In Ecuador, American Marc Dubrick and Ecuadorian Elizabeth Bravo have just won the first edition of Challenge Salinas. This immediately brings the 2023 international triathlon season to an end: the three major organizations (Ironman, PTO and Challenge Family) are no longer organizing races this year.
In the men’s race, it was already clear on paper that the biggest battle was likely to be between Marc Dubrick and Jackson Laundry. That indeed proved to be the case, although on paper Laundry may have been the slightly bigger favorite. Nevertheless, it was thus Dubrick who won the race; he did so in a time of 3:47:10. That put him almost four minutes ahead of Laundry, who crossed the finish line after 3:50:56. American Justin Riele completed the podium by finishing third in a time of 3:53:47. American Nicholas Chase crossed the line in fourth (3:55:07) and Hugo Ruiz, who finished fifth, was the first Ecuadorian to finish the race.
In the women’s race, it was not the biggest favorite who came away with the win. Italy’s Margie Santimaria was seen as the main contender and could have used a win to compete for a big prize pool from the Challenge Family World Bonus, but she had to settle for second place today. It was an unleashed Elizabeth Bravo – herself from Ecuador – who went home with a beautiful victory after 4:21:14. Santimaria was second in 4:28:36 and Slovakia’s Bicanova Margareta was third in 4:49:02.
