Challenge has been tracking the earnings of every pro triathlete for the past 28 weeks across Challenge, WTC and ITU events, together with key independent races, after the idea was suggested at the Pro Athlete Forum it ran at Challenge Bahrain last December.

Daniela Ryf wins Ironman Frankfurt

Most impressively, Ryf is easily the highest-paid triathlete of all, with Challenge estimating she has earned $109k to date from five races – well above the men’s leader, Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) who’s earned $84k from six races. Gwen Jorgensen also fares very well after her incredible run of six consecutive WTS wins this year. Don is believed to have won $58k from four races, while Jodie Swallow is just behind with $57k from five races. 

Don’s wins this year to date include Ironman 70.3 Monterrey, Ironman 70.3 Latin American Champs Brasilia and the Ironman 70.3 North American Champs St. George. He also came second at Ironman 70.3 Boulder. Many believe he could be a serious contender at the Ironman World Champs in Kona this October, and he told us in the April issue of 220 Triathlon magazine that he plans to swing his focus from 70.3 to Hawaii in mid-July.

Jodie Swallow on her way to winning Ironman South Africa

For her part, Swallow has already won the Ironman African Champs and 70.3 South Africa, and came third in St. George. Always a supremely strong swimmer and biker, Swallow only just missed out on a medal at Kona last year, coming fourth with a time of 9:10:19.

“Triathlon needs to move into line with premier sports like golf and tennis with a world ranking system,” said Challenge CEO, Zibi Szlufcik. “It not only rewards the best performed athletes, but provides a simple explanation to non-traditional media and the general public.”

By way of comparison, the top earner in tennis is Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who’s earned $10m so far this year, including $2.8m from Wimbledon alone. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is golf’s highest earner right now, having earned an estimated $4m this year to date.

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Alistair Brownlee celebrates winning WTS Cape Town

Elsewhere in the Challenge rankings, Alistair Brownlee sits fifth behind Tim Don with $48k to date, while younger brother Jonathan is thought to have earned $40k. Among the women, Liz Blatchford is second-highest British earner with $32k from five races, while Lucy Gossage and Vicky Holland have both earned $23k.

– To download the top 20 men, click here
– To download the top 20 women, click here

(Images: Ironman / Getty)

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What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Other highlights in the latest issue include:

A day at the races: we celebrate Sunday 14 June, the UK’s biggest-ever day in tri participation history when well over 10,000 racers got involved

Gear focus: race wheels get the 220 analysis

Run strategies to avoid injury

Recover faster: beat fatigue and race strong

Train with Chrissie: comp winner Katy reports from her Bristol Tri experience

Tested and rated: Cervélo P5 and Quintana Roo PRSix tri bikes

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Find 220 Triathlon on sale at newsagents across the UK, and the digital edition can be picked up via the iTunes store, Google Play and Zinio.

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Bonus digital content includes: go behind-the-scenes at the Dave Scott/220 training days; discover more about the Quintana Roo PRSix tri bike; watch Blenheim race highlights.

>>> Dave Scott on how to build a long-distance training plan

The triathlon, which takes place on August 8th of this year, consists of a 1.9km swim in a freshwater glacial lake, followed by a 90km bike on the old main road, finishing with a 21km run on asphalt and gravel.

Most triathlons based in Iceland have been pool swims or short-distance triathlons because the Iceland’s sea and lake temperatures are low, however organisers have extended the distance because of the increase in interest.

“I am delighted to come to Iceland and participate in this race,” said McCormack. “I have wanted to come to Iceland for many years, this is a great opportunity to race there and discover the country. I am bringing my whole family, I think it’s going to be amazing.” 

The course is located 50km away from the capital Reykjavik, and takes participants through the lake Medalfellsvatn, into Hvalfjordur Bay and through Iceland’s scenic country roads.

Competitors will have to tackle a 770m elevation on the bike and face temperatures of14°C in the lake, which consists of water straight from a glacier.  

Registration costs £45 and ends on August 7. If you’re interested in registering, or for more information please visit their website.

(Images: Viðar Þorsteinsson)

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Will you be entering the Jarnmadurinn Triathlon? Let us know in the comments below!

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>>> Gallery: Outlaw Triathlon 2014

The event, now six years old, starts at the National Water Sports Centre at 6am with competitors facing a 3.8km swim in the Regatta Lake at sunrise.

From there competitors move onto the 180km bike ride, a relatively flat surface which features the popular cheering point at Car Colston and looping round Southwell. All athletes must be back at T2 for the 4pm cut-off before starting the marathon run along the River Trent.

Once running the marathon, athletes will be treated to views of famous Nottingham stadia including Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, Meadow Lane and Trent Bridge.

Spectators should keep an eye out for the four former champions, 2010 winner Paul Hawkins, 2012 winner Harry Wiltshire, 2013 winner Eugene Grant and last year’s winner Craig Twigg, who are all tipped to do well. Karl Alexander, who won the 2015 Outlaw Half, will also be competing as he tries to become a double Outlaw champion.

Craig Twigg wins The Outlaw 2014

Twigg led last year’s men’s race from nearly start to finish and is hoping to continue that form this years. “My best iron distance time is 8:50hrs in Barcelona in 2013, and the aim for the Outlaw is to defend the title and win!”

Jenny Bosman, last year’s Outlaw women’s champion, will not be competing in the event this year, guaranteeing a new women’s champion and leaving that race wide open. Jenny Latham and Claire Shea-Simonds look to be the key contenders in the women’s race.

Joel Jameson’s 2011 track record of 8:47:47 is still the time to beat in the men’s distance while the women’s record stands at 9:50:58, which was set by Vicky Gill in 2013.

The event is free for spectators, including free parking but local supporters are being encouraged to commute by bike to avoid any disruption.

(Images: Ross Grieve / Dirty Green Trainers)

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Are you racing the Outlaw this year? Let us know in the comments below

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Starting with the HRM Tri, it’s the company’s smallest and lightest heart-rate monitor and sports a slimmer, black band as opposed to the HRM Swim’s slightly bulkier blue belt, which kind of resembles a boxing/WWE title belt.

Garmin’s new HRM Tri

Both models store HRM data when swimming then transfer it to a connected compatible device after the swim. They can also send real-time heart rate and interval summaries when the monitor and compatible watch are out of the water.

Featuring an adjustable strap, 20 hours of data storage and a rather impressive 10-month battery life, users will be able to analyse their heartbeat in depth through Garmin Connect or their smartphone. As always, Garmin Connect will enable users to plan, save and share their workouts online – perfect for those of you that like to show off.

Garmin’s HRM Swim, built for the pool

The HRM Swim is the thicker blue belt, which has been purpose-built for the pool, rather than the Tri which is more accustomed to open water. Why you ask? Well the HRM is denser which will stop the band from sliding down when athletes push of the pool walls.

The products come after Garmin successfully launched the Forerunner 920XT multisport watch last autumn, which we reviewed here. The company believes that their latest products offer more comprehensive data to help triathletes achieve their goal. 

Pricing is £99.99 for the HRM Tri and £79.99 for the HRM Swim from www.garmin.com.

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The father of one, from London will be setting off from Dakar, Senegal on 1 November 2015 and hopes to reach Natal, Brazil in time for St David’s day on 1 March 2016.

Ben, has always been a fighter, serving as part of the British military and having died in intensive care after a premature birth that left him with collapsed lungs.

He is aiming to complete 15 – 20 miles a day, swimming freestyle for up to 12 hours a day, before sleeping overnight on a boat. He is expected to burn off between 10,000 and 12,000 calories each day.

What lies in store for Ben

The distance between Dakar and Natal is 1,736 miles. The already daunting challenge is made even more intimidating when you realise that Ben will not only be competing with currents that can reach seven knots, but waves that can reach 20 feet high and marine life including sharks and jellyfish.

“I’m taking a shark safety team with me from Key West, Florida, who have worked to protect Diana Nyadd and Chloe McCardel on their swims. This includes shark defence, shark safe chemical repellents and shark shield devices, and a pointy pole from B&Q as back up”

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If Ben is successful he will go down in history as the first person to swim across an ocean in “transparently”.  This will mean that users online will be able to watch Ben’s progress online. The entire swim will be documented and verified by the Guinness Book of Records and independent organisations.

A research and exercise team will accommodate Ben on his journey. Medics will be doing tests, looking at the effects of the swim on human body endurance, as well as nutrition, hydration impact, and immune system response.

How you can master the open water

For those of you who don’t fancy swimming the Atlantic and would rather concentrate on the swim leg of your event, Ben shares his technique, which could help you to a new PB in the water.

“I’d recommend an extended reach before hand entry, good core work and lower your kick ratio to conserve for bike, increasing speed with longer reach and therefore greater pull. This will mean you’re faster with less energy expenditure.” Ben says from his training camp.

“Avoid the high elbow, hand entry by your head. Reach and stretch out, hold for one second longer and save energy. This works for me and I hope it works for you”

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Last year Ben swam a total of 2.2 million meters in preparation for this monumental task and will be consuming 7,500 calories.For more information on Ben and the swim check out the website.

Jeff Fairbanks, who’s producing the documentary, hopes that this will inspire people to take up triathlons, trying to reassure newcomers that the sport isn’t as daunting as it can look.

Before trying triathlon he believed that the sport was un-relatable, claiming that it seemed unrealistic for people with a job and family.

“For me I’d love the viewers to relate to the featured athletes. To see an average person complete a triathlon gives access to the thought of achievability. If I can do it, you can do it, and so on.”

What’s in store

The documentary follows Jeff and athletes Rachel McBride, Dave Mirra, and Jack Toland as they each prepare for different triathlon events.

He has taken inspiration from the athletes he is working with and wanted to showcase all the hard work and dedication triathletes go through in order to accomplish their goals. 

“You don’t have to come from the same, athletic backgrounds to do this. If you’re pro then great, relate to Rachael because of her absolute dedication in training. But relate to me if you’re a working guy with less time and look at my journey.

“Jack’s a good model for young people wanting to take up endurance sports. Dave went from the top of one sport (BMX) to being a complete newbie and he’s looking at doing the Kona.”

Jeff also wants the documentary to help humanise the triathlon community to newcomers, who might be nervous about fitting in.

“When I first entered I felt like the black sheep and thought I would be an outcast,” Jeff admitted. “Things though were completely different and what made me different (my tattoos and lack of experience) helped people remember me. They would come up to me and congratulate me all the time.”

The first hard steps

Jeff took up triathlon after a friend challenged him to a marathon. The father of two struggled to get to grips with endurance sport and struggled through the marathon, eventually finishing it but feeling defeated deep down. Not wanting this to be his lasting memory of endurance sports Jeff turned his attention to triathlon, but admits the individual disciplines didn’t appeal to him.

“I never really warmed to swimming, cycling or running individually to be honest with you. I actually got quite bored in the marathon. Completing all three disciplines together though leaves me feeling very much accomplished and feel that once you’ve finished one discipline you can take on the other.”

Jeff’s competed in his first triathlon two years ago – a sprint distance in Skagit County, Washington.

His first triathlon saw him overtaken a fair bit but complete his goal and finish the triathlon. Rather than feeling defeated by endurance sports Jeff was now feeling excited about them.

“I finished that’s the main thing! There’s a lot of competition in your head when you get to the start about who you could beat but my goals would have differed massively from someone else, who might have wanted to win it.”

A trailer for The Triumph Project will be released in three weeks time and then Jeff embarks on the final cut. The documentary’s release date is expected to be December 31 2015.

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For more information about The Triumph Project check out the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram page.

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The Castle Series pride themselves on being newbie friendly and all levels competed from starter sprint level (200m swim, 13k bike, 2.5k run) upwards, with 500 children also taking on the challenge. Stealing the show though was 8-year-old Bailey Matthews, competing in his first-ever triathlon.

Star finisher

Bailey, from Doncaster, has cerebral palsy and was cheered over the line by hundreds of spectators after completing a 100m lake swim, 4,000m bike and 1,300m run. The emotional crowd shouted its encouragement when Bailey stepped away from his walking support to finish the last 20 metres of the race unaided – and into the proud arms of his parents Jonathan and Julie Matthews.

Going long

Longer-distance athletes had the Gauntlet to contend with. Reigning Scottish Middle and Olympic Distance Champion, Nikki Bartlett was pipped to the post by New Zealand champion and Commonwealth medalist, Sam Warriner following a gruelling 4hr 48min challenge.

Warriner led from the swim, through the bike and into the run, with Bartlett slowly closing the gap and giving away just three minutes after T2 and into the run. Bartlett chased down the leader but an extra kick from Warriner bought her in just three seconds ahead. Laura Sarkis following behind the front two to take the last place at the podium with a time of 5h25m.

In the men’s Gauntlet race, the win went to Brennan Townsend (4hr 21min) taking the lead 3k into the run and finishing ahead of Colin Hill in second place. Hill finished with a respectable time of 4h33m ahead of Matt Dewis (4.34m) in third.

Olympic games

In the Olympic distance Catherine Jameson (Team Jackpot) kept up her winning run with a comfortable win (2h25m), whilst Ian Robertson (2h16m) from Anglia-Tri took first place in the men’s race. Robertson’s partner Becky Schofield (2h40m), also from Anglia-Tri, took second place in the women’s race ahead of Lynsey Carveth (2h54m), from Royal Air Force Tri, while Robertson beat off competition from Max Hazell, also from Team Jackpot (2h17m) and James Phillips (2h20m) for the male trophy.

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Initially formed in 2014, the Board of Directors is made up of 15 current pro triathletes and one salaried executive director, former pro Rich Allen. He is advised by numerous voluntary business analysts, legal and financial advisors and other former pros, whom the PTU say “have helped Rich build the PTU into an efficient Union model.” The Union is open to potential board members from other professional backgrounds, and will next vote on its members in 2016. You can visit the PTU’s website here. 

Allen said: “I am delighted to be involved in this exciting endeavor, which is perhaps one of the greatest developments to ever take place in our sport. 

The PTU will work to represent all members who compete in professional non-drafting triathlon worldwide, and will work alongside other global triathlon bodies to increase its support network.

Challenge Family (organisers of Challenge Roth and Challenge Barcelona) have been particularly positive about the formation, stating they will announce their recognition of the PTU in an official capacity ‘very shortly’. The ITU have also been ‘receptive’, whereas the WTC (owners of the Ironman brand) stated “they are not ready to add any additional commitment and procedure to their professional athlete infrastructure” at this moment but have given their initial support.

Danish Pro and Board member Helle Frederiksen commented: “It is an honor to be a part of such a landmark initiative. I feel as a collective group, professional triathletes can aid the global development of the sport. We will be a powerful voice and a great asset to race organisations and the sport on a whole. We must strive to be recognised in all aspects of the sport and successfully achieving this will take time, but I’m confident that long term, membership numbers, recognition, productivity and value of the Professional Triathlon Union will be high.”

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What do you think about the formation of the Professional Triathlon Union, is this a positive step for the sport? Let us know in the comments! 

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