Gustav Iden picks Challenge Samarkand as race, strong field announced

In preparation for the Ironman World Championships at Kona, Gustav Iden will race Challenge Samarkand in September. The race in Uzbekistan took place for the first time last year and already attracted a nice field of participants then, but this year is going to be no different.

Gustav Iden for sure is one of the biggest names, as he was announced earlier this week as a participant for Challenge Samarkand. Also Rico Bogen, Thomas Bishop, Thor Bendix Madsen, Gaetan Fetaud and Ruben Zepuntke will race, among others. Among the women, Laura Madsen and Lottie Lucas are some of the biggest favorites. Several athletes will undoubtedly be added to the start list in the coming weeks.

Challenge Samarkand takes place in Uzbekistan; Samarkand is located on the ‘Silk Road’, formerly a network of caravan routes through Central Asia along which trade was conducted for many centuries between China and eastern Asia on one side and the Middle East and Mediterranean on the other. For centuries, the Silk Road was the most important link between east and west.

Today, a visit to Samarkand is a mix between ‘old/classical and new/modern’. Hyper-modern and luxurious hotels surround the race venue for example, but the old core of the city seems like a giant leap back in time.