Hot-on-the-heels of announcing its first North American race at Challenge Penticton, the Challenge Family has announced a partnership with Asia’s longest running triathlon and, in doing so, revealed its commitment to developing a series of half and full distance events throughout the region.
Laguna Phuket Triathlon in Thailand has the longest tradition in triathlon in Asia attracting the sport’s legends and age groupers alike to the stunning tropical island for two decades. In 2013 it will celebrate its 20th anniversary with the launch of the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest from 24 November – 1 December. This week-long celebration of sport will incorporate the iconic Laguna Phuket Triathlon and half distance Challenge Laguna Phuket with a host of sporting and social activities in between.
McCormack approval
In Phuket for the launch of the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest, two-time world champion, Chris McCormack said the synergy between Challenge and Laguna Phuket Triathlon was clear.
“Challenge Roth is the oldest race in Europe, Challenge Penticton the oldest in North America and now we have Challenge Laguna Phuket, the oldest race in Asia – that speaks volumes to me about the importance Challenge Family places on the legacy of our sport,” he said.
Challenge expansion
Challenge Family CEO, Felix Walchshöfer, said expansion into Asia was the next logical step for the organisation and he was delighted to partner with the team at Laguna Phuket Triathlon who share Challenge’s athletes’ experience first philosophy.
“Now Challenge has established itself as the top long-distance race series in Europe, Asia is a top priority. We expect to develop a full series of half and full distance events in Asia over the next few years. We think that our brand of triathlon is right for Asia as we have a long-term perspective that allows us to contribute to the development of the sport in our host countries and engage our local communities. We’re very much looking forward to starting this journey with Laguna Phuket Triathlon.”
Course details
The Challenge Laguna Phuket course features a 1.9km swim off a stunning white sands beach with both sea water and freshwater sections in two different bodies of water with a 100m sprint in between. The 90km bike combines steep hilly sections with typical lush Thai scenery while the predominantly flat 21km run leads athletes through some of the island’s most luxurious resorts before finishing at Laguna Grove.
The Challenge Family global series of long distance triathlons currently features 15 races throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.
For further information on Challenge Laguna Phuket visit www.challenge-phuket.com. For further information on Challenge Family visit www.challenge-family.com.
