We Noticed: Traka 200, 70.3 Western Sydney, Challenge Wānaka … 100? and more

Aussie Olympians Jake Birtwhistle and Natalie Van Coevorden dominated at home, running their way to convincing wins this weekend at IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney.

Van Coevorden started the day in front, finishing the swim ahead of Kiwi Rebecca Clark and Ellie Salthouse. On the bike, Salthouse would eventually lead the way back into transition, with Van Coevorden and Regan Hollioake remaining in the mix. Once on the run, though, there was no stopping Van Coevorden, who cruised past Salthouse for the win, with Hollioake just hanging on for the final spot on the podium ahead of Emily Watts.

“I’m really happy to be honest, I had a disappointing race at the end of March (T100 Gold Coast), so I really wanted to come out here and showcase what I know I can do, and led from start to finish today,” said Van Coevorden. “I’m happy to put it on in front of a home crowd, the atmosphere was amazing out there today too.”

In the men’s race Birtwhistle was fourth out of the water behind Kiwis Trent Thorpe and Ivan Abele, with fellow Aussie Josh Ferris also in the group. Out on the bike course Birtwhistle would ride at the front with Ferris and countryman Cameron Wurf, then quickly pass those two in the early stages of the run and never look back as he cruised to the win.

“It was really good, I was really happy with the race. I was able to put myself right where I wanted to be throughout the swim, bike and run and was towards the front for most of the bike and I stayed out of trouble and kept the pace on,” said Birtwhistle. “There were some guys out there that were really working hard and they put a bit of pressure on me for sure. So, I was glad to finish the bike and get onto the run and from then it was kind of just survival all the way to get home. Having just done a middle distance race a week ago (T100 Singapore), I definitely felt that in my legs today, so it was a bit of a relief to get all the way around and all the way to the finish line in first place.” 

The Traka 200

We wrote about The Traka gravel cycling race on Friday – the event has, in just a few short years, become the “Unbound” of European gravel racing. The Traka is based in Girona, Spain, the home to many of the world’s elite cyclists and triathletes, which helps attract the competitive fields the race has become accustomed to hosting. After Friday’s flagship 360 race, the 200 event also attracted a competitive field, with some big names toeing the line.

Argentina’s Sofia Gomez Villafane topped the women’s race, while Austrian Luka Pöstlberger won for the men.

Pöstlberger, who won the opening stage of the 2017 Giro d’Italia, managed to get clear of a three-man chase group and held them off over the final kilometres to take a 19-second win. American Bradyn Lange took the three-man sprint for second ahead of Czech Republic’s Martin Stošek and Belgium’s Wout Alleman.

In the women’s race it was Sea Otter champ Sofia Gomez Villafane who continued her excellent form, using her off-road experience to pull clear of fellow breakaway rider Larissa Hartog with about 10 km to go. Germany’s Nele Laing would round out the podium, almost eight minutes behind the Argentine.

Challenge Wānaka … 100

I managed to miss this for Friday’s “We Noticed,” but there’s an interesting development at Challenge Wānaka (which celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year) for 2027. The event has changed to the T100 format – a 2 km swim, 80 km bike and 18 km run.

“This is an exciting evolution for Challenge Wānaka and for the sport as a whole,” said Challenge Wānaka race director Jane Sharman. “The 100km distance reflects where triathlon is heading globally, while still delivering the challenge, stunning backdrop, and community feel that athletes love about racing here. We’re proud to be part of a global series that continues to innovate and grow, and we’re looking forward to bringing this new format to Wānaka in 2027.”

Will we see more Challenge-Family races convert from the half-distance (112 km/ 70.3 miles) to the 100 km distance that’s become the standard for the T100 series?

Ryan and Jones Take White Lake Half

Set in White Lake, North Carolina, the White Lake Half triathlon has been going since 1998 “when Bill Scott initiated the event alongside Set Up Events’ burgeoning race production in the 1990s,” according to the race’s athlete guide. In 2020, thanks to a collaboration with Without Limits, a pro event with a $10,000 prize purse was added to the mix. The race is known to be very fast thanks to the swim in crystal-clear spring-fed water, a flat two-loop bike and a shaded out and back run.

Margarita Ryan, who led the women out of the water at IRONMAN Texas a few weeks ago, dominated the first two legs of the race and held on for a convincing win over Canadian Dominika Jamnicky, with Leslie Homol rounding out the podium.

Luke Jones, who was also part of the huge Texas field (he finished 35th), took the men’s race thanks to the day’s fastest bike and run splits, finishing well ahead of Matthew McGoey and Garrett Mayeaux.

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