Lucy Charles-Barclay Shares Breaking Race Plan News on Newly Launched IRONMAN Insider Presented by Maurten Podcast

June 6, 2024

- Episode 2 of new podcast available now with Lucy Charles-Barclay announcing plan to race Qatar Airways IRONMAN France Nice on June 16 as part of path to defend her IRONMAN World Championship title and potentially toe the start line at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupō, New Zealand - Lucy Charles-Barclay becomes second guest with bonus launch episode recorded from the Côte d'Azur where she has been training on the IRONMAN World Championship course - Podcast is available to listen now, and can be found at podcast.ironman.com

TAMPA, Fla. / LONDON, UK. (June 6, 2024) /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/- In a special bonus episode of the newly launched IRONMAN Insider™ presented by Maurten podcast, 2023 IRONMAN^® World Champion, Lucy Charles Barclay (GBR) confirmed that she has shifted her race plans to defend her IRONMAN World Championship title in Nice, France in September.

As reigning champion, Charles-Barclay will need to validate her spot on the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship starting line and could do so by either completing two IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons or one full distance IRONMAN triathlon – which she will aim to do at the Qatar Airways IRONMAN France Nice next weekend, on Sunday 16 June.

Speaking to IRONMAN Insider presented by Maurten host Matt Lieto from a sun-soaked balcony in the South of France, Lucy said: “I have decided to race [Qatar Airways] IRONMAN France, which is in a couple of weeks, so I thought I’d come and suss the course before…I’ve been very warmly welcomed to the area.”

Carrying on Lucy said; “There’s no better way of recceing the World Championship than doing the whole course pretty much in a race simulation, so to be able to come here, do IRONMAN France and be able to validate for both the IRONMAN World Championship, and the [IRONMAN] 70.3 World Championship in one race, it seemed like an absolute no-brainer.”

Earlier this year, IRONMAN updated its IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Professional Qualifying Policy to expand the validation scope for the event through racing one IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon or one IRONMAN triathlon within the 2024 qualifying cycles. The previous iteration of the policy for eligible athletes required validation to be through racing an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon as full-distance IRONMAN triathlons did not count towards validation.

“I already am so happy that I’ve come out here, I’ve been really enjoying the riding and just getting used to the course. I think it was something that initially scared me a little bit, but I’ve always felt like sometimes in life you’ve got to do the things that scare you and that will challenge you and help you to grow not just as an athlete, but as a person,” Lucy added.

IRONMAN Insider™ presented by Maurten is a brand-new podcast which launched this week, with an opening episode with the reigning men’s IRONMAN World Champion, France’s Sam Laidlow. The podcast, which is scheduled to be released bi-weekly, plus bonus episodes, is hosted by former professional triathlete and IRONMAN commentator, Matt Lieto.

In the special bonus episode with Lucy Charles-Barclay, Lieto spoke with Lucy on her change of heart to target the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France. Lucy, who had a grade four calf tear at the start of the season, explains: “I wasn’t sure how well my body would come back to racing after that level of injury so I had to be very cautious, and then I guess my season has got off to a really good start, and that has given me the scope to able to go and race a full [distance] IRONMAN and see how the body goes over that distance, and I guess just remembering that’s what got me into the sport.

“Now I feel like I am in a position that I can come back and defend that title,” she added.

When it comes to toeing the line at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupō, Lucy says she is leaving the door open: “It’s actually on my wedding anniversary, so I’ll have to check with Reece…but we’ll just see how the season goes. I’ve never been to New Zealand either so it’s somewhere that I would love to go and visit and race.”

Alongside discussing her 2024 World Championship ambitions, Matt and Lucy delve into how Lucy is managing her newly diagnosed coeliac disease, the importance of having a women’s only day for the IRONMAN World Championship, as well as the results from the women’s IRONMAN European Championship Hamburg last weekend.

The IRONMAN Insider presented by Maurten is available now on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio, TuneIn + Alexa, Player FM, among others. To find out more visit podcast.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

Podcast is available to listen now, and can be found at podcast.ironman.com   

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About Maurten

Maurten, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, is at the forefront of a paradigm shift in athletic performance. Maurten’s Hydrogel Technology introduced endurance athletes to a new way of fueling when it launched in 2015. It removes the barriers of how much carbohydrates scientists believed an athlete can consume during high-intensity exercise. Simply put, it changes the game and is helping athletes rewrite the record books. For more information, visit www.maurten.com.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 14,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.

Appendix:

Host bio: Matt Lieto is the host of IRONMAN Insider presented by Maurten. Matt’s journey to becoming a professional IRONMAN triathlete is anything but ordinary. At 21, he faced a pivotal moment, shedding 80 pounds and embracing a newfound passion for triathlon after watching his brother Chris Lieto race the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. Just three years later, inspired by the triathlon community, his dedication and hard work led him to join the professional ranks of the sport.

As a former pro triathlete, Matt’s firsthand experience, unique perspective, and broad industry relationships offer a rich understanding of the IRONMAN world. Now, as an IRONMAN commentator, he brings his deep knowledge and infectious enthusiasm to the microphone. On IRONMAN Insider presented by Maurten, Matt leverages his experience and insights to explore the culture, lifestyle and personalities that define IRONMAN.