Challenge triathlon debuts in China, changing perceptions that the mainland is ‘dirty and polluted’
- Challenge Family introduces its brand to China as more than 1,000 participants take on the full, half and relay triathlons in Anhui province
The small town of Roth in Bavaria, Germany, prides itself on hosting the world’s biggest triathlon event, Challenge Roth, where 3,500 individuals and 650 relay teams, 7,000 volunteers and 300,000 spectators come together once a year. Challenge Roth was launched by a small family business that has grown over the past 40 years to a series of triathlons with 40 annual events in 26 countries. It is called Challenge Family and in October 2019, it held its first event in China’s Anhui province, over the full distance – 3.8km swim, 180km bicycle ride and a marathon (42km) run. It is one of the hardest one-day events in sport.
Why China?
Challenge Family already has a presence in the Asia-Pacific region, with races in Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand, among others, “so moving into mainland China felt like a natural step for us”, says chief executive of Challenge Family Zibi Szlufcik. He said there is an ever-growing demand for races in China, a country that has seen a rise (though not an explosion) in triathlons in recent years. Earlier this year, Susan Bian, a Chinese former swimmer who founded the Shanghai Elite Triathlon Club told the magazine Triathlete that athletes never used to be a common thing in China.
“Athletes were not fully respected in society” and “there wasn’t a huge middle-class with disposable income to spend on things like triathlon, and there was a cultural perception about wasting time on sports. But now it’s changing,” she said.
Challenge Family’s race director for the Asia-Pacific region, Kent Wong, said it was important for the company to show what China really is about. Many foreign athletes had misconceptions about China.
