Statement on Covid-19 virus from Challenge Family

The latest news from Challenge Family

Update on event postponements due to Coronavirus

As was the case with IRONMAN (HERE), the Challenge Family (www.challenge-family.com) have issued their on statement on the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on their portfolio of worldwide events, along with a single location to get all of the latest news.

At the time of writing, seven events worldwide – three of them in Europe – have been cancelled or postponed, but it is highly likely that more will follow.

European race amendments (as at 17th March):

• Challenge Salou – postponed from 29 March to 27 September
• Challenge Mogan-Gran Canaria – postponed from 25 April to 7 November
• Challenge Lisboa – postponed from 23 May to 12 September

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

Dear athletes,

On behalf of the entire CHALLENGEFAMILY team around the world, I want to reach out to you, our cherished athletes.

As athletes, we are always working on our physical and mental health and suddenly the world is in a different place. A lot of our fellow athletes are in quarantaine, family members are out of reach, work has to be done from a distance and worst of all, people are getting sick.

The COVID-19 virus has taken over daily news and our daily life.

CHALLENGEFAMILY and our local race organizations are in constant contact with the governmental institutions about the evolving process and the decisions that are being taken worldwide by governments and health organizations. We follow the regulations that are being laid down in each country and act accordingly. It’s very hard, even impossible, to predict anything for a period longer than a few weeks at this moment. Our race calendar is constantly being updated. Most races in the nearby future will be postponed to a later date in the season and we will do our utmost to maintain a strong race calendar.

When a race is postponed, it will be announced on the (social media) channels of the respective race and all registered athletes will receive a personal email to inform them of any changes. In addition, everyone can keep track of the CHALLENGEFAMILY race updates on our website www.challenge-family.com/changes

I want to thank you for your trust, and for the massive support you have shown to our dedicated race directors, who’re facing incredible hard times. Nobody can predict when the situation will normalise, so all directors have to continue organizing the event and at the same time, prepare alternative plans. We received a massive number of emails and direct messages expressing your understanding and sympathy for this complex puzzle with road-closures, local event calendars, permits, availability of volunteers, participation of vendors etc. Thank you so much for this! On social media we noticed some discussions about the myth that cancelling an event can be a cheap way out for the race director. Of course it isn’t. Ninety percent of all costs are due two to three months prior to an event; most of the products have been ordered, and services have been contracted. Postponing or even cancelling a race is always a worst-case scenario for everyone involved: athletes, the organization team, volunteers and sponsorship partners. So we’re all in this together, seeking the best possible solution for everyone involved, and at the same time accepting the fact, that everyone has to give up a little piece of their personal ideal situation.

Please know, that we are here for you to help organize your race calendar and make sure that you still can have a a great experience at our races in 2020. Please don’t hesitate to contact us, or our local organizations, whenever you have a question or a comment.

For now, please stay safe, strong and healthy and apply the hygienic advice of the official authorities. Look after your loved ones and we look forward to seeing you all again very soon at one of our races!

Best regards on behalf of the board,

Jort Vlam