Challenge Mogán-Gran Canaria, well-known for its tough and honest course, will kick off the European middle distance season this weekend in Spain.
With previous winners including IRONMAN World Champions Sam Laidlow and Anne Haug, the competition is always fierce and this weekend will be no different, with a number of top names making the trip to the Canary Islands.
In our preview piece below, you can find all the information you need on start times, how to follow and a full rundown of the men and women’s professional fields.
Start time and how to follow live
Challenge Mogan-Gran Canaria will take place on Saturday, April 20. The professional men will begin at 08:00 local time, which corresponds to 08:00 UK time, 09:00 CEST and 00:00 on the West Coast.
Starting three minutes later, the women will kick off at 08:03 local time, which corresponds to 08:03 UK time, 09:03 CEST and 00:03 on the West Coast.
Live updates will start from 7:45am local time (8:45am CEST) and can be found by clicking here. Alternatively, you can find updates throughout the race via @challengefamily and @challengegrancanaria on social media.
Pro Men
In the men’s race, Kristian Hogenhaug of Denmark leads the field, with the Team BMC athlete opening up his season in Gran Canaria after a mixed year in 2023.
Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hourcade (www.joseluishourcade.com)
Finishing on the podium at IRONMAN Hamburg, Hogenhaug was 16th at the PTO Tour European Open, the only other race he finished after a DNF at IRONMAN Nice and the IRONMAN World Championship.
Without a victory since winning Challenge Salou back in 2022, the 32-year-old will look to kickstart this campaign with a strong performance against a useful field when he lines up on Saturday.
Joining the Dane on the start list are a strong contingent of Brits, including Jack Hutchens, Will Draper and Ben Goodfellow, plus Luke Pollard, who has raced as a guide for PTVI World Champion Dave Ellis.
Elsewhere on the start list, Belgian trio Dieter Comhair, Dries Matthys and Tom Valen are all experienced Challenge racers and will look to make their mark against some more established names on race day.
Pro Women
On the women’s side, Svenja Thoes of Germany is the favourite for this race, and will look to improve on her sixth place performance from last year.
[Photo credit: IRONMAN]
With top results such as fifth at the World Triathlon Long Distance Championship to her name, Thoes is a seasoned pro and also picked up podiums at IRONMAN Cozumel and IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2023.
Up against Italian Margie Santimaria, the German will face tough opposition. Santimaria, who finished fourth here in 2023, picked up three Challenge Family event podiums last season including a win at Challenge Geraardsbergen.
Finally, Jeanne Collonge of France is one of the main contenders beside the leading pair for the podium. The winner of the Alps D’Huez triathlon last year, Collonge is an experienced racer at this level, having made her pro debut more than 15 years ago.
Prize Money: What’s on the line?
Athletes will be racing for a total prize purse of $19,000, payable six deep as follows:
1st – €3,500
2nd – €2,100
3rd – €1,400
4th – €1,150
5th – €850
6th – €500
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