T100 Vancouver: Julie Derron runs down Kate Waugh

Switzerland’s Julie Derron reeled in and then passed Britain’s Kate Waugh, the reigning T100 world champion, on the run to claim her first win of the season on the T100 circuit on Saturday in Vancouver, Canada.

In 21°C conditions, the 20 Elite women on this T100 stop, joined by nearly 2,000 age-groupers racing over the weekend, set off from Locarno Beach for the 2 km swim.

The reigning T100 world champion Kate Waugh (Great Britain) hit the front from the gun in the water. She was quickly joined by Taylor Spivey (United States), Imogen Simmonds (Switzerland), Lena Meissner (Germany) and Sara Pérez Sala (Spain) in the lead pack. Behind them, Georgia Taylor-Brown (Great Britain) led the second group, seven seconds back after the first lap.

Out of the water, Spivey led, with Waugh close behind, followed by Pérez Sala, Meissner and Simmonds. The gap to Taylor-Brown’s group had already grown to 41 seconds. After the 2 km swim, the athletes still had a long stretch of sand to cover to reach T1. Spivey lost time on that run, allowing Waugh to be first onto the bike, three seconds ahead of Germany’s Meissner.

Derron’s bike comeback

The 80 km bike leg took the athletes along Spanish Banks, with five 14.1 km laps that also passed through the University of British Columbia campus.

Switzerland’s Julie Derron steadily moved up after starting the bike about 1:30 down. She produced an impressive charge to the front, bridging up to Canada’s Paula Findlay, Waugh and Simmonds with more than half of the 80 km still to ride.

Starting the bike in 13th after the swim, Findlay also carved her way through the field. She took control of her home race with 55 km to go on the bike. Waugh eventually moved back into the lead and hit T2 with a 48-second cushion over Simmonds and Derron. Findlay was close behind after clocking the fastest bike split in 2:01:13.

Findlay snatches the podium after the run

A flawless transition helped Waugh hold onto the lead as the 18 km run began, along Locarno Beach and Spanish Banks Beach Park.

Derron immediately dropped her compatriot Simmonds and set off after Waugh and the win. Simmonds was soon caught and passed by Findlay, who then started to open a gap on the Swiss athlete in the fight for the final podium spot.

Derron was flying. She caught Waugh with just under 9 km to go. With less than 6 km left, Findlay was overtaken by 2026 T100 Spain winner Georgia Taylor-Brown, who moved into the podium positions.

Derron ultimately took the win in Vancouver, stopping the clock at 3:33:26, nearly two minutes clear of Waugh, who confirmed her return to racing after a calf injury.

The final podium spot went to Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown, three minutes behind Derron. Local favourite Findlay rounded out the top four, just 27 seconds back from her rival.

Already second in Vancouver last year behind American Taylor Knibb, Julie Derron wasn’t about to let the top step slip away this time, despite a superb performance from Britain’s Kate Waugh.

TOP 10:

1 Julie Derron (Switzerland) 3:33:26

2 Kate Waugh (Great Britain) 3:35:06

3 Georgia Taylor-Brown (Great Britain) 3:36:27

4 Paula Findlay (Canada) 3:36:55

5 Imogen Simmonds (Switzerland) 3:38:10

6 Bianca Bogen (Germany) 3:38:54

7 Alanis Siffert (Switzerland) 3:39:16

8 Taylor Spivey (United States) 3:40:16

9 Hannah Berry (New Zealand) 3:40:30

10 Nicole Van Der Kay (New Zealand) 3:42:04

Next up: Dubai (Women) and Fréjus (Men)

With this victory, Derron moves to the top of the overall T100 Race to Qatar standings with 64 points, ahead of Imogen Simmonds (Switzerland) in second on 62 points, and Georgia Taylor-Brown (Great Britain) in third on 61.

The next stop for the women will be the Dubai T100 Triathlon, on November 14. The men return to action on September 19 for the Ekoï French Riviera T100.