Laidlow and Van Coevorden win Challenge Samarkand 2026

France’s Sam Laidlow and Australia’s Natalie Van Coevorden won Challenge Samarkand 2026 on Sunday.

French triathlete Sam Laidlow chose Challenge Samarkand in Uzbekistan over the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, using the race to fine-tune his final preparations for the upcoming IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. The bike course and weather conditions in Samarkand were closer to what triathletes will face in Kona on October 4.

It proved a shrewd decision for Laidlow, who won the race despite a few twists and turns, while avoiding the far stronger field and added pressure in Nice.

Serbian triathlete Ognjen Stojanovic was first out of the water in 23:07, with South Africa’s Henri Schoeman and Denmark’s Emil Holm on his heels. Laidlow was fourth, nine seconds back. A fast transition put him first onto the bike, and he immediately took control of the 90 km course, setting a particularly high pace.

Laidlow in control on the bike

By the 25 km mark, Laidlow already had just under a minute on Holm in second, while Britain’s Cameron Main had moved into third. At halfway, defending British champion Will Draper had gradually worked his way up to fifth, behind fellow Briton Frederick Webb and Ognjen Stojanovic, who led the chase group alongside Schoeman, Ukraine’s Rostislav Pevtsov and Main.

Despite his best efforts, Holm could not close the gap to Laidlow. He soon had to contend with Draper’s advance. In the final kilometres of the bike leg, Draper moved into third and opened a clear gap on the other chasers.

At the entrance to the Silk Road Complex, 5 km from the second transition, Draper dropped Holm and set off after Laidlow. He cut the gap to 1:38 by T2 while posting the fastest bike split in 1:52:23. Holm came into transition third, 2:09 behind Laidlow.

Laidlow forced to pause on the run

Then came the twist. Just 1 km into the run, Laidlow left the course and began walking, apparently suffering from stomach problems. It handed Draper an unexpected chance to close in. The Briton took up the chase, setting the stage for a thrilling half-marathon.

At 3 km, Draper had caught Laidlow. Rather than passing him, however, he chose to run alongside him. Holm joined them shortly afterwards, creating a race dynamic nobody had anticipated.

By halfway through the second lap, Holm and Laidlow had dropped Draper and the race became a two-man fight. At halfway, Laidlow was the one dictating the pace.

By the end of the third lap, the Frenchman finally began to pull away from Holm. He looked strong, and the early drama appeared to be behind him.

Laidlow ultimately took the win ahead of Holm in second and Draper in third. It was a fitting finish to a tight and spectacular men's race in Samarkand.

Men's top five

1 Sam Laidlow (France) 3:34:57

2 Emil Holm (Denmark) 3:35:37

3 Will Draper (Great Britain) 3:36:10

4 Ognjen Stojanovic (Serbia) 3:39:27

5 Henri Schoeman (South Africa) 3:40:27

Full results

Sara Perez Sala defends her women's title

In the women's race, the swim produced no surprises. Defending Spanish champion Sara Perez Sala led out of the water in 24:48, setting off on the bike ahead of compatriot Maria Vilas Vidal and Britain's Daisy Davies.

Perez Sala held the lead through the opening kilometres, with Davies and Australian Natalie van Coevorden quickly moving into third, 20 metres behind in line with Challenge Family's drafting rules.

At 35 km, Davies moved to the front of the three-woman group, before Perez Sala reclaimed the lead as the wind gradually picked up.

Behind the leading trio, New Zealand's Nicole van der Kaay was riding alone, while Australia's Milan Agnew, a minute back, held fifth place.

Van Coevorden and Davies upset the form book

Perez Sala remained in front until T2, but the half-marathon soon began to mirror the men's race, with Perez Sala and Van Coevorden going head-to-head while Davies held third.

Unlike in the men's race, Van Coevorden attacked at the start of the second lap to take the lead outright. All three women remained strong and in contention for the win, while Perez Sala and Davies fought an especially intense battle for second and third.

Davies looked to have secured second place, but Perez Sala refused to give in and kept pushing to the finish.

The Briton ultimately held on to second, ahead of Pérez Sala, while Natalie van Coevorden took the win.

Women's top five

1 Natalie van Coevorden (Australia) 3:58:41

2 Daisy Davies (Great Britain) 3:59:49

3 Sara Perez Sala (Spain) 4:00:08

4 Nicole Van der Kaay (New Zealand) 4:04:57

5 Anna Bergsten (Sweden) 4:06:40

Full results