Challenge Galway, the epic triathlon which is happening in Galway from June 24th to 26th is bringing close to 25,000 people to the Galway City. The festival will see thousands take to the roads and the waters in Galway to battle it out over the three disciplines, Sprint, Olympic and Try a Tri race.
The inaugural event in Galway will see an extraordinary field of Pro athletes taking part. Challenge Galway will see athletes from as afar away as New Zealand to as close to home as Galway taking part. The Pro line up includes, New Zealander Dylan McNeice is Challenge-Wanaka (NZ) champion from 2015, as well as Challenge-Taiwan winner from 2013 and 2014.
Briton Fraser Cartmell is one of the UK’s best known long-distance athletes and boasts an incredible CV which includes not only Ironman UK and Ironman 70.3 UK wins, but also Ironman 70.3 South Africa champion in 2010.
Stephen Bayliss is one of the UK’s greatest ever long-distance athletes, having amassed victories at Challenge-Henley, Challenge-Vichy, Ironman UK and Ironman South Africa across an illustrious career.
Joe Skipper is the 3rd fastest Briton of all time at Iron Distance, with 6 Iron Distance Pro Podiums, and a previous World Championships bronze medalist in 2015. He is widely regarded as one of the UK’s top, and most improved long distance athletes.
David McNamee recently made the move from a highly successful career at Olympic Distance to Long Distance with amazing success. Currently, the ‘hot shot’ at long distance having won Ironman UK and finished 11th on Kona in 2015, he recently podiumed at Ironman Lanzarote behind World Champion Jan Frodeno.
The Irish charge is led by Galwegian and current Irish Middle Distance Champion Kevin Thornton. He will be joined on the start line by Donegal’s Stephen Donnelly, who silvered at last year’s Middle Distance Championships at triAthlone.
Not to be outdone, the Pro women’s field includes Briton Lucy Gossage, who is not just a top Pro but also a Cancer Doctor! This amazing athlete was a top 10 finisher in Kona in 2015 as well as 2015 Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire and Ironman UK Champion. She just won Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire in 2016.
She is joined on the start line by fellow Briton Laura Siddall who was recently 2nd at Challenge-Wanaka. Switzerland’s Emma Bilham comes to Galway off the back of a blistering May win at Ironman 70.3 Barcelona.
“It promises to be an incredibly exciting Pro event across the men’s and women’s fields, with some of the world’s fastest athletes battling it out for the podium,” explained Liam Heaven of Challenge Galway.