Search
shop

Singapore T100: Lucy Charles-Barclay ready to bring the heat to Ashleigh Gentle

We chat to Lucy Charles-Barclay ahead of Saturday's Singapore T100 and get the inside track on her pre-race preparations
Content Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

2023 IRONMAN World Champion, Lucy Charles-Barclay, is one of the big names hoping to take the Singapore T100 crown away from defending champion, Ashleigh Gentle.

After a strong second in the Miami heat, LCB returns to what could be even more challenging conditions for the second race of the T100 series.

On the ground here in Singapore, I sat down with the London-based Brit to ask about her specific prep for this race, the prospects of taking on Gentle for the first time this year – and her wildcard pick for an athlete that could upset the form book.

Home comforts? Not quite…

The Charles-Barclay ‘pain cave’ in East London might seem an unlikely location to prep for the climate of Singapore, but with a proven history, it’s where she’s undertaken her training block for a race which could be even hotter than the challenges presented last time out in Florida. She explained what she’s been up to since then:

“Yeah, I feel like Miami was quite a good warm-up for this race. I knew that it was never going to be as hot and humid as here, but it’s like a stepping stone.

“Once I got home form Miami, I basically went into a heat block. So, training indoors in the UK, trying to just make it as hot and humid as possible, kind of managing my core temperature to make sure it was getting high enough and then keeping it within a controlled range. I was using a lot of sauna time, hot baths – nothing that pleasant – so I feel like that it has worked well for me so far. It’s always worked well for Hawaii, doing my training at home; I trained at home in London for Kona last year and it worked pretty well.

“I’m just hoping that’s going to pay off, but you never know until you get into the real conditions on race day and you are pushing that bit harder just how tough it is going to get.”

Lucy Charles-Barclay at T100 Triathlon World Tour launch 2024
No coat will be required this weekend in the Singapore heat…

Queens collide?!

Always a competitor, Lucy – the current IRONMAN World Champion – is relishing the first opportunity this year to go head-to-head with the ‘Queen of the 100k’, Ashleigh Gentle.

“It’s definitely motivating to race Ashleigh, she was certainly missed in Miami. This will be her first race of the season and so we don’t know where her form is at, but I’d expect it to be pretty good.

“She’s coming from the Australian summer so the climate shouldn’t affect her, I think she always does well in these conditions. It’s definitely a good benchmark for this second event of the season, and so I just hope I can give her a good race.”

PTO European Open 2023 women podium Anne Haug Ashleigh Gentle Lucy Charles Barclay photo credit PTO
[Photo credit: PTO]

“Anybody can have their day”

I asked Lucy who she thought could potentially spring a surprise this weekend, impact the race dynamic or potentially secure a surprise podium spot.

“I think anyone can do that. We saw in Miami that India Lee was kind of under the radar before that race and then came and took the win. We are looking at the top-20 women in the world and anybody can have their day, so I don’t think you can write anybody off.

“I think Marjolaine [Pierré] will be a good factor because she’s been training in the heat and she’s such a strong runner as well – I love her as well, I think she’s great! So if she has a good race, I’ll be super happy for her, but I think the win could come from anywhere.”

Jenny Lucas-Hill
Written by
Jenny Lucas-Hill
Jenny Lucas-Hill is Content Director at TRI247. A five-time Ironman finisher, she's also a qualified personal trainer and sports massage therapist.
Discover more
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
Ruth Astle finishing IRONMAN Vitoria 2024
PremiumHow to cope with a DNF: Elite athletes share their stories
PremiumIs your evening workout routine wrecking your recovery? Expert physiologist on how to improve recovery and what NOT to do
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
03/07/2025 - Tour de France 2025 - Grand départ Jour 2 - Lille - Présentation des équipes -Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike)
PremiumWhat triathletes can learn from the Tour de France pro peloton
latest News
Sam Laidlow celebrates Challenge Roth win 2025
Triathlon superstar Sam Laidlow went from near DNS at Challenge Roth to epic glory
Alex Yee supertri Neom 2024 win Photo credit: Darren Wheeler | supertri
Supertri Toronto 2025: How to watch live as Alex Yee makes his triathlon return
Dan Lorang Head of Performance BORA - hansgrohe
Touching and heartfelt tribute from Anne Haug’s coach after she announces triathlon retirement
Sam Long - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
‘No No No’ – culture shock and bike crash for American star Sam Long in Italy
Georgia Taylor Brown wins supertri Chicago 2024 photo credit supertri
Georgia Taylor-Brown on enjoying her busy “year off” and wanting “to go out on a bit of a high”
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...