226 in 2026: Challenge Taiwan Race report

Challenge Taiwan (CT) is a three-day triathlon festival with a charity Super Sprint on Friday, 113 (middle/70.3) & 226 (full/IM) on Saturday, and an Olympic Distance (plus sprint for juniors) on Sunday. Their claim to fame is “Asia’s biggest triathlon” with about 10,000 participants across the weekend.

The main race for me was the 226 on Saturday - and my goal was sub-11. At my first IM in the Philippines (‘23), I finished with a 11:44; Roth (‘24) was an 11:15 with COVID. I knew CT presented a good PR opportunity because I know the course and had won the 113 women overall in 2023 with a 5:03 PR. Importantly, I also know that I tolerate heat and humidity well from experience.

2023 Challenge Taiwan 113 Race Report

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Registration

The CT registration process is VERY cut throat as all race categories sell out in a matter of seconds, akin to Challenge Roth. You have to register via their CT app and it is not for the faint of heart. I had a great time (literally and figuratively) and had always wanted to return but IT IS SO DAMN HARD to get into the race.

When registration opened at the end of June 2025, I meant to sign up for the 113 (middle distance) and 515 (standard distance). After some initial CT app system failures (for everyone), I finally managed to sign up for the 515 but the following day when the 113/226 registration opened, I only had American Express on hand and the 113 sold out. I did not want to go to Taiwan solely for a 515, so I was ‘forced’ to sign up for the 226. Later on, they opened up the Super Sprint, which I also signed up for.

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race days

24 April (Fri): Super Sprint
25 April (Sat): 226 (full distance)
26 April (Sun): 515 (Olympic Distance)

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Training & preparation

I started my CT26 training block on December 22nd, the Monday after I finished working my last races of 2025 at the Honolulu Marathon and Spartan Race Osaka. I basically had 4 months to get ready for a three-day-palooza. 

​Between 22DEC and the day I left for Taiwan on 21APR, I also had the Shonan Fujisawa Half Marathon on 25JAN, where I ran something a low 93 for a PR (not quite the sub-90 I sought). 

In addition, I had to travel for and work HYROX Osaka (29JAN~02FEB), Spartan Race Chichibu (19~21FEB), Tokyo Marathon (26FEB~01MAR), and the Hapalua Half Marathon in Hawai’i (07~15APR). While spread out enough, the last bit with travel to Honolulu, being home six days, then flying to Taiwan was not ideal.

I also recorded about 344km of dog walks (I'm a dogwalker), or about 88k/month (22k/week). I do not include these as a part of my training hour/volume totals. In addition, I use a road bike to commute almost every day and my weekly commutes range from 20~70km. There is a moderate accumulation of elevation due to some households being in places like Arden Hill and Highland, which require a not insignificant amount of climbing to reach.

​While the road bike commutes are included in the below graphs for training hours and volume, I do not base my bike training around or on the commutes. Finally, when I am home, I spend a lot of time in front of a laptop at a standing desk. I am on my feet (or wheels) a lot - and this is relevant to this race report, I think!

​​So on average, I trained just about 12 hours per week, although I did have two 17~17.5h weeks between 16MAR~29MAR. To be honest, I am glad I didn’t review this data before the race as I think it would have made me a bit concerned.

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However, this also misses the finer details of this training block. I had two near 50k run weeks (high volume for me) between 16MAR~29MAR - which, I believe were crucial considering I also had two 0k run weeks earlier in the training block at the end of January and end of February. Overall, I recorded 13 long runs (defined for me as over 75 minutes) during the four-month training block. Of these, only five were 2 hours or longer (1x in FEB, 3x in MAR, and 1x in APR). My longest run was 30k on 29MAR. ​

I started running off the bike from February after the Shonan Fujisawa sub-90 half marathon attempt; in total, I completed 7 brick runs. My shortest brick was 10 min, most were 20 min, and the longest was 40 min.
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Now, I’d have to admit I am surprised with how little running I did. The 3:35 I ran was obviously not built on huge run mileage. In fact, I had purposely set out to ride more (both indoors and outdoors) this year and knew this would come at the expense of the run, but I don’t think I was prepared to see these numbers.​

​However, as I mentioned before, I walk a lot, which often added a substantial amount of low-intensity volume. I also don’t sit very much at home and when I am working races, there are often long periods standing and physical labor which probably contribute to musculoskeletal durability. While these things in no way replace structured run training, I am probably benefitting from a high amount of low-intensity work and tolerance for spending long hours on my feet. ​

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​Cycling was a bit more balanced. I had two consecutive weeks in early to mid-February averaging 8:30h each week; then about 9:40h on the bike in early March. The 16MAR~29MAR period recorded an average of 10h on the bike. Overall, my long rides were: 75k (05JAN), 102k (14JAN), 60k (17JAN), 4h indoors (22JAN), 130k (05FEB, 14FEB), 60k (22FEB), 4h indoors (06MAR), 173k (18MAR), 169k (24MAR), 61k (28MAR), 140k (03APR), 107k (18APR). So seven 100k + rides, with two 130~140k and another two rides at about 170k. For the outside rides, I generally averaged low 26 to high 27kph; the most I climbed was about 873m and most rides were in the mid-600s to high 700s.

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Swimming was almost entirely at the 25m pool in Zushi, a nice balmy 30c and the lack of ability to do continuous laps. This tracks with the rather poor 1:25 I swam on race day in the freshwater, man-made lake. For comparison, I swam 1:17 in the Philippines (ocean, swimskin) and Roth (canal,  full wetsuit)

I am chalking this one down as an outlier - the biggest opportunities for me remain on land where the gains are larger. 

Finally, strength & conditioning is something I’ve been diligently chipping away at for almost two years now. I have had nearly 50 sessions now with a personal trainer whom I love working with and I believe lifting heavy has directly benefited my overall fitness, but especially my durability in the run. Lately, we’ve been working on ‘fixing’ my tense shoulders and learning to engage back + lat muscles, which has really helped with staying aero on the bike, my run mechanics, and swim technique (which unfortunately, did not show at CT, haha).

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the actual race

Challenge Taiwan is very well produced. Having spent nearly a decade working in sports events, I am thoroughly impressed with their merchandise production, venue management, and staffing. Of course, there are aspects that have space for improvement, e.g. race guidance for athletes, the absolute chaos of the practice swims, how the bike course is NOT closed, etc. However, these are not deal breakers for me, and this was not my first rodeo in Taitung at CT.

Challenge Taiwan Day 1 Results

I won’t spend too much time talking about the Super Sprint on Friday - a 375m swim, 10k bike, and 2.5k run. While I put in a good effort, I also did not go crazy since the big dance was the next day. It was a charity race without much seriousness (people were on city bikes) and it felt a bit overkill to be on a triathlon bike, but that’s all I had to ride!

There was no swim start timing mat, so we all started at gun time and it took a minute to get into the water as they had a rolling start with 4 going every 10 seconds or so. The bike involved some gentle climbs and the run was a bit more undulating than I had expected. I caught up to the lead male on the run and took the win with a 45:18. It was not exactly competitive, but a win is a win?

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Swim 1:25:01 (8/116)

Some days, it just doesn’t come together, and today, the swim did not come together at all. This was by far my worst 3.8k swim but I didn’t really know it at the time because I don’t swim with my Garmin watch. I only started to do this because I couldn’t get my full-length TYR wetsuit over the watch, but I swam with a no-sleeve Blue70 Reaction wetsuit that I had purchased for CT. In hindsight, I should have swam with it more as I believe it’s actually too large on me.

The swim is in a freshwater, man-made lake. It’s a very straight-forward two laps, but it can be a bit congested. I started at 0620 but there were about 4 waves of men’s age groupers that started at 0600.

Unfortunately, I messed up the return leg (as I did in 2023...) by forgetting to swim on the outer edge towards the swim exit. Considering the 35:30 1.9k swim from CT113, I really expected something closer to my typical 1:17, but alas.
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T1 08:07 (1/116)

It’s a solid 850m from swim exit to transition, so don’t flame me. I don’t hate it, but I also don’t love this red carpet route - it is LONG. I took less time (7:24) in 2023 but it’s whatever - I wasn’t sure what time it was or how long the swim had taken but I shimmied out the top half of my wetsuit while ‘on the run’. Thankfully this year, we didn’t need our bibs on the bike. Not much else to report here...

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Bike 5:43:32 (2/116)

Like the swim, the bike is a two-lap course. I averaged roughly 31.7kph over the 180km and roughly +1,000m. I find this bike course suits me, and I think it’s a fast course. It’s undulating but you never really feel like you’re busting yourself grinding up the climbs (except at the 45k u-turn, there are some steep, punchy segments but it’s very short). 

​This bike course is NOT closed and utilizes the bike lanes, wide enough for two riders abreast. There were A LOT of athletes sidelined with flats - it made me very nervous! There are also some pretty sketchy grates and interlocking metal segments on the bridges we crossed. 

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Towards the end of Lap 1, I noticed one athlete with his personal needs bag. Panic. I had not seen it, and knew I must have missed Personal Needs. I made the decision to fully stop at the next aid station to grab spare gels and ask where exactly PN is so I could at least try to grab it at the end of Lap 2 before I started the run (CT throws away all unclaimed PN bags). However, no one understood my question, so off I went with gels I had never tried before.

​Overall, this was an unexpectedly easy ride with ridiculously low power and low average HR (122). I typically ride at around NP 117 for a full distance race and in training, in the low 110s; this time I averaged…104 with an average cadence of 89. To be sure, I have also changed a lot of things to my bike set-up that differs from past long course races, including 145mm cranks and a great bike fit. I'd be the first to admit, it's still a fairly low w/kg as I am about 45kg or 100lbs. 

​My previous best was 5:58 at Challenge Roth - getting the 5:43 at Challenge Taiwan for a 16-minute PR was within my A-goal but any A-goal is a bit of a reach so I was pleased. 

Temperature-wise, I think we started in the high teens with the rain, and it gradually rose to the mid-twenties by the early afternoon. Initially, I was a bit cold but after a while it felt comfortable enough as long as I wasn’t whipping downhill. It was drizzling for the first half of the bike for me, and my white kit is now permanently stained in the back. My bike also required A LOT of clean up afterwards.

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T2 03:16 (1/116)

This time, I cut off 11s from 2023. I was off to the races with my handheld water bottle with concentrated PH 1500, plus three gels and a baggie of sodium capsules. The bike went far better than I could have ever imagined, so I had a good feeling about the run but ya know, 42km is a long ways to be running. 

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Run 3:35:07 (1/116)

Like the swim and the bike, the run course is also two laps. My last two marathons off the bike were 3:52 and 3:48; I was hunting for a low 3:40 and if I was having a good day, a 3:38. For this to happen, I needed to average between 5:09~5:20/km or 8:18~8:30/mile. I ran a 1:36 at the 2023 CT 113, and this time I knew the run course (last time I had become mildly lost), so I felt like it was within the realm of possibility but it would almost entirely depend on how I executed the bike.

I started with a 5:10 for the first km, but I almost immediately saw the lead bike in the distance and knew I could catch up - so I picked up the pace. It was a bit reckless in hindsight, but I wanted the lead and to be chased rather than chase.

​Between 3-4km, I took the lead and kept the lead bike lady until the very end. Turns out I finished with a 49-minute lead, so maybe I didn’t need to put the pressure on myself but it meant I found the motivation for a 3:35, so I’ll take it.

​The run is mostly flat with a lot of out and back paths that can grind you down. In particular, there is a long segment for the 226 athletes that includes a false flat - it’s a quiet, lonely stretch that I find tests your mental resilience. 

I walked through about 10 aid stations for cold sponges and to dump water on myself - by this point, it was in the high 20s and humid. Not terrible if the aid stations are well-stocked - and at CT, they always are (at least during the time I am racing). I also had two swings at the run personal needs (unlike the bike PN) at the turnaround point for the longer 226-only segment - this was absolutely critical for me to restock my fueling.

The last 4-5k takes you into the final stretch towards the stadium finish and I was now running with the last of the 113 athletes. This last segment is yet another out and back, and on winding walking paths that I did not care for. Since 2025, CT finishes inside that Taitung Stadium and gosh, it’s just the best feeling finishing inside a stadium.

​I didn't know what my overall time was until I made Keren look on his phone for me afterwards but I remember being very happy to have finally gotten the sub-11. I was also surprised to have beat my A-goal (3:38) - I just did not expect a 13-minute PR, especially since I knew my run volume had decreased for this full-distance training block.

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after the race

Unfortunately, post-race recovery is something I struggle with and need to improve on. Four days after IM Philippines, I wound up at the hospital with high potassium, irregular heartbeat, and severe dehydration. I had completed Roth with my throat on fire and feeling sick, which after the race became a full-blown fever and COVID.

After crossing the finish line and chatting with Keren, we split ways and I waited for a massage. As I was waiting, I quickly became very cold and found I was unable to hold fluids and food down. At the massage tent, they became concerned and unbeknownst to me, had called for the medics. I was carted over, recommended an IV (which I initially refused as I strongly dislike needles) for dehydration, and bundled up in several blankets.

Challenge Taiwan Day 2 Results

After quickly inhaling two IVs, I was released and advised not to do Day 3 with the Olympic Distance. Post-IV drip, I felt fantastic, but also knew within my heart of hearts that doing Day 3 would probably be unwise, especially with my history of post-race ‘recovery’.

​I know I made the right choice, but it was a very hard decision to make because obviously, I had paid for this race entry with the intention to do the triple-header. ​I knew if I could execute, I had the chance to do well. Unfortunately, I did not execute Day 2 well in terms of recovering adequately for Day 3.
Too bad, so sad! 

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FUELING & HYDRATION

PFH sweat test: 727mg
Although I am little, I can take in a lot of carbs, and oftentimes, still want more carbs/feel peckish while racing. Ketones are not for everyone and honestly, tastes + smells awful, but for me, I feel a noticeable increase in energy and for now, it is worth it to me. Sodium caps are Salt Stick, no caffeine. SiS drink powders and gels are Beta Fuel. I get most everything from The Feed at the end of the year during Black Friday sales, purchasing what will last me through one year of training and racing. Yes, it is a little crazy, but it’s what has worked for me the past three years. I will also supplement with Japanese items like Pocari, and what I receive from the races that I work.

ON BIKE TO START (370g carbs / 4,000mg sodium)
BOTTLES: 80g SiS x2 (= 160g) incl. 2x Mortal electrolytes (= 2,000mg)
GELS: 50g CARBS FUEL x2, 40g SiS x2, 30g PFH x1 (= 210g)
SODIUM CAPS: 2x 200mg x5 (= 2,000mg)
(+ spares: 30g PFH x2, 20g Honey Stinger (= 80g)

I calculate for a 6-hour bike and what I started with would be roughly 60g/hour. Fortunately, I had added an extra 80g of carbs (that I knew I didn’t need before the swim) last minute into my tri top before I went to the swim start. So now we were looking at 450g or about 70g/hour. But I typically train with 90-110g/hour.

Because I failed to find Bike PN, I took in three random aid station gels (I gather this to be about 30g as the gels were 12.5g carbs each -_-), 3-4 aid station sports drink bottles (I’d say no more than 60g carbs here), and 4-5 aid station water bottles (most of which were utilized to wet myself down as I peed about 4-5 times on the bike). So maybe 450+90g or so which comes out to about 540g. We’ll round down and say 500g over 5:43 on the bike. Ultimately, with all of the aid station items, I probably averaged about 80g/hour.

BIKE PERSONAL NEEDS (280g // 1,200mg)
BOTTLES: 80g SiS x2 (= 160g)
GELS: 50g CARBS FUEL x1, 40g SiS x1, 30g PFH x1 (= 120g)
SODIUM CAPS: 200mg x5 (= 1,000mg)
Ketones x1
I was unable to actually find Bike PN so this was all a loss :-)

RUN TO START (120g // 1,000mg)
Handheld water bottle with PH 1500
GELS: 40g SiS x3
SODIUM CAPS: 200mg x5 (= 1,000mg)

RUN PERSONAL NEEDS (can visit twice) (270g // 3,000mg)
GELS: 50g CARBS FUEL x2, 40g SiS x2, 90g PFH x1 (= 270g)
SODIUM CAPS: 3 bags of 200mg x5 (= 3,000mg)
Ketones x1
Lap 1, I took the 50+40+1 bag of sodium caps and slammed the ketones while at the station.
Lap 2, I slammed the 90g while at the station, then took the 50+40+2 bags of sodium caps. I only used one bag.
Ultimately I took all the gels (390mg), about 3,000mg sodium, water, and Red Bull over 3:35 on the run.

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TRAVEL LOGISTICS

EVA full fare main cabin, incl. 2x23kg: 86,170 JPY
Tue 21APR HND to TSA (Songshan)
Thu 30APR TSA to HND
I took a taxi between Songshan Airport and Songshan train station; approx. 300 NTD (about 1,500 JPY) one way

TC Limited Express business class: 1,412 NTD (about 7,000 JPY) one way (main cabin is about 2,000 JPY cheaper - it's a 4-hour train ride and I was willing to spend a bit more)
Tue 21APR Songshan station to Taitung station /Tue 28APR Taitung station to Songshan station

I left my bike at the Songshan Airport when I arrived in Taipei on Tuesday for something like 1000 NTD (about 5,000 JPY) - not exactly cheap for two days but well worth not having to lug around the bike into the city.

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lodging

“Golden Homestay” at Taitung (7 nights): 138,620 JPY 
I primarily chose this because I wanted a washing machine (they also had a dryer and decent mamachari bikes for guests to use free of charge - also a coffee machine, ice cream, cup noodles, hot water, microwave, big fridge/freezer). I had stayed at the Naruwan Hotel in 2023, but the lack of access to a washing machine really made things challenging, and I knew if I was going to be in Taitung for a week and racing three times, I need a washing machine.

It was a bit expensive, so it helped that Keren stayed a few nights as well to help offset some of the cost. Ultimately, I was VERY pleased with this choice; it was in a convenient location with a grocery store 2 min by foot, about 2km to the Stadium (expo, finish), 4km to the park (transition), and 5km to the lake (swim). A decent number of restaurants as well. We were on the 3rd floor but there was an elevator and the room (two full/double sized beds) was a good size, maybe a little smaller than I would have liked.

After a 3-year hiatus, it was so amazing returning to Taitung - the people, the food, the vibes! There's nothing like Challenge Taiwan - Asia's biggest triathlon with 10,000 age groupers over two days, and nearly flawless race ops. As a sports event professional working pre-/during/post- race management, I am so impressed. There's a reason this race sells out in a matter of seconds!