At the second edition of the half distance triathlon Signa Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl on Sunday Swiss pro triathlete Ronnie Schildknecht never let the victory slip out of his hands after the bike split. He even didn’t let Timo Bracht from Germany get close and kept his lead all the way to the finish. Schildknecht crossed the finish line after 3:49:20, effectively shattering last year’s winning time by Michi Weiss. Timo Bracht ran through the finish gate of the Challenge after 3:51:51. Third place surprisingly went to Boris Stein from Germany, an amateur athlete, in 3:54:08. Dorian Wagner finished fourth.

For Ronnie Schildknecht, it was his first Challenge Family race and first race in Austria and he was thrilled with the result. “It was a super tough race and I had really tough competition. I had really good legs on the bike but I got cramps towards the end of the run and was not sure until the very end if my lead was big enough.” He went on to promise for the future that, “the race in Walchsee will be one of my favorites.”

Michael Göhner from Germany who was fourth last year dropped down one rank this time. Last year’s second place finisher Massimo Cigana also didn’t have a day as good as last year and had to settle for eighth place.

The women’s race saw a rematch of the duel between Yvonne van Vlerken and Eva Dollinger. It ended just like last year with Dutch Yvonne van Vlerken winning in 4:25:11 ahead of the local favorite Dollinger, who finished in 4:26:35. Third place went to Mirjam Weerd, also from the Netherlands, in 4:27:58.

This year, the women’s race was decided on the last lap of the run. Up until then, Eva Dollinger was in the lead. After the bike split, Yvonne van Vlerken had started a furious catch up and made good about one minute per lap. With just a few kilometers before the Van Vlerken passed Dollinger.

The exhaustion was visible on the winner’s face this year. “Eva did not make it easy for me.” During her preparations things had not gone well, explained the “flying Dutch girl”. Today, she had to fight hard during the swim and the bike ride. When asked how she felt while in transition from bike to run, she answered: “Not so good.” However, in the end she was able to defend her title from last year.

Eva Dollinger put her eggs in one basket from the start. “I knew I had to risk everything in order to create a gap.” This almost worked out. Dollinger explained, “My body totally shut down at the end. But I gave my all and am super happy.”

Stephen Bayliss (GBR) and Amy Marsh (USA) took out the inaugural Challenge Vichy this weekend and in doing so conquered one of the toughest races in Challenge history. Temperatures in the French spa town rose to 43C with high humidity and athletes faced strong head winds on the bike.

Bayliss took victory just one week after placing eighth in Challenge Copenhagen. He exited the swim just four seconds behind Raoul Shaw (FRA) in 50:21 and a quick transition saw him head out on to the hot and windy bike course in the lead a position he maintained after 180km with a split of 4:36:28. Meanwhile further back in the field, Challenge Wanaka champion Jamie Whyte (NZL) and Teemu Lemmettylä (FIN) were making up for disappointing swim times. Whyte exited the water in 13^th while Lemmettylä was in 19^th. By the end of the cycle, they had moved up to 5^th and 6^th respectively.

By the 10km mark on the run, Bayliss had dropped to third with Whyte and Lemmettylä hanging onto their positions in 5^th and 6^th with Damien Favre-Felix (FRA) taking the lead. The halfway point saw another change in position following the withdrawal for Favre-Felix. Fellow countryman, Benjamin Pernet moved up into pole position with Bayliss in second and Whyte in third. With 10km to go, Bayliss had secured his lead at the head of the field, a position he held onto, crossing the finish line in 8:45:29. Lemmettylä ran into second with the fastest run split of the day, 3:06:33 while Whyte finished in third

The women’s race saw Amy Marsh lead from the swim, exiting the water in 55:23 a clear three minutes ahead of Juliette Benedicto (FRA). By the end of the bike, she had extended her lead to just over 10 minutes and continued to build her lead over Benedicto throughout the run, finishing in 9:44:56. Benedicto maintained her second position throughout the race to finish in 10:01:59 while Jana Candrova (CZE) took third in 10:12:14.

Challenge Family CEO, Felix Walchshöfer, said he was very happy to have the Challenge Family represented in France with such an outstanding full distance race.

“The team at Challenge Vichy did a spectacular job with a first time event. It was great to see Team TBB do so well and also it was good to see so many passionate triathlon supporters out on course. The athletes did well, especially considering the extreme heat. The course was stunning and Vichy is a wonderful region to visit – we can be sure to see Challenge Vichy grow into one of France’s must-do races,” he said.

Tim Berkel (AUS) has reclaimed his title at KMD Challenge Copenhagen in a race that was closely fought until the final few metres. The final 8 kilometres on the run was shoulder to shoulder as defending champion Tim Berkel and home town favorite Jimmy Johnsen of Denmark battled it out for a close and very exciting finish of the 3,8 km swim, 180 km bike and 42,2 km run that had over 100,000 spectators on the edge of there seats in downtown Copenhagen today.

Fast swims were followed by fast bike times and after Johnsen caught Berkel coming into the final 8 km on the run, the two triathletes tried to do serious damage to each other’s legs, each trying to get the gap that would secure the win. Finally in the last few km Berkel found the extra speed and pulled away from Johnsen and got a good lead very late in the race and took home his second consecutive title at KMD Challenge Copenhagen despite a four-minute penalty on the bike. Finish time: 8:11:15 (swim 48:24, bike 4:33:18, run 2:46:16).

“I’m over the moon to defend my title because I’ve never done that before. I love this beautiful city of Copenhagen and the crowd was amazing again this year. Jimmy made me work hard today, I was grinding my teeth towards the and was going as hard as I could,” the happy two time winner Tim Berkel said after the race.

A four-minute time penalty for drafting meant a frustrated Berkel was going hard on the run.

“I was a little disappointed by the penalty. I felt good on the bike and Bastie and I rode away towards the end so the penalty was very frustrating. After I served I started running angry and ran a ridiculous pace and had to calm myself down and settle in at a slower pace. I had Jimmy and Dejan breathing down my neck, so I got my nutrition and water in and I think Jimmy had worked hard to catch me. I managed to pull away towards the end but sprinting that last 8 km is something you don’t wanna do in an iron distance race,” Berkel tells us.

For Jimmy Johnsen it was as close as it could be for him to win his home ground race, but the strong Dane had to settle for second place only 35 seconds back after one of the most exciting iron-finishes of the year. Johnsen swam 47:40, biked 4:36:55 and ran a 2:44:02 marathon. The top two athletes recognised great performances from the opponent and hugged at the finish line while third placed Dejan Patrcevic (CRO) crossed the line just in front of Danish future hope Mads Vittrup-Pedersen who took 4th with an amazing 2:38:59 marathon.

Biking powerhouse Björn Andersson (SWE) had a solid swim in 3rd position, hammered the bike for a 4:19:47 best-of-the-day bike split, but faded heavily on the run and withdrew after about 28 km of the run.

The women’s race was much less close as last year’s winner Rebekah Keat from Australia hammered the course like it was 2010 and finished off with a 3:05:02 marathon to reclaim her title with a blistering 8:52:42 finish.

It was her fifth iron distance race under nine hours, two of them here in Copenhagen.

“I tried to focus on having a solid swim and not having to work too hard on the bike. I wanted to try to get my run legs back in this race and run around the three hours that is my level so that was great. Each lap the crowd just got bigger on the run, the second lap was good, third amazing and fourth incredible, I have never seen a crowd this big and it was fantastic today,” said Keat.

“Despite my big lead late in the run I’m not the type that’s backing off, it’s not in me, and I always run as hard as I can. I wasn’t happy with my last two 3:13′ish marathons, so I wanted to show I could run fast. I’m happy about my marathon performance today but would love to crack three hours again.”

ROTH, Germany (March 31, 2011) – The Challenge Family series of long distance triathlons today announced its expansion into South Africa with the launch of Challenge Cape Town, set to take place on 6 November 2011.

Cape Town is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The awesome bulk of Table Mountain, spectacular marine drives that cling to sheer mountains, the numerous sandy beaches and rivers, the enchantment of the fruit and wine regions, the rugged west coast together with a mild Mediterranean climate, make Cape Town an idyllic arena for an international triathlon.

The 226km course will take in much of the region’s most spectacular scenery. The 3.8km swim will take place at Granger Bay on the Atlantic Ocean with its stunning views of Robben Island. The 180km one-lap bike course promises to be one of the toughest in the Challenge series with over 2,000m of climbing through the Constantia winelands, including the famous Chapman’s Peak, along the coastal route as it skirts around Table Mountain and heads out to Khayelitsha. This is the largest and fastest growing township in South Africa and will allow athletes a taste of the true diversity of this region.

The marathon will start at Green Point Stadium precinct, head into the City Bowl before climbing up onto Kloof Road and down into Camps Bay with its white sandy beaches, fringed by palm trees, followed by a two loop run along the Atlantic Seaboard finishing at Green Point precinct next to the stadium.

The route is novel and testing based in the heart of Cape Town, in that it incorporates the cooler waters of Table Bay, the CBD, the wind of the Cape Flats, the entire Peninsula and the steep slopes of Table Mountain.

“Cape Town is often called the Mother City and for good reason,” said Grant Kunneke, managing director of Challenge South Africa and race director of Challenge Cape Town. “This city, which brings you the finest wine, never ending backdrops and rich history, is now adding what will be a new jewel in Cape Town’s sporting crown, Challenge Cape Town.’‘

“Cape Town was the obvious choice for Challenge Family to launch in South Africa,” said Challenge Family CEO, Felix Walchshöfer. “It’s one of the world’s most iconic cities and we are delighted that the city has welcomed us to create what is sure to be a memorable race for all. Where else can a course take in two oceans, the deep, rich African culture all against such a spectacular setting? We are incredibly proud to include Cape Town in the Challenge Family and we look forward to working with all the different communities to make sure it is a huge success for everyone.”

Challenge Cape Town entries open on 31 March 2011 with entry from R3300 (€330) for individual athletes and R400 (€400) for relay teams. For entries and further information, please visit www.challengecapetown.com.

Challenge Cape Town is part of the Challenge Family series that features 13 races across three continents, including the world’s largest iron distance triathlon, Challenge Roth in Germany. Other races are Challenge Wanaka (New Zealand), Challenge Fuerteventura and Challenge Barcelona (Spain), Challenge Kraichgau (Germany), Challenge Cairns (Australia), Challenge Copenhagen and Challenge Aarhus (Denmark), Challenge Vichy (France), Challenge Walchsee (Austria) and Challenge Henley-on-Thames (UK). For further information, visit www.challenge-family.com (full web site available mid-April ’11).

Rising New Zealand professional triathlete Jamie Whyte fought off gusting winds and a tough challenge on the run from veteran Aussie Courtney Ogden and Kiwi Bevan McKinnon to claim the biggest victory of his career with a wire-to-wire win in 9hrs 3min at the fifth Challenge Wanaka long-course triathlon Saturday.

The race covers a 3.8km swim in Lake Wanaka, a 180km bike ride past the lake and through spectacular Southern Lakes and Central Otago scenery before wrapping up with a two-lap 42.2km marathon run along the Clutha River and lake’s edge.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” an elated Whyte said after breaking the tape in front of cheering spectators thronging Wanaka’s Ardmore St. “I could not have asked for a more perfect race today.”

The 29-year-old was second at the Taiwan 70.3 event in November, 13th at Ironman Canada last year after mechanical problems on the cycle leg and most recently took out top honors at the Lake Hayes Triathlon on 27 December.

Whyte rated the bike ride through swirling winds as “excruciatingly hard”, but said things didn’t get any easier when it came time for the run: “The wind was brutal out there. It was a matter of gutsing it out.”

Ogden, who took a win at the Ironman Western Australia in December, came past McKinnon at the 40km mark on the marathon and also rated the day as a tough one at the office: “I was pretty much in survival mode from the first lap [of the run],” he said. “I couldn’t believe how tough it was out there.”

The 29-year-old Whyte exited the water first in 52:18, came through the testing bike course in just under five hours, and backed it up with an 3:10 marathon to break the tape more than three minutes clear of Ogden, who was second in 9:07:25, just 12sec ahead of McKinnon. Whyte was in front of the race for much of the cycle with 32-year-old Australian Joshua Rix, who fell back on the run.

Australia’s Belinda Granger, the winner of the inaugural Challenge Wanaka in 2007, claimed victory again after moving into the lead when race leader Belinda Harper of New Zealand suffered a crash on the bike with just 40km left to ride. The 40-year-old Granger, racing in her 41st iron-distance race, came through to win in 10hrs 27min, six minutes clear of Kiwi Simone Maier with Christie Sym of Australia in third.

“It was by far the toughest bike ride I have ever, ever done,” Granger said. “I didn’t think I was going to make it back from Cromwell at one stage. I looked down at my bike computer and I was doing 12 kilometers an hour.”

But the run’s scenery took her mind off the suffering: “It is the most magnificent run in the world,” she said. “The view is amazing. I absolutely love it.”

Kiwi Belinda Harper, a rising new professional who was the first amateur home in a record-setting time of 9:44:19 at the Ironman World Championships last year, had a commanding lead of more than five minutes on the bike until she suffered a crash with about 40km left to ride. She was able to ride back to the transition zone and headed out onto the run course 22 minutes in arrears.

Testing winds throughout the day made for tough conditions for the 1,210 athletes from 27 nations competing in the half-distance and full-distance triathlons. For more information, please visitwww.challenge-wanaka.com.

Event images are available for free editorial use from Getty Images. Please register at www.image.netand select “Sports” as one of the categories you are interested in. A system-generated password will be sent to you shortly after registration.

Challenge Wanaka is part of the global Challenge Family series that features 12 events worldwide in Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Austria, UK and Australia as well as New Zealand. For further information visit www.challenge-wanaka.com.

RESULTS

Challenge Wanaka

15 January 2011/Wanaka, NZ

(3.8km swim/180km cycle/42.2km run)

MEN

1) Jamie Whyte (Auckland) 9:03:53

2) Courtney Ogden (AUS) 9:07:25

3) Bevan McKinnon (Devonport) 9:07:37

4) Jimmy Johnsen (DEN) 9:16:45

5) Josh Rix (AUS) 9:20:32

WOMEN

1) Belinda Granger (AUS) 10:26:17

2) Simone Maier (NZL) 10:32:25

3) Christie Sym (AUS) 10:36:57

LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand (December 30, 2010) – New Zealand women’s marathon champion, Shireen Crumpton, will join forces with Youth Olympic triathlon gold medallist, Aaron Barclay, and Challenge Wanaka champion, Richard Ussher, to form the formidable Team Tri Stars in Challenge Wanaka on 15 January.

Ms Crumpton (40) of Dunedin, won her spot in the team during a competition run by Challenge Wanaka to offer a runner the opportunity to compete with two of New Zealand’s top triathletes, together with accommodation at Edgewater in Wanaka.

“I’m really honoured to be chosen as there was a good group of people who wanted to race with Richard and Aaron,” said Ms Crumpton. “I’m so excited and it should be a fun event although I’ll definitely be putting a bit of pressure on myself. I’m guessing Richard will come off the bike in front and I’ll be doing everything to keep them at the front of the field!”

Ms Crumpton has a personal best of 2:37:03 for the marathon which she achieved while representing New Zealand at the World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki in 2005. She has held multiple New Zealand national titles, including the half marathon, marathon, 10,000m and mountain running, the most recent of which was her third national marathon title after winning the Auckland Marathon in 2:45:51 and a new course record in October.

Challenge Wanaka Triathlon Festival runs from 9 to 15 January and is New Zealand’s largest triathlon festival with over 2,000 athletes of all ages and abilities taking part. Challenge Wanaka iron distance triathlon is the flagship event of the week, attracting over 1,200 athletes from 27 nations and is part of the global Challenge Family series. The series features 12 events, including the world’s largest iron distance triathlon, Challenge Roth in Germany. Other races are in Australia, Austria, Denmark, France, Spain, UK as well as New Zealand.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (2 December 2010) –The new Challenge Aarhus half iron distance race on July 3, 2011 will mark the next step for big triathlon events in Denmark. Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark and will host a unique course through the beautiful city of Aarhus combining extraordinary nature and culture in this the first triathlon race in the city. Challenge Aarhus is the obvious triathlon race in Denmark after the Challenge Copenhagen iron distance event in August 2010 was a huge success and proved that Denmark has become a nation of triathletes.

What characterizes the Danish Challenge races is their ability to incorporate the natural surroundings in the city, buildings and nature into the course, as will Challenge Aarhus. The unique nature and exciting cultural life of the city will take part in the course that will lead the competitors of the inaugural Challenge Aarhus through a variety of spectacular scenery.

The race will be an intense blend of sport and culture as the athletes start off the 1,9 km swim at the bay in Aarhus and takes them along the beautiful outdoor sculpture exhibition Sculpture by the Sea.

The 90 km bike course takes the athletes along beautiful and hilly sections of the suburbs of Aarhus before the half marathon run will see the athletes run through (!!) one of Denmark’s biggest and most innovative art museums, the ARoS in downtown Aarhus.

The start and finish area is located just a few kilometres from the city centre at Tangkrogen, Marselisborg, making Challenge Aarhus an easy accessible race by both car, train, domestic flights and flights from several European countries.

“Challenge Aarhus is the new ‘must do’ half distance triathlon in Europe. A fascinating mix of sport and culture gives an incredible edge to the race that has not been seen before,” said Thomas Veje Olsen, race director of Challenge Copenhagen and Challenge Aarhus. “This half iron distance event will be the perfect warm up race for the full iron distance race Challenge Copenhagen on August 14, 2011. In 2010, half of the athletes were competing in their first ironman race ever and we expect the same number of first timers in 2011. That is why Challenge Aarhus will be the perfect warmup race for Challenge Copenhagen and will take the athletes out on a special and spectacular course in a city combining nature, sport and culture with the very best of all three. We expect athletes from over 20 countries will be competing in this race that kick-starts the beautiful Danish summer.”

The Challenge Family will celebrate its tenth anniversary next year and Challenge Aarhus is the 12th race in the fast-growing series.

“It is great to have art and culture connected to the sport in an unseen way, and Challenge Aarhus can deliver just that. We have never seen a run course passing directly through a big arts museum and it will be a spectacular race for the athletes. The city is perfectly based with Aarhus and Billund airport, train and only 3,5 hours north of Hamburg by car,” said Felix Walchshöfer, CEO of the Challenge Family.

The race website will launch on December 8 at www.challengeaarhus.com.

Challenge Wanaka has announced a strong international field for the fifth edition of the long distance triathlon that will also be the largest yet with over 1,200 athletes taking on the spectacular and testing 226km course.

New Zealand’s top long distance triathlete, Gina Crawford will defend her title for the third successive year and faces some stiff competition in the form of Australia’s top female athlete, Rebekah Keat who broke the world record at Challenge Roth in 2009 and has a number of iron distance victories under her belt, including the inaugural Challenge Copenhagen. They are joined by top British athlete, Joanna Carritt and emerging Australian pro, Jodie Scott who took out fourth last year.

The men’s field sees another Challenge winner, Jimmy Johnsen (DEN) who took out Challenge Barcelona in record time in October as well as Petr Vabrousek from the Czech Republic who as competed in all five Challenge Wanaka events. The field also includes two former Challenge Wanaka champions, Germany’s Marc Pschebizin (2008) and Canada’s Luke Dragstra who won the inaugural event in 2007.

“I couldn’t possibly miss doing Wanaka again,” said Dragstra. “This race is true triathlon and a beauty one at that. At Wanaka you will feel the real challenge of iron distance competition with all the elements, sun, heat, wind, hills and off-road running. Beyond that you also get the treat of an atmosphere almost unmatched in the world of triathlon brought to you by fantastic sporting community.”

They are joined by a strong Australian contingent including Brian Fuller, Adam Holborow and Justin Granger together with New Zealand’s own rising star, Keegan Williams who has already taken out a second and third in this race.

Taking place on 15 January 2011, Challenge Wanaka is New Zealand’s fastest growing iron distance triathlon and part of the global series of Challenge long distance races that features 11 events in Australia, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Austria as well as New Zealand. The race is the flagship event of the Challenge Wanaka Triathlon Festival that runs from 9-15 January 2011 and also includes Puzzling World Junior Challenge Wanaka, the Radio Wanaka 5km Charity Fun Run, Swim the Course, Contact Cup Sprint Triathlon and the Lake Wanaka Half.

Over 650 volunteers are required for the region’s largest sporting event this summer, and with less than two months to go, Challenge Wanaka has announced the beneficiary of its volunteer programme together with an incentive for people to sign up to the event’s Locations Volunteer Crew.

The Upper Clutha Children’s Medical Trust supports local families who are finding it difficult to meet the costs of medical treatment for their children. The Upper Clutha’s distance from specialist care means the expense of appointments, travel and accommodation etc. can be very draining on family finances, particularly when visits to Dunedin and Christchurch have to be done on a regular basis.

“We’re so excited to have this opportunity,” said Trust chairperson, Bev Rudkin. “The Trust has been amazed at the diversity of applications it has received for help. Some assistance provided has been of a short-term nature, but a number of cases are in respect to chronic long-term medical problems. As the Trust’s resources grow, this will allow more generous grants to be made to deserving cases, some of which are chronic situations where families will need ongoing support for years to come. Securing enough funding to cope with the expected population growth in the Upper Clutha region is one of the major challenges we face.”

While knowing their volunteering is helping such a worthy cause, any member of the Locations Volunteer Crew who volunteers for more than six hours during Challenge Wanaka will go in the draw to win a four night trip to Sydney for two, thanks to the generosity of United Travel Wanaka and Emirates Airlines, including accommodation with breakfast at Wyndham Vacation Resort Sydney.

“We were very keen to support Challenge Wanaka not only as an event but also to recognise the significant role locals play as part of the Locations Volunteer Programme,” said United Travel director, Ross McRobie. “We wanted to reward the volunteers who help Challenge Wanaka and to say thanks, so one lucky volunteer and their partner or friend will enjoy a wonderful four days in the heart of Sydney in return for all their hard work.”

To sign up to the Locations Volunteer Crew for Challenge Wanaka, visit www.challenge-wanaka.com/volunteer.html or pick up a form from Locations Real Estate on Helwick Street, Wanaka.

The Challenge Family will introduce long course racing to France next year with the debut of Challenge Vichy on 21 August 2011.

The race will be staged over a 3.8km swim/180km cycle/42.2km run in the Auvergne region in central France, based at the Centre Omnisport Pierre Coulon along the Lac d’Allier.

It will replace the half-distance Challenge France staged at Niederbronn-les-Bains to respond to athlete demand for a long-distance Challenge race in France. “We are really pleased to offer a long-distance option for athletes in France,” said Challenge Family CEO Felix Walchshöfer. “Challenge France in Niederbronn-les-Bains was a great event for us, and we are grateful to the team for organising it for us in recent years.”

The race in Vichy will be organised by former professional triathlete Gael Mainard, who retired from the sport in 2006 after finishing 2^nd and 3^rd in the French national championship and with top finishes in many international long-course triathlons. The swim will be staged in the Lac d’Allier, a 2.5km-long lake that will allow spectators to follow their athletes throughout the course. The two-lap bike course is largely flat, with a few small climbs in the Allier and Puy-de-Dôme departments, with sights that include France’s only volcanoes (the Volcans d’Auvergne) and the Randan forest. The flat four-lap run course will go through the parks of Vichy and along the Allier River.

“We are very excited to join the Challenge family of races and to be able to offer athletes a chance to race in the beautiful Vichy region,” Mainard said. “With Vichy and the Omnisport center known for its excellent training facilities, we know the needs of athletes will be catered to here. But we also know people will enjoy the scenic course and the beauty of our region, so we hope they set aside a few days for a holiday!”

The finish line, transition area, pasta party, expo and swim race will based at the lake, allowing for a central location for all major athlete activities. And when the racing is finished, athletes can recover by visiting the various mineral springs in the region or savouring some of the region’s most famous cheeses, including cantal, bleu d’auvergne and saint-nectaire.

Registration will open soon with the field size limited to 2000. Entry fees will be 300€ for individuals and 400€ for relay teams. To learn more, visit the race website atwww.challengevichy.com or www.challenge-family.com.

The global Challenge Family series of long distance triathlons today increased its global presence with the announcement of Challenge Cairns Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

The event is set to make an impact on the global triathlon circuit with one of the most remarkable courses and a significant prize purse.

Set in one of the world’s most iconic tropical locations, Challenge Cairns Great Barrier Reef will take place on 5 June 2011. It will feature a course memorable for the 3.8km swim in the warm crystal clear waters off Yorkeys Knob, the 180km bike leg that travels up arguably the most scenic coastal road in Australia towards Port Douglas and a 42.2km run that includes the Cairns boardwalk before finishing in the heart of the city of Cairns.

“This is a hugely exciting development for the Challenge Family and we’re delighted to bring a new style and quality of racing to athletes, both age group and pro, in Australia,” said Felix Walchshöfer, Challenge Family CEO. “So many Australians have already enjoyed the Challenge experience around the world, including many of the sport’s biggest names and now they can do so on their home turf. We have been working for almost two years towards launching Challenge in Australia and as they say, all the best things are worth waiting for. We have secured the most amazing course that includes what must be the greatest bike leg in the world. And, thanks to the hard work of John O’Sullivan and his team from Queensland Events for the Queensland Government, together with Tourism Queensland and Cairns City Council, we are delighted to announce we will work exclusively with Queensland, Australia’s – Home of Triathlon.”

Challenge Cairns Great Barrier Reef promises to attract some of the biggest names in long distance triathlon with its 100,000 Euro prize purse, the second richest in iron distance racing. The Challenge Family will work with renowned event organisers, USM Events, and managing director, Geoff Meyer, said the prize purse reflected the Challenge Family commitment to athletes.

“We’re delighted to offer such a significant prize purse to the athletes that also extends to the relay teams sector of the event,” he said. “This, together with the outstanding location and commitment of our key stakeholders, will result in one of the world’s iconic races that will not only benefit the Cairns community but position Queensland as a major player in the global triathlon market. Working with Challenge is a wonderful opportunity and we look forward to bringing the Challenge experience to Australia.”

The Challenge Family global series of events currently features the following events in 2011:

15 January – Challenge Wanaka, New Zealand
1 May – Half Challenge Fuertaventura, Spain
29 May – Half Challenge Barcelona Maresme, Spain
5 June – Challenge Cairns Great Barrier Reef, Australia
5 June – Half Challenge Kraichgau, Germany
10 July – Challenge Roth, Germany
14 August – Challenge Copenhagen, Denmark
4 September – Half Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkel, Austria
18 September – Challenge Henley-on-Thames, UK
2 October – Challenge Barcelona Maresme

with more races to be announced shortly

Entries will open in November 2010 – for further information, visit www.challenge-cairns.com or www.challenge-family.com .

Challenge Wanaka’s many hundreds of volunteers will this year be supported by local real estate agency, Locations Wanaka.

The Locations Volunteer Crew will play a vital role in the week-long Challenge Wanaka Triathlon Festival which runs from 9-15 January 2011. Over 650 are required to help with all aspects of the event from the Puzzling World Junior Challenge Wanaka to the epic 226km flagship event, Challenge Wanaka.

“We couldn’t run Challenge Wanaka without the generosity of the community in giving their time to support the athletes, both on and off course,” said race director, Victoria Murray-Orr. “We’re delighted to have Locations on board as the volunteer sponsor. Not only are they sponsoring but they are also pulling together a team to man one of the run aid stations as part of a team building exercise.”

Stephen Hughes, director of Locations, said the company’s involvement with Challenge Wanaka was about giving back to the community.

“It’s great to support a world class event and we’re incredibly lucky to have such an event in the region,” he said. “People from around the country and further a field come to race and then go home and spread the word about Wanaka which can only help encourage more visitors. It’s also inspirational for the young people in town and a lot of the community who you wouldn’t have thought would give that kind of thing a go have got into their swimming, biking or running and achieved some amazing personal goals.”

Each year, as part of the volunteer programme, Challenge Wanaka makes a donation to local charitable organisations. In 2010, Rotary, Mount Aspiring College and Community Networks were beneficiaries. Any community groups wanting to be considered for the 2011 donation must apply to event@challenge-wanaka.com for an application form.

Volunteers of all ages and physical abilities can sign up to help out either on race day or in the lead up or post event. Forms are available online at www.challenge-wanaka.com or in the Locations office on the corner of Helwick and Dunmore Streets.

The Challenge Family has welcomed the 10^th race to its global triathlon series with the addition of a long-course race in the picturesque English town of Henley-on-Thames.

The race is set for 18 September 2011 over the full long-course distance of a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run. Located on the north side of the scenic River Thames in Oxfordshire, Henley-on-Thames was founded in the 12^th century and is known as one of the region’s loveliest towns, with flower-filled gardens, quaint shops, waterfront pubs and places of historic interest.

“It is often called the jewel in Oxfordshire’s crown,” said Alan Rose, managing director of Just racing and race director of Challenge Henley-on-Thames. “This picturesque and delightful community is also on the edge of the Chilterns, a beautiful area in its own right.

Challenge Henley-on-Thames is the culmination of nearly a year’s work to secure the required permissions, including road closures. And picturesque though it may be, the bike course especially will challenge athletes with its 7,000 feet of climbing through the Chiltern Hills.

“We are really pleased to welcome Henley-on-Thames into the series,” said Challenge Family CEO Felix Walchshöfer. “UK athletes are always very well represented in our series, usually the first or second largest nationality on our start lists after the local athletes. With such a loyal base in the UK, we’re delighted to be able to bring the Challenge brand to them.”

Just Racing organises a range of running, cycling, duathlon and triathlon events in the UK, including National Championships, World and European age group qualifying races, and pool and open water triathlons.

Entries will be available at midday on Tuesday 21^st September 2010.  Entry fees for individual competitors will be 300 pounds, with relay team entries available for 400 pounds.

“Felix and his family, along with the whole Challenge family, have made us feel extremely welcome and we can’t wait to be delivering what will hopefully be a positive UK addition to the worldwide Challenge family,” Rose said. “We have been so impressed with the way that the organisers work together, with a real sense of belonging to something much bigger than your own race.”

“All of our team are active athletes and include a full range of ability,” said Rose. “Ten of our team will be competing at Roth 2011, as well as taking on many other challenges along the way”.

About the course:

The swim will take place on the world famous Royal Regatta Rowing course, swimming towards Henley town centre/bridge and then returning back to the Henley Business School.

The two-lap bike course will take in some 7,000 feet (2100m) of climbing in the Chiltern Hills. Competitors will have the chance to test both their climbing and descending skills and pass through typical English villages on the journey.

The four-lap run course will take athletes over Henley Bridge, around the lanes in Remenham, past Hambledon Lock and Temple Island as they return on the Thames path alongside the river, back over Henley bridge. The course also takes runners past a variety of rowing clubs, including the world famous Leander Rowing Club.

The finish will be at the Henley Rugby Club.

For more information, visit www.challengehenley.com or www.challenge-family.com.

Challenge Wanaka is offering a weekend training camp with former ITU World Champion Samantha Warriner and the opportunity to learn from the best through Sam’s Sweat7 coaching programme.

Sam Warriner is one of New Zealand’s most successful triathletes. She was ITU World Champion in 2008 and has won numerous Olympic and half iron distance titles in her highly respected career.

Over the weekend, she will share with athletes her experiences on the world circuit, as well as divulge those key training secrets that only come with time, experience and a lot of hard work.

Thanks to the generousity of Sam, who is donating her time to Challenge Wanaka athletes, and camp sponsor Oakridge Resort, the price is much lower than a two-day camp of this calibre would normally be at just $79 per athlete.

“We wanted to thank Challenge Wanaka athletes for their support of the event and what better way to do this than by joining forces with one of the world’s top triathletes and providing a training camp at an affordable price in an amazing location,” said Challenge Wanaka race director, Victoria Murray-Orr.

Sam said she was very much looking forward to the camp and helping the athletes achieve their goals.

“It’s an amazing feeling being part of others achieving their goals. I love coaching athletes and passing on the things I’ve learnt over my years racing triathlon. I too had to balance work, relationships and all the other things that we juggle whilst fitting in training once – the strategies and skills I learnt back then now really help me to guide others with their time management. When you commit to a goal like an iron distance race you really have to cross all your t’s and dot all your i’s if you want to get the best out of yourself. The weekend will be made up of practical training sessions you can take home with you and replicate to improve your fitness, and theoretical aspects of planning, preparation, and race strategies.”

The camp is only available to registered Challenge Wanaka athletes and places are strictly limited and are expected to sell out quickly.