Professional athletes Sam Laidlow and Fenella Langridge lived up to their status as favourites in a thrilling race that took place past the iconic Big Ben and Tower Bridge and through the heart of central London. Both sportsmen returned to their homes as winners.
Sam Laidlow’s dominance in the race began almost immediately, as he emerged from the water ahead of the pack and quickly extended his lead on the bike. He started the final half marathon alone and biked into the heart of London at a furious pace.
Although he later described the 21 kilometres as “psychologically hard,” given that there were 6 loops to complete, he did so with great success and gave pursuing males like James Teagle and Joshua Lewis little chance to get closer. After 3:29 minutes, 31 seconds, Laidlow crossed the finish line ahead of Teagle (3:32:17) and Lewis (3:34:02). Later, the three elite athletes agreed that racing through London was an unforgettable experience. The interviews have been posted at:
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Fenella Langridge– Best of the finest
The same may be said about the victorious female: Fenella Langridge reigned supreme. She started out strong and never let up, swimming alone until she reached the surface. There was a flurry of activity and a number of shifts in leadership taking place behind her, but it became immediately apparent that no one could prevent Langridge from achieving victory. Her winning time was 4 minutes and 2 seconds.
In spite of the fact that Susie Cheetham and Lizzie Rayner maintained the finest bike connection, they ultimately decided throughout the run that they were not capable of placing in the top three. Magda Niewoudt, a South African, finished second in 4:08:33 and wants to devote her full attention to the Challenge Family World Bonus, which she organised brilliantly today. Els Visser, a Dutchwoman, came in third. She dropped from sixth to third during the course of the run despite losing significant time on the bike when she briefly took the wrong way. Visser completed the race in 4:09:26. Be sure to check out these in-depth interviews: