Sam Laidlow wins the Samarkand Challenge; Sara Pérez, third
Sam Laidlow has won the Challenge Samarkand 2026 with a time of 3:34:57, while Sara Pérez Sala finished third in the women's race with 4:00:08 this Sunday, September 13, in Uzbekistan.
The Frenchman won by just 40 seconds over Emil Holm , second in 3:35:37, while the 2025 winner, Will Draper, completed the men's podium with 3:36:10.
In the women's category, Natalie Van Coevorden took the victory in 3:58:41 , followed by Daisy Davies in 3:59:49 and Sara Pérez Sala, 1:27 behind the winner. Fellow Spaniard María Vilas finished tenth.
Laidlow has been in the lead since the swim
The men's race began with Ognjen Stojanovic setting the benchmark in the water with 23:06. Henri Schoeman exited at 23:09, Emil Holm at 23:12 and Sam Laidlow at 23:15 , just nine seconds behind the leader.
The situation was different for Will Draper. The defending champion Briton completed the swim in 25:23 and started the cycling segment with just over two minutes to make up on the leaders.
Draper sets the fastest cycling split
Draper reacted on the bike and recorded the fastest cycling split of the race with 1:52:23 . Laidlow was very close with 1:53:21, while Holm needed 1:55:28.
Laidlow's strong positioning from the swim allowed the Frenchman to maintain a significant lead before the start of the run. He entered the final segment with a lead of approximately 1:43 over Draper and 2:16 over Holm.
Emil Holm cuts the gap to 40 seconds.
The race was still undecided. Emil Holm posted the fastest run split with 1:13:32 and gradually reduced the gap with Laidlow.
The Frenchman completed the final segment in 1:15:09 and managed to maintain a sufficient lead to cross the finish line first in 3:34:57.
Holm finished second in 3:35:37 , just 40 seconds behind, while Draper, who ran in 1:14:39, secured third place in 3:36:10.
Ognjen Stojanovic finished fourth and Henri Schoeman rounded out the top five.
Top 5 men's Challenge Samarkand 2026
| Pos | Triathlete | Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Laidlow (FRA) | 3:34:57 | |
| 2 | Emil Holm (DEN) | 3:35:37 | + 0: 40 |
| 3 | Will Draper (GBR) | 3:36:10 | + 1: 13 |
| 4 | Ognjen Stojanovic (SRB) | 3:39:27 | + 4: 30 |
| 5 | Henri Schoeman (RSA) | 3:40:27 | + 5: 30 |
Sara Pérez Sala leads the swimming team
The women's race began with a strong Spanish presence. Sara Pérez Sala recorded the fastest swim split with 24:47 , and María Vilas emerged from the water practically alongside her with 24:48.
Natalie Van Coevorden and Daisy Davies also managed to stay close to the Spanish swimmers, while Nicole van der Kaay came out of the water in 26:52 and Anna Bergsten in 28:51.
Sara thus returned to the front of the pack from the start of a race she had already won in 2025.
Van Coevorden, Davies and Sara arrive at the decisive stage in front.
During the cycling segment, Natalie Van Coevorden, Daisy Davies and Sara Pérez Sala ended up consolidating themselves as the main contenders for victory.
Behind them, some of her pursuers lost ground, including Marta Lagownik and María Vilas, who had been one of the main protagonists of swimming.
The victory was ultimately decided on the run. Van Coevorden completed the segment in 1:25:04 and crossed the finish line as the winner with a total time of 3:58:41.
Daisy Davies secured second place in 3:59:49 , while Sara Pérez Sala ran in 1:26:32 to complete the podium with 4:00:08 , 1:27 behind the winner.
Women's podium Challenge Samarkand 2026
| Pos | Triathlete | Time | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS) | 3:58:41 | |
| 2 | Daisy Davies (GBR) | 3:59:49 | + 1: 08 |
| 3 | Sara Perez Sala (ESP) | 4:00:08 | + 1: 27 |
María Vilas finishes tenth in Samarkand
María Vilas finished her participation in tenth position after starting the race in the lead alongside Sara Pérez Sala.
The Galician woman finished second in the swimming leg with a time of 24:48, just one second behind Pérez Sala, before losing positions during the following segments.
Laidlow completes his final test before Kona with a victory
The result is especially important in Sam Laidlow's schedule. The Frenchman had decided not to compete in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice and to use Challenge Samarkand as his final competition before the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.
At Triathlon News we already explained why Laidlow had chosen Samarkand as the last race before Kona.
The victory confirms his good competitive form, although Holm's strong running split reduced to just 40 seconds a lead that Laidlow had built up before the running began.
For Sara Pérez Sala, third place marks her second consecutive podium finish at Challenge Samarkand . The Spaniard was defending her victory from 2025, when she dominated much of the race from the start.
The account of that victory can be found in Triathlon News.
This content has been created with the support of AI tools and reviewed by the Triathlon News editorial team.
