Family heartache inspires Lucy Charles-Barclay to world title success
Ironman 70..3 triumph in Marbella was an “injection of positivity” for the Londoner after the loss of a close family member followed the return from Hawaii disappointment
It could be argued that Lucy Charles-Barclay was already the most popular triathlete in the world, but the respect hard-earned on the race course will have soared higher still after today’s victory in the south of Spain.
It wasn’t just that the 32-year-old showed her resilience to defeat a worthy rival in the three-time and defending Ironman 70.3 world champion, Taylor Knibb, with the fastest swim and run of the day.
Nor was it merely that Charles-Barclay had suffered in the sweltering heat of Kona four weeks earlier, forcing husband Reece to withdraw her from the race on the marathon, and give minimal time for recovery.
But it was also the fact that the last four weeks have been a torrid time for the Charles-Barclay family, including the loss of Reece’s beloved grandad, that has drawn focus away from the comparative irrelevance of the sports field and back to what truly matters.
“It’s been tough, but hopefully it’s an injection of positivity into the family in what’s been a really tough time,” Charles-Barclay said post-race. “We lost Reece’s grandad who was a huge fan of mine. When I won in Kona [in 2023], the first thing I did was go and see him and give him my medal – and he had that next to his chair the whole time.
“He was so proud of Reece and I and he definitely helped me out there today. I felt his presence and it allowed me to have wings throughout the race.”
Charles-Barclay had trained almost exclusively indoors [to acclimate for the heat] ahead of the successful trip to Hawaii in 2023 that laid waste to her sequence of four runners-up appearances on the Big Island.
That was something she later said she would be loath to repeat, but the build-up to the event in Marbella, where she was looking to regain the title she first won in 2021, was tough for different reasons.
“Reece is amazing and always supporting me, but I felt like during this time he needed to be with his family, so I was just trying to put my head down and get on with it,” she added. “It was obviously quite challenging, but I managed to get here in one piece and was really grateful that I did.
Reflecting on the past month, which included the implosion on the run in Hawaii when leading the full distance Ironman World Chmapionship, she continued: “It changed my perspective a lot. Kona was behind me, but I am still healthy. I’m happy. I’m here, and life is short. You have to try and enjoy it.”
Tim Heming
Freelance triathlon journalist 
