Challenge Family announces stellar field and US$100k prize purse for inaugural Challenge Beijing

Challenge Family’s newest event, Challenge Beijing in China, has confirmed a US$100k prize purse with a world-class field of professional athletes already secured to attend the non-drafting Olympic distance race on 8 September.

Among those racing is top-ranked New Zealand athlete, Kyle Smith, winner of The Championship 2024 and Challenge Wanaka plus second at T100 San Francisco and London and currently ranked fourth in the world. He is joined by German powerhouse, Frederic Funk, currently ranked 11th in the world and runner up at The Championship 2024. Aaron Royle #30 (AUS) also joins the line up as does Mark Dubrick #45 (USA), and Olympians Henri Schoemann (RSA) and Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN).

The women’s field includes five top 40 athletes, with Paula Findlay (CAN) who already has two 70.3 wins under her belt in 2024 and is ranked seventh in the world. She is up against Lucy Byram (GBR), Amelia Watkinson (NZL) and Ellie Salthouse (GBR), ranked 12th, 13th and 14th respectively promising an exciting and closely fought battle, made even more interesting with short course specialist Sian Rainsley (GBR) thrown into the mix. Also lining up is Julie Derron #35 who recently showed her prowess over the middle distance with her convincing win at Challenge Kaiserwinkl-Walchsee and who will compete in the Paris Olympics for Switzerland this week.

All professional athletes are racing for a share of a significant US$100,000 prize purse with the breakdown as follows for the top six men and women:

1st –  $20K

2nd – $10K

3rd – $8K

4th – $6K

5th – $4K

6th – $2K

Challenge Beijing is based in the Yanqing District in Beijing Shi Yuan International Tourism Resort (Beijing Horticultural Expo Park), home of the 2022 Winter Olympics, with the Gui River running through it and the Haituo Mountain Range in the background, with its lakes and mountains in full view, providing a spectacular destination for a world-class triathlon.

The swim course is in the Gui River with T1 located adjacent to  Guirui Theatre. The shape of the theatre is like a colourful butterfly spreading its wings and ready to fly. The bike course goes through the Expo Park and it surroundings, crossing over the Gui River Bridge and the World Grapes Expo Garden in view of the Haituo Mountains. T2 is in front of the International Pavilion (also known as “Xuejinggong”, Snow Crystal Palace) with the run course following the “rainbow runway”, passing iconic buildings and scenery in the Expo Park with athletes experiencing the artistic concept of landscaping that unites man and nature. 

More than 1,000 Chinese and international age group athletes are expected to join the professionals over the course of the weekend, plus enjoy the Chinese culture with the nearby Badaling Great Wall and Yanqing’s strong Winter Olympic legacy.