Sam Laidlow and Cathia Schär win IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia 2026
El HOMBRE DE HIERRO The 70.3 Valencia 2026 was held on April 19 in the Valencian capital and resulted in victories for Sam Laidlow and Cathia Schär after two very different races, marked by the dominance of the Frenchman on the bike and the superiority of the Swiss runner on foot.
Laidlow won again seven months after his last triathlon competition, while Schär confirmed his great form with a solid victory against a very competitive female field.
Laidlow was back in command from the bicycle
The men's race started with a large group at the front after the swim. Sven Oliver Thalman He was the fastest in the water with 22:30, but the race began to break apart very early in the cycling segment.
That's when the best version of Sam LaidlowThe Frenchman quickly opened up a gap over the chasing group and extended his lead with authority for almost the entire race. His split of 1:55:54 by bicycle It was the big move of the day and allowed him to reach T2 with a lead of more than four minutes over his direct rivals.
Behind, names like Valdemar Solock, johannes vogel y Lasse Nygaard Priester They were trying to keep the fight alive, but the margin seemed clearly in favor of the 2023 IRONMAN world champion.
Priester pushed hard in the running leg, but didn't make it
In the half marathon, the situation changed. Lasse Nygaard Priester He began to close the gap with a much faster pace and for many kilometers gave the impression that he could carry the fight to the very last moment.
The German recorded the best running split of the day with 1:07:02 And he steadily reduced the deficit. With only a few kilometers to go, the gap was small enough to make the finish one of the most tense moments of the day.
Laidlow, however, knew how to manage his lead. Without a final show, but with control, he crossed the finish line in 3:33:56 to take the victory. Priester was second in 3:35:02 after coming within a little over a minute, while Fabian Kraft closed the podium with 3:38:02.
Men's 10 Top
| Job title | Athlete | Swimming | Cycling | Career | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Laidlow | 22: 43 (13) | 1:55:54 | 1:10:17 (12) | 3:33:56 |
| 2 | Lasse Nygaard Priester | 22: 35 (5) | 2:00:16 (3) | 1:07:02 | 3:35:02 |
| 3 | Fabian Kraft | 23: 00 (16) | 2:01:06 (8) | 1:08:15 (4) | 3:38:02 |
| 4 | Simon Viain | 22: 42 (12) | 2:03:17 (28) | 1:07:33 (2) | 3:38:37 |
| 5 | Remi Delagarde | 23: 44 (31) | 2:01:52 (15) | 1:08:07 (3) | 3:38:52 |
| 6 | Niek Heldoorn | 23: 00 (17) | 2:01:17 (11) | 1:10:18 (13) | 3:39:35 |
| 7 | Jack Hutchins | 22: 38 (9) | 2:03:02 (24) | 1:08:56 (6) | 3:39:54 |
| 8 | Sven Oliver Thalman | 22:30 | 2:03:25 (29) | 1:08:48 (5) | 3:40:21 |
| 9 | Simon Westerman | 22: 34 (3) | 2:01:50 (14) | 1:11:13 (17) | 3:40:41 |
| 10 | Valentin Rouvier | 23: 46 (32) | 2:01:44 (13) | 1:10:16 (11) | 3:40:58 |
Cathia Schär won the women's footrace
The women's race followed a different script. After the swim, cathia schär She started in sixth position and with a disadvantage of nearly two minutes compared to the leaders, among them Alice Betto y Lena MeißnerIt wasn't, to begin with, the ideal situation to think about such a clear victory.
The race became more compact on the bike. Schär managed to catch up with the leading group, and a quartet formed with Marjolaine Pierre, Lena Meißner y Sophie EvansLater, he also entered the scene Aurelia Boulanger, in a phase of the race where the differences were still small.
In the final kilometers of the cycling leg, Pierré was the most aggressive and even managed to open up a small gap. But everything changed when they started running.
Schär broke away from the race in the first kilometer
cathia schär She didn't wait. The Swiss runner took the lead almost immediately in the half marathon, and once she was in control, no one could keep up. Her running was less explosive statistically than some of her rivals', but it was the most effective in terms of victory.
At the equator, the difference over Sophie Evans The lead had already exceeded two minutes. From then on, Schär simply extended his advantage, securing an undeniable victory in 4:03:39.
Evans was second with 4:06:25 y Lena Meißner completed the podium with 4:06:58Pierré, after having been one of the leading figures in the cycling segment, finished fourth in 4:07:21.
Top 10 female
| Job title | Athlete | Swimming | Cycling | Career | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | cathia schär | 26: 19 (6) | 2:15:57 (3) | 1:16:07 (2) | 4:03:39 |
| 2 | Sophie Evans | 24: 23 (2) | 2:17:23 (4) | 1:18:49 (4) | 4:06:25 |
| 3 | Lena Meißner | 24: 27 (3) | 2:17:28 (5) | 1:19:06 (5) | 4:06:58 |
| 4 | Marjolaine Pierre | 26: 24 (7) | 2:15:17 (2) | 1:20:00 (6) | 4:07:21 |
| 5 | Martha Lagownik | 26: 59 (10) | 2:17:32 (6) | 1:18:22 (3) | 4:08:20 |
| 6 | Daniela Cleiser | 30: 47 (22) | 2:18:01 (8) | 1:14:57 | 4:10:03 |
| 7 | Aurelia Boulanger | 28: 13 (17) | 2:13:36 | 1:24:14 (13) | 4:11:52 |
| 8 | Anastacia Damn Nielsen | 27: 06 (12) | 2:18:47 (9) | 1:23:22 (11) | 4:15:26 |
| 9 | Alice Betto | 24:19 | 2:22:34 (14) | 1:22:02 (8) | 4:15:48 |
| 10 | leana bissig | 26: 16 (5) | 2:20:09 (10) | 1:23:58 (12) | 4:15:56 |
Check the complete results
Two victories with different interpretations in Valencia
The day left one clear conclusion. Sam Laidlow He returned to high-level competition and rediscovered his winning form thanks to a decisive cycling segment and a solid performance on the run. It wasn't an easy victory, but it was a significant one given the circumstances.
In the female category, cathia schär She delivered a more consistent and controlled performance. She managed to recover after the swim, joined the fight on the bike, and decisively sealed the race in the half marathon. Valencia thus leaves two very clear names in one of the most prestigious events on the European middle-distance calendar.
