“It was all going so well… until it wasn’t”. Lucy Charles-Barclay shares heartfelt message after Ironman World Champs withdrawal

The 2023 Ironman World Champ Lucy Charles-Barclay has updated her supporters following a withdrawal from the Ironman World Champs in Kona which many fans of the popular athlete described online as ‘heartbreaking’.

Yesterday’s women’s Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii was one for the ages with not one but two leading athletes withdrawing in the hot and unforgiving conditions. The race was ultimately won by Norwegian Solveig Lovseth.

Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay led from early in the swim and looked sure to podium alongside American Taylor Knibb who took a narrow lead towards the end of the bike.

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During the run, the two athletes swapped first place a couple of times with commentators describing the racing as a possible ‘Iron War for the modern age’, referencing the epic battles between 1980s tri heroes Dave Scott and Mark Allen.

It was not to be though, as first Charles-Barclay and then Knibb succumbed to the conditions and withdrew. Lucy Charles-Barclay’s husband and training partner Reece Barclay memorably stepped in from the roadside and held his wife as her running became increasingly unsteady – obviously concerned for her wellbeing – and then guiding her towards the support team.

Updating supporters

In today’s post on Instagram Charles-Barclay updated fans and supporters.

“Yesterday, I raced with my heart. I stuck to my plan, nailed my nutrition, and used all of my usual cooling strategies. It was all going so well… until it wasn’t. I’m endlessly grateful for the love and care my husband showed in stepping in and taking me off the course.

“Health will always come first. As special as this race is, there will always be another start line, another chance, another year for the history books. That’s the unpredictable nature of Kona; it’s what draws us all in, to its beauty and its brutality.

Congratulations to the incredible women on the podium, and a special thank you to @taylorknibb for an epic battle out there, may we both recover well and come back stronger for the next one.

Thank you so much for all the love and support, it will make this tough blow a little easier to process.”

Reece Barclay also shared a photo of the couple and a message thanking everyone for their concern, describing his feelings as a “strange mix of heartbreak and relief. Heartbreak for what might have been, relief that Lucy is safe today. We came close to a line you never want to cross. For me, as her husband, it was the easiest call I’ll ever make.”

There have also been online updates from Ironman’s official channel, posting a photo of Taylor Knibb, who withdrew just a couple of miles from the finish, giving a thumbs up and of the two athletes together.

Lead image: Taylor Knibb (L) of the United States and Lucy Charles-Barclay #5 of England compete in the run portion during the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship Women’s Race on October 11, 2025 in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for IRONMAN)