In what will go down as the most tightly contested race in T100 women’s history, the London stop delivered everything fans could hope for – and more. With arguably the deepest field ever assembled for a women’s T100 event, the race came down to a run battle between three of the sport’s most exciting athletes: hometown hero Lucy Charles-Barclay, American powerhouse and reigning World Champion Taylor Knibb, and rising British star Kate Waugh.
For Charles-Barclay, the stakes were high: not only was this a race in her hometown, but it came a year after she was forced to withdraw midway through the run due to injury, a devastating blow she was determined to rewrite.
With a fast, technical course in the London Docklands winding along the Thames and the finish line set inside the electric atmosphere of the ExCeL Centre, thousands of spectators lined the course for what commentators hailed as “the most nail-biting finish in the history of women’s T100 racing.” In the final two kilometers, Charles-Barclay surged ahead on the final loop of the run to claim the most meaningful victory of her career – breaking the tape in tears, the emotion of the moment unmistakable as she finally stepped onto the top step of the podium.
A Swift Start: Charles-Barclay and Learmonth Set the Tone Early
True to form, Lucy Charles-Barclay took control of the race from the gun with her signature high-cadence swim style, setting a fierce tempo through the first lap of the two-loop Aussie-exist swim course. On the second lap, Jess Learmonth shared the lead, helping to push the tempo at the front.
Charles-Barclay ultimately led out of the water, with Learmonth, Kate Waugh, and Taylor Knibb just seconds behind. About a minute back came the next chasers, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Hannah Berry, with notable runners Ashleigh Gentle and Julie Derron exiting the water roughly 90 seconds back.
Leaders Hold Strong on the Bike
The 80km bike leg saw the quartet of Charles-Barclay, Knibb, Learmonth, and Waugh holding firm at the front, trading the lead but without any decisive breaks. Charles-Barclay entered T2 with a narrow lead – nine seconds ahead of Knibb, 11 over Learmonth, and 22 on Waugh. Behind them, the gap had widened significantly, with Derron now over four minutes back and Gentle trailing by more than six minutes.
The stage was set for a run battle that would go down in T100 history.
A Run Battle for the Ages
The final 18km began with a stride-for-stride showdown as Charles-Barclay, Knibb, and Waugh charged out of T2 in close succession. For the opening kilometres, the three were locked in pace, matching each other step for step through the early stages of the six-loop course.
It was Waugh who made the first move. Surging off the front, the young Brit looked poised to take her second T100 victory of the season, opening a gap on Charles-Barclay and Knibb and running with the confidence of someone who had been there before. Knibb began to fade, but Charles-Barclay held her rhythm, refusing to let the leader disappear from view.
And then, in the final lap, everything changed.
With just over two kilometers to go, Charles-Barclay dug deep and made her move, passing Waugh in decisive fashion. “She’s been the bridesmaid many times,” commentators said, referencing her history of runner-up finishes. But not today. As Jan Frodeno observed, she put 30 seconds into Waugh in just over a kilometer, calling it the kind of “mental momentum” that defines a true champion.
Charles-Barclay entered the finishing chute alone, and the emotion on her face said it all. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she broke the tape, claiming her first-ever T100 victory on home soil – a long-overdue triumph for one of triathlon’s most iconic athletes.
“Oh my god, it feels so amazing,” Lucy said at the finish. “I’d say the last three or four years have been a roller coaster with injuries… I definitely feel this is confirmation that I’m getting back to my best self – and yeah, I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”
Kate Waugh, reflecting on her effort, said: “I went for it, I have no regrets…I found the limit today… Of course I’m a bit gutted to not bring home a win…but I went for it.”
And Taylor Knibb, while clearly not at her best today, accepted her defeat with remarkable grace and professionalism: “I think it’s a very exciting race to Qatar,” she said post-race. “And if we do the math right, the top four – Kate and I each have a first, a second, and a third; Julie has a first, a second, and a fourth plus her 12th in Singapore; and Lucy has a first, a third, and a fourth. So that’s pretty tight in the top four…”
“That’s the benefit of having different courses over the course of a season-long narrative,” Knibb continued, “so hopefully it’s shaping up to be a better story this year.” Her humble acknowledgement of the fierce competition and the shifting dynamics of this season – following her undefeated 2024 run – is a true demonstration of the champion spirit she’s always shown on and off the course.
Stay tuned for a full summary of the men’s race in London, coming soon.
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