In his first middle distance competition, Javier Gómez Noya (ESP) spectacularly won both the Half Distance Triathlon European Championship and Challenge Half Barcelona this Sunday. Camilla Pedersen (DEN) took the women's title for the second year in a row.

Gomez dominated the competition throughout, scoring his dream debut in Calella. "I only have one word: spectacular. In the beginning, I tried to manage my effort in the very demanding cycling segment, but when I saw myself getting comfortable and securing enough margin, I decided to enjoy the run course and its public. I am very happy with my result, the atmosphere and the great organization of this Challenge competition."
Jens Toft was the first to complete the 1.9km swim course, followed only three seconds later by Javier Gómez Noya and by Russian Yaroshenko in third position.

After the T1 start, the Dane led the first kilometers of the bike segment. The Spaniard started in second position at 13 seconds. Yaroshenko and Italian Alberto Casadei came next. In the downhill part, Gómez Noya launched an attack and managed to overcome the Dane and get in first position.

After that, the Spaniard continuously increased his advantage, making the final 21km run look easy. He finished with a six-minute advantage on the runner-up, Martin Jensen, and eight minutes ahead of bronze medalist Jens Toft.

Four-times world champion Chris McCormack, finished sixth. "I travelled a long way looking for a challenge, and I found it. It was a hard race, a very good training at the beginning of the season. Furthermore, I have been able to enjoy it alongside Javier Gómez Noya, an incredible person with whom I can find no fault; he is extremely talented and very classy. I would feel privileged if he would succeed me in this distance; it has been a real pleasure to compete with him in a town like Calella and with the spectacular organization provided by Challenge."

2013 Challenge Barcelona-Maresme Half Results:
Calella, Spain - May 19, 2013

In the women's race Camilla Pedersen managed an impressive victory taking the European title and her second consecutive win at Challenge Half Barcelona.

After the swim course, Maria Czesnik and Ricarda Lisk were leading the competition, together with Holly Lawrence and Camilla Pedersen.

At the start of the 90km bike leg Great Britain's Holly Lawrence headed the race, followed by Pedersen and Lisk. The Danish athlete imposed a strong rhythm and achieved the best intermediate mark of this course. Pedersen then managed to leave her rivals as she showed her strength on the challenging cycle course.

Pedersen maintained her advantage all along the 21-km run course and reached the finish line with a wide margin over her rivals. Ireland's Eimear Mullan made the finish line five minutes and 35 seconds after the Dane and won the silver medal. Mullan maintained a constant pace throughout the three segments. Polish athlete Maria Czesnik finished seven minutes after Pedersen and scored the bronze medal.

Upon reaching the finish line, Pedersen declared "it has been incredible... a real challenge with this new cycling course. I had problems with my bike a couple of times, but everything ended up well and I managed to enjoy the circuit, where I felt really comfortable. I love this circuit, it is fun and constitutes a real challenge. I never expect anything specific before starting a new race, I just go out there planning to give my best and it makes me really happy to win."

For further information and full results, please visit www.challenge-barcelona.es.

Source: Challenge
 
 
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Revolution 3 expands their 2014 race line-up with a new September 12-14 REV3 Pocono Mountains event. The weekend is nestled at the magnificent Shawnee Inn, a historic lodge established in the early 1900′s. The Shawnee Inn is entirely for Rev3 athletes and families, and T2, expo, and finish line are all on the grounds of Shawnee Inn.

Triathlon: REV3 Pocono Mountains
When: September 12-14, 2014
Where: Shawnee on Deleware, PA
Events: HalfRev, OlympicRev, Sprint Adventure Race, Glow 5K
Website: www.rev3tri.com

"We are thrilled to expand our race series and add REV3 Pocono Mountains," said Charlie Patten, Revolution 3 President and Founder. "This is a beautiful area at this time of the year, and will truly celebrate the fall season and outdoor multisport on the East Coast."

The weekend will include multiple events including a Friday evening Rev3 Glow 5K, a USARA sanctioned sprint adventure race and a family adventure race on Saturday. Sunday's highlights are an Olympic distance triathlon as well as a Half REV. The Half REV offers a professional race with a $50,000 prize purse.

Sunday's races feature a lake swim, then a point to point bike where the athletes plunge 400 vertical feet over the first 4 miles of the bike into the scenic Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area where the scenery this time of year will be the only distraction as the balance of the bike course will be closed to traffic. The run is a hilly out and back course passing Shawnee Mtn. Ski Area and back into the National Recreation Area before coming back to finish at the Shawnee Inn Resort.

"The Pocono Mountains are proud to introduce the REV3 Triathlon and Adventure Race Series to its 2014 calendar. We believe that REV3 brings an air of challenge, rejuvenation, family bonding and fun," said Pocono Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau's Vice President David Jackson. "These are all of the ingredients that make the Pocono Mountains stand out as a proven leader in the outdoor adventure sports community and the principals we stand on when selecting sporting events. The outdoor adventure sport trend continues to grow and REV3 is one of the reasons for its continuing success."

"We are taking over an existing race but streamlining it to give athletes and spectators convenience so they can focus on racing and not have to worry about logistics," said Eric Opdyke, Revolution3 Race Director.

Registration for the new REV3 Pocono Mountains will open soon, so keep checking the www.rev3tri.com website for details.
 
 
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MAY 14, 2013 - The successful launch of Challenge Family with three events into Australia continues with Challenge Melbourne selling out today with over 1200 competitors.

"I couldn't be happier with the response from athletes and industry people to the announcement of Challenge Melbourne," said David Hansen, Challenge Melbourne director. "The emails and phone calls of encouragement have been overwhelming and to now sell out the event in less than a week of opening entries is humbling."

Challenge Family CEO, Felix Walchshöfer, is also thrilled with the huge response from athletes. "Athletes have been asking us for nearly two years to come back to Australia and today it seems as though they have greeted Challenge Family's return in the best way possible with so many signing up, not just for Melbourne but for all three races. I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and every athlete for your support and I very much look forward to welcoming you across the finish line!"

The inaugural Challenge Melbourne event will take place on February 2, 2014.

Last week the Challenge Family announced their re-entry into the Australian triathlon scene with Challenge Melbourne, Challenge Forster and Challenge Bateman's Bay.

The Challenge Forster event is currently open for entries and continues to fill quickly as athletes rush to make sure they are apart of this traditional event.

"Athletes care about tradition and love to recall history, so for Challenge Forster to allow the new generation of athletes to experience the course on which our sport was built is very exciting," said Mark Emerton, Challenge Forster and Challenge Bateman's Bay race director. "Entries are pouring in and I would expect the race to fill very soon. We're also really pleased with the way Bateman's Bay entries are going so early on.

Challenge Forster will take place in the idyllic twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry on the NSW Mid-North Coast on Sunday November 24, 2013 while Challenge Bateman's Bay will be held on March 16, 2014. Challenge Bateman's Bay entries opened today, Monday.

The Challenge Family global series of long distance triathlons is changing the face of long distance racing around the world with its focus on athlete experience. Featuring spectacular courses in iconic destinations, Challenge Family events focus on delivering the race-of-a-lifetime to every athlete, and creating a memorable spectator experience that captures all the excitement and emotion of this inspirational sport.

The addition of the Australian races takes the Challenge Family to 21 events around the world including the world's largest long distance triathlon, Challenge Roth in Germany. Other Challenge Family races are held in Germany, Austria, Canada, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, New Zealand, Thailand and Taiwan.

Entries to Challenge Forster and Challenge Bateman's Bay are currently opened to the general public at www.challenge-australia.com.au

For further information on Challenge Family, please visit www.challenge-family.com, follow on Twitter @Challenge_Family or like on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChallengeFamily.
 

Leanda Cave, the reigning 2012 Ironman World Champion, is hosting a charity auction on eBay with all proceeds going to a great cause, the Blazeman Foundation for ALS. Up for grabs is the triathlon suit she wore last October, when she won her first ever Ironman World Championship title in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. See the eBay item description below. Hurry, as the eBay auction ends on May 19, 2013 15:00:59 PDT .

Auction Item Description
This is THE tri-suit that I wore when I won the 2012 Ironman World Championships in Kona.........it has been washed by the way!

I will be donating all the money from the sale of this tri-suit to my charity of choice: the Blazeman Foundation for ALS. I have been supporting this charity since 2007 and every year I do something in a bid to raise money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. This year the multi-sport community lost a dear friend to many, Pete Zucker. I was fortunate to meet Pete and get to know a little of the impact his battle with this disease had on his family and friends. This one is for you Pete.

PLEASE be generous and PLEASE tell all your friends. Below is a little more about ALS and for further information about the Blazeman Foundation for ALS, please visit their website.

ALS is a progressive degenerative disease that attacks the motor neurons, or nerve cells, in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons control the movement of voluntary muscles. Death of the motor neurons makes it impossible for the brain to control muscles or signal them to move. As the muscles atrophy, it results in weakness and loss of coordination.

ALS is unpreventable, untreatable and incurable. ALS attacks otherwise healthy adults randomly and spontaneously. Once diagnosed, people with ALS have an average life expectancy of 2 - 5 years.

Link to Leanda Cave's World Champion Triathlon Suit Auction on eBay
 

Blazeman's War on ALS!
A Multi-Sport Movement to End Lou Gehrig's Disease
The Blazeman Foundation for ALS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It is a family foundation that serves to carry out the vision of its namesake and founder, the late Jonathan "Blazeman" Blais. Contributions to the foundation are tax deductible.

The mission of the Blazeman Foundation for ALS is 1) to raise awareness about ALS by leveraging the energy, commitment and compassion of the multi-sport community and 2) to raise necessary funds to be directed into cutting-edge scientific research to find treatments and an eventual cure for ALS...So Others May Live.

To learn more about the Blazeman Foundation for ALS visit: www.waronals.com