Challenge Family’s newest event, Challenge Beijing in China, has confirmed a US$100,000 prize purse. The event organising team also point to… ‘a world-class field of professional athletes already secured to attend the non-drafting Olympic distance race on 8 September.’
Among those racing is top-ranked New Zealand athlete, Kyle Smith. He is joined by German powerhouse, Frederic Funk, Aaron Royle (AUS), Mark Dubrick (USA), and Olympians Henri Schoemann (RSA) and Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN).
The women’s field includes five top 40 athletes, including: Paula Findlay (CAN), Lucy Byram (GBR), Amelia Watkinson (NZL), Ellie Salthouse (GBR), and Sian Rainsley (GBR).
All professional athletes are racing for a share of a significant event US$100,000 prize purse with the breakdown as follows for the top six men and women:
1st – US$20K
2nd – US$10K
3rd – US$8K
4th – US$6K
5th – US$4K
6th – US$2K
Challenge Beijing is based in the Yanqing District in Beijing Shi Yuan International Tourism Resort (Beijing Horticultural Expo Park), home of the 2022 Winter Olympics. The event venue has the Gui River running through it and the Haituo Mountain Range in the background, with its lakes and mountains in full view.
The swim course is in the Gui River with T1 located adjacent to Guirui Theatre. The bike course goes through the Expo Park and it surroundings, crossing over the Gui River Bridge and the World Grapes Expo Garden in view of the Haituo Mountains.
T2 is in front of the International Pavilion (also known as ‘Xuejinggong’, Snow Crystal Palace) with the run course following the ‘rainbow runway’, passing buildings and scenery in the Expo Park with athletes experiencing the area’s landscaping.
More than 1,000 Chinese and international age group athletes are expected to join the professionals over the course of the weekend, plus enjoy the Chinese culture with the nearby Badaling Great Wall and Yanqing’s Winter Olympic legacy.
