The wildest race in triathlon: Challenge Sir Bani Yas

The Challenge Family race series is in the UAE hosting the full-distance Challenge Sir Bani Yas this weekend. A few wildcard elements to the race are sure to make this an interesting one to watch.

Nicknamed the “wildest race in triathlon” because of its location on a desert island, athletes will be racing amongst free-roaming exotic animals including cheetahs and giraffes. The other wildcard factor is French pro Sam Laidlow, who will be racing in the midst of his highly public health struggles.

Laidlow has said on social media that his medical team is still trying to determine a diagnosis for health struggles he’s been dealing with for months. He described his symptoms as low energy and often unable to train. It will be the first time we see what kind of performance he can pull off given his current health situation, and what the future of his season may look like.

Men’s field preview

While Laidlow, the 2023 Ironman World Champion, is headlining the men’s race, he will not go unchallenged. British pro Kieran Lindars had a breakthrough performance last year after finishing second at Ironman Frankfurt in August. Lindars also finished strong in eighth place at 2024 the Ironman World Championship in Kona. He is also the 2022 Europe Triathlon Challenge Long Distance Champion.

Though the expected intense desert heat, often reaching upwards of  35 degrees Celsius, will be a challenge for all competitors, Lindars has a proven ability to perform well in hot conditions, giving him an edge.

German’s Jonas Schomburg, is coming off of an impressive third-place finish at Ironman South Africa last weekend. His performance demonstrates that he’s a tough competitor, but whether that works for or against him with the two races being so close together remains to be seen.

Up until recently, Schomburg primarily focused on short-course racing, competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

South African Olympian Henri Schoeman is transitioning to long-course racing from a long career at short-course. With his eye on Challenge Roth later this year, it will be an early sign into what he can put down at the longer distance and in the heat. Known as one of the strongest swimmers in the short-course field, Schoeman is expected to lead out of the water.

Women’s field preview

The women’s field should deliver up some surprises with a line-up of less familiar pros starting. Former Olympic swimmer, Spain’s Sarah Perez Sala, will be a strong contender at the outset. Whether or not she can hang on to that possible lead on the bike may be impacted by the heat and a significant hill on the bike course. Once the athletes hit the climb on the bike, around 35km, contenders like France’s Aurelia Boulanger and the Netherland’s Diede Diederiks could go in for the kill.

Boulanger finished second in the 2024 Challenge world rankings and won multiple races. Diederiks is known as a strong cyclist and is sure to present a problem for anyone within striking distance.

Competing for spectators

With four major races happening this weekend, spectators will be drawn in lots of directions. Ironman’s Pro Series 70.3 Oceanside, PTO’s T100 Triathlon World Tour Singapore, Supertri E London are all unfolding in tandem.

While many of the strongest pros are racing elsewhere this weekend, one thing no other race has to offer is the unique location, wildlife and unrelenting heat. It will be an interesting one to follow and a glimpse into Laidlow’s potential in defending his 2023 Ironman World Champion title at the end of the season.