with a solid lead-in that’s left her in “amazing shape”. Now, chatting in more detail about Saturday’s race, she tells us what it would mean to get that elusive win – and how it would be even more special this year given the incredible quality on show.

“It’s always the big goal,” she said. “It’s the biggest race of the calendar and I’ve had four really good races here, four second-place finishes, and it’s always the race where I want to be in peak form.”

Asked what makes Kona so challenging, she adds: “There’s nothing quite like the race here. The best athletes can fall apart, so anything can happen. And that’s why people again watch this race, because anything can happen. It’s brutal, it’s exciting. And, yeah, you have to do amazing things to win here.

“I think one of the biggest things here is if you push too hard and overheat, it’s very hard to come back from that and to actually bring your core temperature back down because it is just so hot and humid. And you’ve also got the wind to contend with, which brings in another kind of mental battle where you can be going really hard, but not actually moving very fast because you’ve got a headwind. Or the crosswinds that come in on the descent from Hawi mean that you have to focus really hard. So it’s not just a physical battle, it’s a mental battle.

“It’s the World Championships. It feels like everything’s on the line. In the toughest conditions, everyone is pushing that bit harder. And again, if you mistake one bit of your nutrition, you miss a drink or you miss a bottle, then that can ruin your whole race. Whereas sometimes, if you’re not racing in these kind of conditions, you can come back from that. Here, I really don’t think you can. You can just fall apart if you make one mistake.

So, whilst, yes, I would absolutely love to win the race, I’m kind of trying not to have that as the outcome goal.

“It’s more about executing a really good day. And I think that’s what I’ve done in the years before – I’ve executed a day that I’ve been really proud of. So if I can do that, then I’ll be extremely happy. And then the end result we’ll just have to see what that is.

“I think last year particularly, I just was so happy to be back racing and just enjoyed the whole day. If I can do that this year, just enjoy the race, even though we’re obviously suffering out there.”

The ‘X Factor’

The stellar start list only adds to the excitement for Lucy: “The field is phenomenal this year. If you were to win the world title this year, you’ve done it in arguably the strongest field we’ve had for years. So that makes it even more exciting.”

One of many stand-out names on the start list is Taylor Knibb, who followed Lucy as the IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion in 2022 – and defended that title at the end of August.

The American star will be making her full-distance debut and her swim and bike strength means that Charles-Barclay could have company in those sections of the race – and a potential ally.

Lucy said: “I think she’s a really great addition to the start list. I think it’s really cool that she’s decided to come and race.

And definitely, we all know her bike strength. We’ve never seen her race over this distance, so that’s quite exciting as well.

“But for me, like you said, I’m usually racing out front on my own. I’ve got no idea, really, how I’m doing, how I’m comparing to the women behind me. So actually, to have someone else to be hopefully riding with would be amazing because it just gives me another focus, something to keep me going and hopefully we could work together and yeah, we could have a really good race up front.”