Britain’s Kate Waugh produced a stunning performance to clinch the season-opening Singapore T100 Triathlon on Saturday (5 April) in what was her first long-distance triathlon race.
On her way to a 6min 41sec winning margin – a new T100 record – the T100 debutante beat favourites including two-time Singapore defending champion Ashleigh Gentle as well as fellow Briton Lucy Charles-Barclay, who finished third. Wildcard Lisa Perterer also rose through the ranks to claim the silver.
The top 10 of the Singapore T100 are as follows.
- Kate Waugh – 3:45:18
- Lisa Perterer – 3:51:58
- Lucy Charles-Barclay – 3:53:09
- Hannah Berry – 3:53:35
- Taylor Spivey – 3:54:39
- Ashleigh Gentle – 3:55:12
- Grace Thek – 3:56:42
- Amelia Watkinson – 3:57:22
- Marlene De Boer – 3:58:28
- Megan McDonald – 4:4:19
HOW THE RACE UNFOLDED
It was a fierce battle from the start in the warm waters of Marina Bay as Charles-Barclay and compatriot Jessica Learmonth surged to the front. The duo pushed the pace early, stringing out the field, but the main contenders held strong. The lead group at the 1km Aussie exit included Flora Duffy (BER), Kate Waugh (GBR), Julie Derron (SUI), India Lee (GBR), Taylor Spivey (USA), Hannah Berry (NZL), and Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) – all within just 11 seconds. The rest of the field trailed by 30 seconds.
On the second lap, Learmonth continued to press, thinning the group to Charles-Barclay, Derron, Waugh, and Spivey. Duffy dropped back slightly, while Gentle and Lee were nearly a minute behind.
Out of T1 and with ice dumped over their heads to fight the tropical heat, Learmonth led with Waugh close behind. By 25km into the 80km bike, Waugh was the only athlete within a minute, just 15 seconds adrift. Charles-Barclay sat 1:40 back, followed by Derron at 2:18 and Gentle and Lee at 2:45. Duffy was notably off pace at 5 minutes down.
At 40km, Learmonth still held a 20-second lead over Waugh. Charles-Barclay had slipped to 2:36 behind, with a chase group of Lee, Gentle, and Lisa Perterer (AUT) over 4 minutes back. Berry and Derron hovered around the 5-minute mark. By 60km, Waugh continued on the heels of Learmonth, still within 20 seconds, while Charles-Barclay had drifted 3:30 off the pace. Perterer led the chase behind at 4:20, ahead of Berry, Gentle, and Lee.
In a tough twist, both Flora Duffy and India Lee stepped off the course over the next 10km, officially recording DNFs and scoring no points towards the 2025 T100 Race To Qatar standings.
After a commanding solo ride, Learmonth hit T2 first – but cramps struck immediately. Waugh seized the moment, taking control at the start of the 18km run and quickly pulling away. Perterer arrived in third, 3:43 back, with Charles-Barclay another 20 seconds behind. Berry and Gentle followed at 5 and 7 minutes down, respectively.
By the 5km mark, Waugh had stretched her lead to 1:33 over Learmonth. Perterer held firm in third at 4:12, with Charles-Barclay slipping to 4:36. Berry and Gentle remained off the pace, and the defending Singapore champion wasn’t making gains.
At 8km, Learmonth began to falter – her pace dropping to a jog and even a walk – allowing Perterer and Charles-Barclay to move past.
Heading into the final 6km, Waugh was in complete control – over 6 minutes ahead of Perterer, 7 ahead of Charles-Barclay, 8 over Berry, and 9 clear of Gentle. Learmonth slipped out of the top 10 and would finish in 13th.
With a wave to the crowd and a smile on her face, Waugh celebrated down the blue carpet to claim the title of 2025 Singapore T100 Triathlon Champion in 3:45:18 – securing 35 points, US$25,000, and the top spot in the T100 Race To Qatar Standings. Her 6:41 winning margin is the largest in T100 history, sending a clear message to her competitors.
Wildcard entry Perterer delivered a breakout performance, finishing second in 3:51:58 to earn 28 points and US$17,000 – marking herself as a new threat on the T100 scene.
Battling the heat, Charles-Barclay claimed third in 3:53:35, taking home 25 points and US$13,000 – a good start after a 2024 blighted by injury.
In fourth, Berry defied expectations of being a long-distance-specialist, making a strong T100 debut to earn US$10,500 and 22 points. Rounding out the top 5 was Hot Shot Spivey, who secured US$9,000 and 20 points – forcing returning champion Ashleigh Gentle into 6th.