Will Draper and Elisabetta Curridori win Challenge Salou-Costa Daurada 2026

Will Draper and Elisabetta Curridori won the Challenge Salou-Costa Daurada 2026 after winning the middle distance race held in Salou.

The Catalan race once again offered a fast, tactical race with reduced gaps at several key moments. Challenge Salou-Costa Daurada It was contested over a middle distance format, with 1,9 km of swimming, 83 km of cycling and 21 km of running.

In the male category, Will draper He built his victory with a very solid performance on the bike and finished the race with a comfortable lead in the half marathon. In the women's race, Elisabetta Curridori She defended her title with a race that improved as it went on, after arriving at the cycling stage at a disadvantage against Marta Sánchez.

Will Draper breaks the bike race

The men's race began with a large leading group after the swim. Among the first names were Enzo Bourbon, Malachi Cashmore and the current champion Thomas Davis, in a very compact exit from the water that left the race open.

The balance didn't last long. In the first few kilometers of cycling, Harry palmer y Jack Hutchins They increased the pace to thin out the group, with very high speeds in the most favorable sections of the course.

The final maneuver came with Will draperThe Briton caught up with the leaders and wasn't content to stay in the group. He kept pushing until he opened up a gap that gradually increased.

Halfway through the cycling segment, Draper had a 42-second lead. By the time he reached T2, that lead had grown to 2: 25 Minutos over his pursuers, a decisive difference in a test of this level.

Draper controls the half marathon

The start of the run confirmed that Draper hadn't paid the price for his cycling effort. The Briton extended his lead in the first few kilometers, leaving the main battle focused on the other two podium places.

Behind, Arthur Berland It gradually gained ground until it caught up with Jack HutchinsThe Frenchman managed to reach second place at the halfway point of the half marathon, but Hutchens withstood the change of pace and regained the position in the final kilometers.

Draper crossed the finish line in 3:36:11Hutchens finished second and Berland third. The men's podium was separated by just over two minutes between the top three.

Men's podium Challenge Salou-Costa Daurada 2026

Curridori comes from behind to defend his title in Salou

The women's race had a different script. Marta Sanchez She was the star of the show at the start of the race, with a very strong swim that allowed her to get out of the water with a 42-second lead over Jasmine Holmes.

Further back marched triathletes such as Juliette Lucet, brooke gillies, milan agnew and the own Elisabetta Curridori, which conceded more than 90 seconds in the opening stages.

Sánchez maintained his lead in the first part of the cycling leg and even extended his advantage to a minute and a half. The dynamic changed in the second half of the segment, when Curridori, Agnew, and Lucet began to significantly close the gap.

Before T2, Sánchez's lead disappeared. The race reached the running leg with a group of four triathletes in contention for the win.

The running race decides the women's victory

In the first few kilometers of the half marathon, Juliette Lucet He tried to take the initiative. Curridori responded quickly and regained the lead, with milan agnew as the main threat.

The Italian steadily increased her lead. By the halfway point, she had built up a margin of about 40 seconds, and by the third lap, the difference was approaching a minute.

Curridori won in 4:04:02 and confirmed her status as one of the most reliable specialists in Salou. Agnew finished second, just 40 seconds behind, while Marta Sánchez completed the podium after overtaking Lucet in the final stretch.

Women's podium Challenge Salou-Costa Daurada 2026

An edition marked by international standards

The result confirms the weight of Challenge Salou-Costa Daurada within the European middle-distance calendar. The race brought together a wide range of professional athletes and once again rewarded runners capable of combining power on the bike, tactical management, and strength on the run.

For Draper, the victory comes with a show of authority on a circuit where cycling can break up the race. For Curridori, the triumph represents a title defense earned through patience, a well-timed comeback, and a finish with no room for error.