Talking Triathlon

WTCS Abu Dhabi, originally postponed from March due to unrest in the Middle East, has a new date of November 13-14 and will now also offer Olympic qualification points. And Ironman 70.3 Versailles, cancelled due to the heatwave back in July, has been rescheduled for October 11 at the Château de Versailles.

After the break we recap Ironman Lake Placid, where Marten Van Riel converted his 70.3 form into a dominant full-distance win, setting a new course record on debut at the distance. Paula Findlay made an equally impressive full Ironman debut, winning the women's race on her first a...

It's a big one this week.

 Three major retirement announcements drop almost simultaneously.

Joe Skipper calls it a day after a career that included ten full-distance wins, finishing his final race on home roads in Norfolk at Outlaw Holkham.

Patrick Lange announces his farewell tour, targeting one more Kona this October and a final race at Challenge Roth in 2027.

Dame Flora Duffy, four-time world champion and Bermuda's Olympic gold medallist, confirms she is stepping away after injuries made it impossible to train at the level she demanded of herself.

W...

This week Belinda Granger joins as guest co-host, bringing her perspective from inside the commentary box and from her role as pro liaison at Challenge Roth.

We spend a big chunk of the episode talking through the 2026 WTCS season with Belinda, covering Beaugrand's continued dominance, Vasco Vilaca leading the men's standings, what Alex Yee's DNF in Quiberon means for the rest of the season, and what it's actually like to call these races up close.

Then we get into Ironman Frankfurt, where Casper Stornes backed up his Kona title with a win over Gustav Iden...

We open with a full recap of WTCS Quiberon, where Cassandre Beaugrand was in superb form, putting the race to bed as soon as she kicked to beat Tilda Mansson. In the men's race, Dorian Coninx outsprinted Vasco Vilaca in a thriller reminiscent of his 2023 title run, while Alex Yee was forced to DNF. We also break down the Mixed Team Relay, where France completed a clean sweep of the weekend, winning comfortably even without Beaugrand in the lineup.

After the break, we cover Ironman 70.3 Elsinore, where Marten Van Riel made it six wins from six in 70.3...

We open with news that Olympic champions Alex Yee and Cassandre Beaugrand are heading to the Diamond League, with Yee racing the 5,000m and Beaugrand the 3,000m at Monaco on July 10, marking Yee's first Diamond League appearance since 2019 and a first-ever start for Beaugrand. Then we cover Taylor Knibb, who claimed her second US Pro Road Nationals time trial title in Charleston, continuing her run as one of the most dangerous dual-sport athletes in the world. We also break down the announcement that Chattanooga will host the Ironman 70.3 World Championship again in 2027, locking in a new five year agreement...

We open with an update on Jelle Geens, who has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his femur that has put his season on hold, including his pursuit of an Ironman World Championship qualification slot. Then we get into Lionel Sanders, who has confirmed he is working again with Mikal Iden after a difficult stretch dealing with RED-S and injury. Sanders is leaning into the Norwegian method as he targets Kona 2026.

The big story of the week is Ironman Hamburg, where metal shards were deliberately spread across the bike course in the Kirchwerder area, causing an...

Alistair Brownlee is taking on Norseman, adding one of triathlon's most iconic races to his calendar and giving fans another reason to follow his post-professional career.

WTCS Alghero delivered exactly what we've come to expect from the series. Vasco Vilaça and Cassandre Beaugrand took the wins, the men's race featured crashes and drama throughout, and the women's race was simply outstanding. We also discuss why WTCS continues to produce some of the best racing in the sport and how much the broadcast product has improved in recent years.

Supertri Blenheim also features, with a s...

Tim is finally back.

We start with the Giro d'Italia and Maya Kingma's move into professional cycling, as she continues to show that triathletes can successfully make the transition to the pro peloton.

Cassandre Beaugrand then adds another achievement to an already remarkable year by breaking the French 5km record.

Supertri Austin follows, where the conversation turns to what has happened to the series. Once one of the most exciting products in the sport, Austin felt like a shadow of what Supertri used to be.

T100 Spain delivered plenty of talking...

James is joined by Andy Horsfall-Turner again this week.

WTCS Yokohama kicks things off with the return of Alex Yee to triathlon and plenty of attention on how he looked back in the sport.

From there the focus shifts to Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence and Ironman Chattanooga, before the conversation turns to the latest around Supertri.

Ironman Hamburg also features as the build towards the race continues, before finishing with T100 Spain.

Grab yourself a deal with our sponsor, HUUB with a huge sale at https://huubdesign.com/products/complete-race-day-bundle?srsltid=AfmBOooPufFuutf4XGXsXyjDXBKHa3...

This week Henry Räppo joins James.

They start with 70.3 Gulf Coast before the conversation turns to Lionel Sanders and then Jelle Geens, whose form continues to be one of the biggest talking points in the sport right now.

The discussion then moves to the T100 Series and the direction it's heading before previewing Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence and looking at the latest Ironman Pro Series standings.

T100 Spain and WTCS Yokohama also feature, before finishing with a look at Henry Räppo's season so far and what's ahead.

GET 25% OFF HUUB USING TH...

This week Emil Holm joins James.

They start with Ironman 70.3 Western Sydney before getting into Jelle Geens and the form he's carrying at the moment.

The conversation then shifts to short course athletes stepping up in distance and whether we're going to keep seeing more of it across the sport.

Challenge Wanaka being rebranded as T100 Wanaka and Ironman Aix-en-Provence both feature, before finishing with T100 Spain.

GET 25% OFF THE FASTEST TRIATHLON GEAR WITH HUUB! USE THE CODE "getwelltim" AT www.huubdesign.com  

To support the podcast please head to...

James is joined by Andy Horsfall-Turner this week.

They start with Ironman South Africa, focusing on Andy's race and how it played out across the day.

London Marathon is next, where the two-hour barrier goes and James reflects on the experience and the build up.

T100 Singapore follows with the focus on Hayden Wilde and how the race unfolded.

WTCS is back with results to run through, before finishing with Lucy Charles-Barclay's winning return.

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE WITH HUUB: https://huubdesign.com/collections/easter-sale 

To s...

James is joined by Tim Hemming this week.

Ironman Texas takes centre stage, with Kristian Blummenfelt putting down a ridiculously fast time to take the win ahead of Marten Van Riel and Casper Stornes. In the women's race, Solveig Løvseth takes the win over Taylor Knibb and Marta Sánchez.

That leads into the Ironman Pro Series standings and how Texas has already started to shape things.

There's also some inhaler chat, before moving on to T100 Singapore, where Hayden Wilde lines up against Matt Hauser in the men's race.

WT...

James is joined this week by Mark Threlfall and Lizzie Rayner.

They start with Lizzie's season, how it's played out so far and what's coming next. The conversation then turns to the T100 gender split races and the reaction to how those events are being structured.

From there it's into Ironman Texas, which delivers one of the biggest races of the season so far, before finishing with Ironman South Africa.

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE WITH HUUB: https://huubdesign.com/collections/easter-sale ENTER THE ULTIMATE TRIATHLON RAFFLE: https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/james-bale<...

We finally get to Oceanside 70.3 after Tim was away last week, breaking down the men's race with Kristian Blummenfelt, Casper Stornes, Sam Long and Jonas Schomburg all in the mix.

On the women's side, the focus turns to Taylor Knibb and what her performance means heading towards Kona.

We then move to the T100 Singapore start list, which is loaded with short course names. The question is whether it's a straightforward win for Hayden Wilde or if athletes like Matt Hauser and Leo Bergere can challenge him.

A one-off running segment this week...

This week James sits down with Kristian Blummenfelt.

They start with how he's approaching 2025, including Nice and 70.3 Worlds, before looking ahead to Ironman New Zealand in 2026 and the early season races in Geelong and Oceanside.

They get into 20m drafting and the current Ironman Pro Series standings, before talking through T100 vs the Pro Series and how he's trying to balance both.

Ironman Texas is a big focus, what he expects there and what comes after, including how 70.3 Worlds 2026 and Kona fit into his plans.

They finish with bucket list races...

Sam Laidlow has kicked off a proper debate around TUEs, pushing for transparency and launching a petition to make the information public. We weigh in with our thoughts on TUEs in pro triathlon.

At T100 Gold Coast, Taylor Knibb is back doing what she does, taking the win ahead of Jess Fullagar and Imogen Simmonds, even with the field already starting to thin out.

Geelong 70.3 was ridiculous. Kristian Blummenfelt ran 1:06 to beat Jelle Geens and Hayden Wilde in a crazy, genuinely entertaining race. Kat Matthews was just as solid on the women's side and never...

We kick things off with The Ultimate Triathlon Raffle, where James is closing in but still needs another £500, so the prize list has stepped up again.

Lucy Charles-Barclay potentially racing the Commonwealth Games leads into a wider conversation, before we touch on Sam Laidlow's marathon.

At 70.3 Dallas, Lionel Sanders is back to winning, which is impressive in itself, but even more so given he managed to lose 40 seconds in a 350m swim and still take the race.

In Lanzarote, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Laura Lindemann and Sophie Evans were all back racing, which is a g...

We start with an unusual story involving Brayden Currie after he had an incident with a cow.

From there we review Ironman New Zealand, starting with the broadcast before getting into the racing itself. In the men's race Trevor Foley took the win ahead of Pierre Le Corre, while Kristian Blummenfelt had a tough day that could now put his Ironman Pro Series campaign in a difficult position.

We then move to the women's race where Kat Matthews delivered a dominant performance to take the win ahead of Hannah Berry.

Attention then turns...

We start with the full Challenge Roth start list which just keeps getting stronger. Laura Philipp has now been added to the women's field, setting up a potential showdown with Kat Matthews in what could quickly become a race against the Ironman world best time. The men's field has also been bolstered with the additions of Sam Laidlow, Rico Bogen, Jonas Schomburg and Patrick Lange, creating a lineup where the pace could be pushed from the start.

Lionel Sanders is back doing Lionel Sanders things, saying he is once again all in on Kona and describing the r...

This week we start with Kristian Blummenfelt confirming he'll race Challenge Roth. The discussion quickly turns to whether Roth could be the place he finally breaks the Ironman world record in a way that truly stands, given the ongoing debate around his tide-assisted swim in Cozumel.

We then move to Kat Matthews, also lining up for Roth, and the growing question of whether Laura Philipp will join her on the start line. With the women's field already looking strong, the potential matchup adds another layer of intrigue to the race.

From there, we zoom out...

This week we start with a big result for Maya Kingma, who has won her first professional cycling race. After previously talking about triathletes trying to make the jump into cycling, it's a result that feels genuinely significant.

We then move to Lucy Charles-Barclay, who has undergone surgery, and where that leaves her as she looks ahead to the rest of the season.

From there, the conversation turns to Lionel Sanders. Lionel has suggested this might be his final Kona, which has led many to wonder whether retirement could be closer than expected. As always...

We start this week with Maya Kingma. On a previous episode we were talking about triathletes trying to become cyclists, and Maya is proof that it can actually be done. We dig into her move, why it matters, and what it says about crossover potential at the very top end of endurance sport.

From there we go deep on the Professional Triathletes Organisation acquisition of Challenge Family. We break down the pros and cons, not just for professional racing but for amateur athletes as well, and try to separate hype from reality.

The biggest question...

This week on Talking Triathlon we start with a recap of Challenge Sir Bani Yas, where Jonas Schomburg took the win in the men's race and Katrine Græsbøll Christensen claimed victory in the women's. We break down how the race played out and what it told us about early season form.

We then turn to Hayden Wilde after he said he had multiple professional cycling contracts on the table, and discuss how realistic that claim is and whether elite triathletes could genuinely step into the professional peloton.

Jelle Geens has also said he wa...

This week on Talking Triathlon we ask the big question behind the episode title: can Kristian Blummenfelt win Kona? We dive into Kristian's extraordinary VO2 numbers and discuss what they actually tell us, whether they translate to Ironman world championship success?

We also cover the rebrand of the Bianchi Pro Triathlon Team, with Bianchi stepping in as title sponsor after replacing BMC, and what that means for podcast hosts who have already ordered a Bianch TT bike. From there we discuss Ironman's new 20 metre draft zone rule and while we think it is good for fair racing...

This week on Talking Triathlon we are back and take stock of where the sport sits heading into 2026. We start with what we noticed over the break, running through the triathlon headlines that shaped the off season and set the tone for the year ahead.

We then look at the updated PTO World Rankings and the impact of changes to how they are now measured. With the rankings now closely tied to the T100 series, it is no surprise that the athletes who raced and won the series are sitting at the top, with Kate Waugh and...

This week on Talking Triathlon we close out 2025 with our final episode of the year. We start by breaking down the T100 Grand Final in Qatar before diving into one of the biggest stories in the sport, the proposed merger between the PTO and World Triathlon and what it could mean for the future of professional racing.

From there we unpack the massive changes announced for Supertri in 2026 and share our thoughts on where the series is heading. We then turn our attention to the 2025 Podcast Awards, handing out our end of year honours including Female Triathlete...

This week on Talking Triathlon we start with Alex Yee's unbelievable 2:06 marathon and what it means for the sport. We talk about how performances like this show that triathletes are not just competent across three disciplines but genuinely world-class athletes. We also ask the big question: should Alex consider focusing on the marathon for LA 2028?

From there we head to La Quinta 70.3 where Lionel Sanders made his long-awaited return, Sam Long took the win and Kirsten Kasper impressed in one of her first real attempts at the 70.3 distance. In Bahrain, Vincent Luis delivered another outrageous run that...

This week Tim is back and finally gives his thoughts on all the drama that unfolded at T100 Dubai. We then move to the big news of the week, with Vincent Luis announcing that 2026 will be his final season and Els Visser set to retire this weekend.

But the headline story is Lionel Sanders. With Lionel confirmed to return at La Quinta 70.3, we talk through what we can expect from his comeback, how competitive he can still be and what his future in the sport realistically looks like from here.

We also preview a stacked B...

This week on Talking Triathlon Andy Horsfall-Turner replaces Tim and joins James to unpack a massive weekend of racing. We open with Andy's experience at the 70.3 World Championships and his first-hand perspective on how the event unfolded.

James is then joined by Tim Hemming to unpack the chaos of T100 Dubai, a race that turned into a complete debacle. We break down Hayden Wilde being sent into an extra lap on the bike, the widespread confusion that saw nearly the entire men's field run one lap too few, and the messy aftermath before Morgan Pearson was ultimately...

This week on Talking Triathlon we unpack all the action from the 70.3 World Championships. We start with the overall event before discussing the broadcast challenges, including the acknowledged technical failure that meant the final 1.5 kilometres of the men's race were missed, even though it ended up being the most exciting moment of the entire weekend.

We break down the women's race, where Lucy Charles-Barclay claimed another world title, Taylor Knibb finished second, and Kat Matthews was forced to withdraw with a calf issue. Then we move to the men's race, which came down to a thrilling sprint...

This week on Talking Triathlon we wrap up a huge weekend of racing and look ahead to one of the biggest events of the year. We start with the Noosa Triathlon, where Matt Hauser and Jess Fullagar claimed impressive victories at Australia's most iconic race, before reflecting on the retirement of Aaron Royle and the incredible career he leaves behind.

From there we move to Langkawi 70.3 and then preview the 70.3 World Championship, where Taylor Knibb, Kat Matthews, and Lucy Charles-Barclay headline a stacked women's field, and Gustav Iden, Kristian Blummenfelt, and Jelle Geens lead the charge for...

This week on Talking Triathlon we cover a big mix of stories from across the sport. We open with the news that Braden Currie is retiring and reflect on the incredible career and legacy he leaves behind. We then turn to the Noosa Triathlon, where Matt Hauser and Cassandre Beaugrand are set to line up at Australia's most iconic race.

Lionel Sanders has confirmed his comeback and will return to racing at Indian Wells 70.3 in December, and we discuss what to expect from him as he builds back towards long-course competition. We also look at Alex Yee's...

This week on Talking Triathlon we react to the biggest shake-up the T100 has seen yet, as the series announces massive changes to its 2026 format. We discuss what the removal of athlete contracts could mean for the future of professional racing, how splitting the season into four standalone men's and four standalone women's races could impact broadcast numbers, and whether increased per-event prize money will be enough to drive interest and secure top-tier fields.

We then move into race coverage, where Hayden Wilde and Kate Waugh delivered commanding wins at the T100 Wollongong. But it was the...

This week on Talking Triathlon we go deep on one of the most unforgettable races in recent memory, the Women's Ironman World Championship in Kona. With Lucy Charles-Barclay and Taylor Knibb both blowing up in the brutal heat, Solveig Løvseth storming to victory, and Kat Matthews mounting an incredible late charge, this race had everything. We unpack all the drama, tactics, and turning points, and ask the question everyone's thinking: was this the greatest Ironman World Championship ever?

To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon

To watch this podcast as a v...

This week on Talking Triathlon we keep things focused with two big topics. First, we break down the Supertri Toulouse Grand Final, where Jeanne Lehair continued her incredible season with another dominant win and Csongor Lehmann came out on top in a thrilling men's race. Then we turn our attention to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, previewing the women's race and all the major contenders. We go through favourites like Lucy Charles-Barclay, Kat Matthews, Laura Philipp and Taylor Knibb, sharing our predictions, how we think the race will unfold, and what each of the big names needs to...

This week we dive into a packed show, starting with a look at the Kona "wild cards," the women outside the obvious favourites who could still make a big impact on race day. We then turn to Jan Frodeno, who swapped triathlon for trail and did something special at the Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB, winning his age group over the 55 km course in his debut appearance.

In race results we cover Ironman Chattanooga, the XTERRA World Championships, and Ironman Wales before recapping WTCS Weihai where Max Studer and Beth Potter took the wins. Finally, we lo...

This week we cover a massive few days in the sport. We start with Alex Yee's ambitious target of running a 2:08 marathon in Valencia before turning to the T100 Spain, where Lucy Charles-Barclay once again dominated the women's field and Hayden Wilde was untouchable in the men's.

Over in Supertri Jersey, Jeanne Lehair produced a brilliant win ahead of Georgia Taylor-Brown, while Csongor Lehmann edged Vasco Vilaça in a dramatic men's race. We wrap up with a look at the newly announced 2026 Ironman Pro Series schedule and what it means for the season ahead.

To...

This week Andy Horsfall-Turner joins us to unpack all the drama from the Ironman World Championship in Nice. We break down Casper Stornes' breakthrough victory, Gustav Iden's return to the podium in second, and Kristian Blummenfelt's gritty fight for third. We also dive into Sam Laidlow's 5th-place finish on home soil, the performances that surprised us, and what this year's race means for the future of long-course triathlon.

To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon

Use "TALKINGTRIATHLON" at the www.therunningalgorithm.com

To watch this podcast as a video visit: h...

This week we start with Hayden Wilde making headlines for racing in prohibited shoes before shifting our attention to the main event, the Ironman World Championships in Nice. Lizzie Rayner joins us to break down the men's race, the form of the favourites and the likely tactics that will shape the day. We dive into the chances of Sam Laidlow, Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt, and what it will take to win on the demanding Nice course this year. We finish with Tim's picks for the podium.

To support the podcast please head to: patreon.c...