On November 18, 2018, the 2018 Bank of Xiamen IRONMAN 70.3 Xiamen race concluded successfully, marking the third consecutive year the IRONMAN 70.3 event has been held on Gulangyu Island. In the men’s professional division, after fierce competition, American Kevin Collington made a comeback during the run leg to claim the championship. In the women’s professional division, Imogen Simmonds from Switzerland, a regular contender in the IRONMAN 70.3 China series, led throughout the entire race and finally captured the long-awaited title.
Caption: The top three male professionals celebrate with champagne (from left to right: Trevor Wurtele, Kevin Collington, Milosz Sowinski)
At 8:00 AM, as the starting horn sounded, the male professionals began the swim leg. Thanks to favorable tidal currents, the 20-strong men’s pro field completed the 1.9 km swim in just over 20 minutes. The leading group of five included Australia’s Sam Betten (No. 1), the defending champion; American Kevin Collington (No. 2); and Poland’s Milosz Sowinski (No. 12).
Caption: Male professionals during the swim leg
After navigating the narrow transition area, the men set off on the 90 km bike course. Canadian Trevor Wurtele, who exited the water a minute behind, made a strong chase and caught up with the leading pack around the 30 km mark. This group of six rode together along Xiamen’s wide and flat coastal loop road for about an hour before 23-year-old Sowinski broke away, finishing the bike leg in 2 hours, 3 minutes and 44 seconds. Wurtele, Collington, and another athlete also pulled away from defending champion Sam Betten after the final turnaround and reached the transition area just over a minute after Sowinski to begin the 21.1 km run.
Caption: Male professionals competing on the bike course
Light rain fell briefly at the start of the run, giving way to humid heat. Within the first 5 km, Kevin Collington caught up with Sowinski and maintained his lead to the finish, winning with the fastest run split of 1 hour, 17 minutes and 4 seconds, and an overall time of 3 hours, 48 minutes and 49 seconds. Wurtele also caught up with Sowinski after the first lap of the run. Ultimately, they finished as runners-up and third place, respectively, with times of 3 hours, 49 minutes and 53 seconds, and 3 hours, 51 minutes and 11 seconds.
Caption: American Kevin Collington wins the championship
Caption: Polish Milosz Sowinski high-fives spectators
In the women’s professional division, Swiss athlete Imogen Simmonds had previously finished as runner-up in all three IRONMAN 70.3 China races, and finally claimed victory in Xiamen. Simmonds had the fastest swim split of 22 minutes and 17 seconds and extended her lead through the bike leg. Her only real challenger was Canada’s Heather Wurtele, who exited the swim a minute behind the leaders and stayed within a minute of Simmonds on the bike. In the end, Simmonds finished with an overall time of 4 hours, 12 minutes and 41 seconds to win the women’s professional crown. Wurtele took second in 4 hours, 17 minutes and 8 seconds, while American Sarah Piampiano secured third with the fastest run split of 1 hour, 25 minutes and 39 seconds.
Caption: Women’s professionals celebrate with champagne (from left to right: Heather Wurtele, Imogen Simmonds, Sarah Piampiano)
In the post-race interview, men’s champion Kevin Collington said it was his first race in China and that today’s conditions were the best he’d ever experienced. Late in the run, he suffered a bout of abdominal cramps and thought Wurtele might catch him, but he managed to push through by regulating his breathing. Runner-up Wurtele said he tried to break away after catching the lead group on the bike but didn’t succeed. On the final 10 km, he finally dropped defending champ Sam Betten. On the run, he and his wife Heather exchanged encouragement as they passed each other. Young third-place finisher Sowinski, who came to China with his father, was confident in his running but lost energy early on the bike and consequently suffered cramps during the run.
Caption: Kevin Collington during the bike leg
Simmonds, who had previously finished as runner-up in China several times, was visibly thrilled to finally win in Xiamen. Having grown up in Hong Kong, she answered reporters’ questions in Chinese. She said she only believed she’d won when crossing the finish line, but felt she had performed well in all three disciplines. Runner-up Heather Wurtele expressed satisfaction with her performance, though she found the run tougher than expected due to weather, road conditions, and undulations. Xiamen was the couple’s final race of the season, and they planned to enjoy Fujian’s sights and cuisine over the following days.
Caption: Heather Wurtele and husband Trevor Wurtele embracing after placing second
Caption: Imogen Simmonds celebrates with spectators
As the season-ending event, the 2018 Bank of Xiamen IRONMAN 70.3 Xiamen also attracted top athletes from abroad, including 533 international competitors from 49 countries and regions such as Japan, the U.S., and Germany, as well as hundreds of local athletes. Notably, local Xiamen participants turned out in greater numbers than ever before. Li Pengcheng (Bass), from Sichuan-based Tuojiadaihu Club, posted the fastest time among Chinese athletes with 4 hours, 9 minutes and 36 seconds, placing fourth in the competitive Men’s 25–29 age group. Bass said this year’s bike course remained flat and wide, with no strong winds, making it ideal for performance. With many world-class athletes at this event, he plans to strategize for next season to continue competing on the global triathlon stage.
Caption: Bass during the bike leg
Another leading Chinese triathlete, Dang Qi, also delivered a strong performance, winning the Men’s 40–44 age group in 4 hours, 20 minutes and 20 seconds. Reflecting on the long and dense race schedule this season, Dang emphasized consistency across events. Coming back from the IRONMAN World Championship, he felt satisfied with his steady performance and is committed to continuing his pursuit of triathlon dreams.
Caption: Dang Qi crosses the finish line
Two para-triathletes, Pan Junfan and Ye Jianfan, both completed the race. First-time triathlete Pan Junfan took on the IRONMAN 70.3 distance and finished despite full-body cramps, aided by his girlfriend during transitions. Ye Jianfan, racing in Xiamen for the second time, missed his goal of breaking 6 hours due to work commitments but pledged to compete in more IRONMAN 70.3 events next year.
Caption: Ye Jianfan crosses the finish line
Caption: “Blade Runner” Pan Junfan completes the race
The professional division offered a total prize purse of $25,000, along with 30 qualifying slots for the 2019 IRONMAN World Championship across various age groups, and 50 slots for the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
The 2018 Bank of Xiamen IRONMAN 70.3 Xiamen was hosted by the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government and Beijing Wanda Cultural Industry Group Co., Ltd., and organized by the Xiamen Sports Bureau and Guangzhou Wanda Sports Development Co., Ltd. The event was title-sponsored by Bank of Xiamen and supported by official partners Maserati, ERG Eurasian Resources Group, KELME, and Joyrun, as well as official sponsors Century Life Insurance, Supercar, Wanda Plaza, Marianas Tourism Bureau, and Nongfu Spring.