Challenge Samarkand 2025: Men’s PRO race
Samarkand, 2025 – In the heart of the historic capital of Uzbekistan, one of the most spectacular races of the Challenge Family series took place – Challenge Samarkand 2025. Triathletes from all over the world gathered in Samarkand to conquer the MIDDLE distance – 1.9 km swimming, 90 km cycling, 21.5 km running.
Start list
The Challenge Samarkand race is attended every year by many renowned PRO athletes, and this year was no exception:
Will Draper – Great Britain
Ognjen Stojanović – Serbia
Max Stapley – Great Britain
Marcel Bolbat – Germany
Henri Schoeman – South Africa
Bogdan Kovalenko – Kazakhstan
Yoann Colin – Australia
Sebastian Fuchs – Austria
Swim start
First out of the water were Max Stapley and Henri Schoeman, showing an excellent result – 23:27. Both athletes, known for their technical work in the water, immediately set a high pace. However, in the transition zone Max Stapley lost a little time – he lingered a bit longer to take nutrition needed for the long race.
Bogdan Kovalenko came out of the water fourth, confidently starting the race despite feeling unwell. From the very start of the day, he did not feel very good. Later he wrote on Instagram:
“Not my day.”
At the end of the cycling course, Bogdan’s power dropped from 300W to 260W. Despite feeling unwell throughout the entire triathlon, Bogdan managed to finish.
The first half of the cycling distance was with a tailwind, allowing the athletes to set a very high pace. However, after the turnaround the participants faced a strong headwind, which sharply slowed the pace.
“The course was very tough,” emphasized race winner Will Draper. “You feel isolated and vulnerable, especially on the bike course. In the last 20 kilometers, when fatigue is already building up, the terrain makes it even harder: first a descent into the middle of the course, then a climb again to the finish.”
Max Stapley tried to take the initiative by breaking ahead in the middle of the bike stage. However, Will Draper did not rush to attack:
“I understood that in the running course the pace would most likely drop. I didn’t want to accelerate too early. The heat also played a role. We started at 7:00 in the morning, and it was easy to underestimate that every 15 minutes the temperature was rising significantly.”
At the start of the running course, Max Stapley went out first, but just a few meters later lost his gel coming out of the transition zone. In the first two laps, Max led confidently, with a gap of 52 seconds. However, Will Draper, who had saved energy on the bike, began to gradually close the gap. By the third lap the situation had changed – Draper was now 30 seconds ahead of Stapley.
“I understood that the dynamics would be such that I would have to do much on my own, since each rival had his own strengths, and there was no direct head-to-head rivalry. I think the difficulty of this style of race is often underestimated.”
Will Draper confidently finished first, claiming victory at Challenge Samarkand 2025.
Max Stapley, despite a strong performance, came second, but was satisfied with the result:
“Not winning doesn’t mean it was a bad day. Will is a very strong athlete, and it’s an honor for me to compete with guys like this. I think I gave them a good fight, and I hope next time I can do even better. Second place is no reason to complain.”
Third place went to Serbian Ognjen Stojanović, who managed to move up in the final standings thanks to a strong running stage.
“I started well in the swim, but I think Henri deliberately left a small gap for Max. I just tried to hold on to him, since Henri is a world-class athlete. In the end I was left alone on a 1.4 km stretch, not knowing where the other participants were.”
He admitted that on the cycling stage he did not feel his legs, but everything changed in the run:
“From the third kilometer I started to add, and luckily my legs responded, so I had a very good run, which brought me third place. This happens to me: I can’t pick up speed on the bike, but on the run the legs ‘open up’.”
Samarkand – more than a race
In addition to the high sporting level, the participants noted the exceptional organization and hospitality.
“Thank you Challenge Samarkand – we were treated like kings, and this really makes you feel like a true professional,” thanked Max Stapley.
The race in Samarkand once again proved that Uzbekistan is not just a beautiful place, but a serious venue for world triathlon. Heat, wind, terrain, and cultural heritage created a unique combination that tested the athletes’ strength.
Results of the men’s race at Challenge Samarkand 2025:
Will Draper (Great Britain) – 1st place
Max Stapley (Great Britain) – 2nd place
Ognjen Stojanović (Serbia) – 3rd place
See you at Challenge Samarkand 2026 – who knows which athletes we will be congratulating next year!
