Race Previews

Check Out the Sub7Sub8 Challenge...

Wednesday, 23 February 2022 00:08

By John Levison (tri247.com)

At last, the date is set, and Pho3nix Foundation Sub7Sub8 Project is officially on as the countdown begins to one of the year’s most hyped triathlon events.

Kristian Blummenfelt, Alistair Brownlee, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Nicola Spirig will take centre stage on June 5-6, 2022 as the eyes of the triathlon world focus on the Dekra Lausitzring near Dresden in Germany.

What is Sub7Sub8?

Exactly what it says on the tin. Two male athletes will attempt to become the first ever to go under seven hours for an Ironman distance race. The fastest time to date is 7:21:12, clocked by Blummenfelt on his full-distance debut at IRONMAN Cozumel in November 2021...

Meanwhile, two women will attempt to become the first ever to go under eight hours for the Ironman distance. The fastest time to date is Chrissie Wellington’s 8:18:13 – set at Challenge Roth in 2011.

It is worth remembering that while the clock is the focus for this event, we do have two races as well. As Blummenfelt has already said, nobody wants to go Sub7 or Sub8 and finish second…

For reasons we will explain when we get on to the rules for Sub7Sub8, the final times will not be classed as records. This event is really designed to bring mainstream coverage to the sport of triathlon and put the focus on what data and science can help the athletes achieve.