Sam Laidlow swaps Nice for Challenge Samarkand
This will be Laidlow's last test before Kona
Sam Laidlow will compete in Challenge Samarkand on September 13, 2026 as his last competition before the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.
The French triathlete will compete for the first time in the Uzbekistan event, participating in the men's professional middle-distance category. The race will take place less than a month before the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, scheduled for October 10.
The selection also confirms a notable absence from the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice . The men's professional race takes place on the same day, September 13, meaning Laidlow will be unable to compete in both events.
The last competitive test before Kona
Challenge Samarkand will be the final stop on Sam Laidlow's calendar before heading to Hawaii. The Frenchman believes the course, conditions, and timing of the race are exactly the type of competition he needs in the final stages of his training.
“Challenge Samarkand will be my last stop before the World Championships. The course and conditions are exactly what I'm looking for in this final test,” Laidlow explained.
Challenge Samarkand is a middle-distance race held in Uzbekistan, with the competition area located around the Silk Road Samarkand complex. The weekend program also includes sprint races, relays, and races for other categories.
Laidlow arrives after his record at Challenge Roth
Sam Laidlow will face the challenge after a first half of the season marked by three victories. In April he won IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia , in May he triumphed at IRONMAN Lanzarote , and on July 5th he defended his title at the DATEV Challenge Roth.
In Roth, the Frenchman completed the long distance in 7:21:04 , setting a new world record. Laidlow shaved 20 seconds off the previous record of 7:21:24 set by Kristian Blummenfelt a few months earlier at IRONMAN Texas.
The 2023 IRONMAN World Champion will thus arrive in Samarkand with several weeks to recover and fine-tune his training before Kona. His presence also strengthens a race that has already featured names like Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, and Rico Bogen in previous editions.
The organization will soon announce the full list of professionals who will compete in the men's and women's categories of Challenge Samarkand 2026.
This content has been created with the support of AI tools and reviewed by the Triathlon News editorial team.
