Search
shop

Lucy Buckingham on battling the heat in Singapore for top-five T100 finish

"I'm a redhead and out my natural habitat" - Lucy Buckingham on how she managed the extreme heat for a superb top five in Singapore.
News Director
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Lucy Buckingham produced a brilliant performance at the Singapore T100 to underline exactly why she was given a wildcard.

And her eventual fifth-placed finish in no way tells the full story as she went head to head with the world’s best – as well as the searing heat.

Buckingham has often struggled in hot and humid races in the past but she managed her effort superbly.

She was able to stay on swim leader Lucy Charles-Barclay’s feet in the water and the two Brits then went on to open up a five-minute gap on the rest by the end of the bike, despite Buckingham briefly cramping up late on.

Her run isn’t quite as strong as her impressive swim / bike combo and eventual winner Ashleigh Gentle and Charles-Barclay had flown long before the finish.

But it was only late on that Els Visser and Amelia Watkinson came past Buckingham for third and fourth respectively.

Advertisement

‘A lot of effing and jeffing’

And speaking afterwards, Buckingham said: “It was tough – just a challenging environment to be in. The girls just pushed me the whole way and there was just no let up and it was all about managing the heart rate.

“Unfortunately, I got a little bit of sciatica at the start of the week, so I’ve been struggling with my left leg a bit. I knew it was going to be a bit of a battle and on the bike, it cramped at around the 60k mark.

“There was lot of effing and jeffing going on at that point!”

‘Out of my natural habitat’

The heat had proved a challenge in the first T100 in Miami but this was a different level, as Lucy explained: “After Miami, I was like, hell no [in terms of racing in Singapore].

“The heat just gets to me. Like, I’m a redhead and out my natural habitat! This isn’t normal for me. But it was just about trying to give it a go and see where I was at.

“I knew that with the run, I had to just let Lucy go, and I knew Ash would catch me, but it was just about trying to pace it as best I can.”

Lucy Buckingham t100 Singapore 2024 run finish photo credit PTO
Lucy Buckingham on the run in Singapore [Photo credit: PTO]

The display – which helped animate the first two thirds of the race – will surely mean plenty more wildcards are forthcoming.

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
The PTO's CEO Sam Renouf
PTO reveal ambitions of matching Roth and Kona as French Riviera T100 triathlon course details unveiled
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘No No No’ – Sam Long says he felt ROBBED by swim cancellation at ‘69.1 Chattanooga’
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
Kristian Hogenhaug interviewed after The Championship 2025
Danish triathlon star highlights blistering bike split as key to The Championship success.
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

Share to...