Legend back for 12th Phuket triathlon

With only four weeks until the Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT), Phuket is preparing to host hoards of athletes including Australian Belinda Granger.

Despite winning 15 iron-distance championship titles across the world, Belinda rates LPT as her all-time favourite. She first raced LPT in 2001and has returned every year since then except 2004 and 2006. During these years she achieved podium finishes in each race and has been Champion twice, in 2008 and 2010. ”It’s really hard to believe that this will be my twelfth time racing LPT,” she said. ”I knew from my very first time in Phuket that I would make this a race I would return to year after year — the best part is that over the years many of my family and friends have decided to join me in this annual trip.”

As well as competiting, Belinda has been an ambassador for LPT with the Event Director and Laguna Phuket’s Director of Sales-MICE & Corporate Event, Prapa Hemmin, praised Belinda for her work. ”As well as always being an exciting competitor she’s also been a fantastic global ambassador for LPT and we’re truly grateful for her commitment to our event.”

This year Belinda will be vying for the title with fellow World Champions and top pros like Massimo Cigana (ITA), and Till Schramm (GER). Confirmations are awaited from more big names, such as Swiss Olympian Ruedi Wild who secured his second consecutive LPT win last year; LPT’s women’s triple champion, Radka Vodickova (CZE), Rasmus Petraeus (DEN), Tamsin Lewis (GBR); and Ange Castle (AUS).

LPT held on November 23 is the first race in the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest, a 10-day triathlon extravaganza to culminate with the second Challenge Laguna Phuket on November 30.

The LPT features a 1.8K swim, 55K bike and 12K run through the spectacular tropical scenery of Phuket. The Challenge Laguna Phuket is part of the global Challenge Family series of events. The half iron distance event consists of a 1.9K swim, 90K bike ride and a 21K run.Photo and information thanks to phuketwan.com

UPDATE:

Challenge Family has extended its footprint in the Middle East with today’s announcement of the half distance Challenge Dubai, set to take place on 27 February 2015.

In a partnership between Challenge Family, Challenge Bahrain and the Dubai Sports Council, Challenge Dubai will be based in the famous Jumeirah Beach area and the course will be set against iconic landmarks such as the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa and the Burj AlArab.

The swim is off Jumeirah Beach, in the waters of the Arabian Gulf opposite the famous World Islands. The bike will head out through the city to the sand dunes of the Nazwa Desert. The run will head along the white sandy coastline, past the Marina towards The Palms Jumeira before doubling back and finishing in the green oasis of the Jumeirah Beach Park.