The fourth edition of the Challenge Sanremo, an international triathlon event in the Challenge Family circuit, kicked off with the unmissable spectacle of the Youth Races, hosted this year by Portosole.
The 80 young triathletes in the Youth B and Youth A categories (14-15 years), Ragazzi (12-13 years), Esordienti (10-11 years), Cuccioli (8-9 years), and MiniCuccioli (6-7 years) competed in spectacular races over the standard distances for each category (from 50 meters of swimming, 500 meters of cycling, and 250 meters of running for the youngest participants, to 400 meters of swimming, 6 km of cycling, and 2 km of running for the older participants).
Next up is the Challenge Sanremo – Swim & Run – Alessio Bianchi Memorial, a promotional race added to the event program this year. They competed in a 400-meter swim and a 2-kilometer run, repeated three times for a total of 1.2 km of swimming and 6 km of running. The more than 60 participants at the start competed individually, either in the “swimrun” format, the “triathlon” format, or as a relay.
Tomorrow, the Challenge Sanremo program gets underway with the middle-distance race (1.9 km of swimming, 80 km of cycling, and 21 km of running) and the sprint triathlon. Athletes from 35 nations and five continents will compete in the main race.
The women’s event promises to be a top-level competition. Among the top competitors, there will be a welcome return to Sanremo: after her victory in 2023, South African Magda Nieuwoudt returns to the starting line, having arrived in Sanremo 10 days ago to complete her preparations for the race on the Riviera dei Fiori. All eyes are on Hungarian Gabriela Zelinka, an experienced triathlete now specializing in long distances, who will be starting the Sanremo race for the first time, having previously won the Challenge Cesenatico. Already on the podium two years ago, Austrian Lisa-Maria Dornauer returns to Sanremo, where she will once again face German Sarah Schoenfelder, chasing her first medal and a regular at the start since 2022. Also making a welcome return is Frenchwoman Justine Guerard, now a veteran of the race after her podium finish in the first edition. Making their Challenge Sanremo debut are Luisa Iogna Prat, who this year achieved an international podium in the half-Ironman, and Irish former professional cyclist Megan Armitage. Also to watch are Johanna Ahrens (Germany), Carolin Meyer (Germany), Alice Fritzsche (Swi), Zaira Lorenzo (España), and Italians Sara Sandrini and Francesca Crestani.
In the men’s race, Michele Sarzilla will be back, having increased his distances after his Olympic career. The Italian is competing in very challenging events and, after getting to grips with the course last year, will be one of the athletes to watch on Sunday. Watch out for last year’s surprise, Germany’s Jannik Stoll, who managed to reach the podium in 2024 and is back in Liguria with the goal of climbing even higher in the rankings. It will be a huge celebration for Germany’s David Breinlinger, who finished sixth in 2024 and will compete in his final professional race at the Challenge Sanremo. Other names to note include Joost Friederichs (NED), Lorenzo Delco (SWI), Thomas Navarro (FRA), and Italians Davide Rossetti, Pietro Santini, and Filippo Turco.
