The Unfunded Triathlon Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by Podfire.Lockie and Lleyton are back after a week off for Lleyton's uni exams, though he still has six months of placement to go. Lleyton raced the Pottsville Aqua Bike, which turned into a 90 K TT in the rain with no swim, and the boys talk about getting on top of the Australian summer heat early. Lockie is out of the sling just under six weeks after shoulder surgery, back in the pool and about to start running again, and tells the story of a long day at IRONMAN in Port Mac with their athletes, which left him sure he isn't an Ironman racer.In short course, the boys recap two rainy World Cups in Asia. In a cold, wet Beijing, Max Studer won the men's race ahead of Xirui Zhang, China's first ever World Cup podium, and Alberto González García, while a Chinese win in the women's race came ahead of Márta Kropkó, racing in goggles, and Kate Waugh. In Tongyeong, Alberto González García turned the tables on Max Studer, with Keller Norland third, and Lin and Hong put two Chinese women on the podium with France's Mathilde Cartier. The boys ask why these athletes rarely race outside China, and why they want to see them in Abu Dhabi and the World Series before LA 2028.Then it's Noosa Triathlon week. Is a Noosa win bigger than an Australian title, and which legends own its history? Lleyton puts Lockie through a blind ranking of five Noosa winners, from Ash Gentle and Craig Walton to Emma Snowsill, Loretta Harrop and Chris McCormack. The boys talk about how non-drafting TT racing changes the race, and finish with their Noosa podium predictions, with Lockie backing last year's men's top three of Matt Hauser, John Reid and Luke Willian.

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by Podfire.Lockie and Lleyton are back after a huge weekend in Kona, and Lockie has a confession: he's now a long course fan. Lleyton caught the end of the run from a cafe after a long ride, and Lockie tells the story of his 18th birthday, when he and his mates painted Vincent Luis's name across their chests at the Gold Coast World Champs and Vince tagged him in a post.The IRONMAN World Championship delivered chaos. Vincent Luis won Kona in his final race, after fourth places at IRONMAN Texas and Challenge Roth, and the boys look back on a career that took him from junior world champion to world titles and an Olympic relay medal. Taylor Knibb turned last year's heartbreak into an IRONMAN world title, a month after winning the 70.3 world title. Solveig Løvseth collapsed while leading, Magnus Ditlev started wobbling 30 K into the marathon, Sam Laidlow, Jamie Riddle and Lucy Charles-Barclay were among the DNFs, and Gustav Iden, Matthew Marquardt and Julie Derron all took penalties and still ran onto the podium. The boys ask whether athletes who collapse on course should be stood down from racing for their health, and whether Kristian Blummenfelt has passed Jan Frodeno as the greatest of all time, the question put to the audience at Pro Tri News's Kona panel.Then it's back to short course with the Beijing World Cup, with Olympic points on the line and Max Duda, "the king of China", in the men's field. The boys give their podium predictions, both backing their training partner Brandon Copeland and Kate Waugh, and marvel at Gwen Jorgensen, 41 and still number one on the start list.

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by Podfire.Lockie and Lleyton celebrate episode 60 and kick off World Championship week, starting with Lockie's belated birthday bash and why he was the first one to go home from his own party.With the IRONMAN World Championship back in Kona and the men and women racing on the same weekend for the first time since 2019, the boys debate whether Kona is the biggest race in triathlon, share their first triathlon memories and look at how the media built the Kona legend, from Chris McCormack and Lionel Sanders' vlogs to Pro Tri News. They revisit Jan Frodeno's trifecta and Australia's run of Kona wins from 2007 to 2012, and settle a three-versus-three between Chris McCormack, Craig Alexander and Pete Jacobs and Germany's Sebastian Kienle, Jan Frodeno and Patrick Lange. Then it's a start list stacked with Olympians moving up to long course, from Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden to Marten Van Riel and Julie Derron, and the boys' podium predictions and dark horses for the men's and women's races.They wrap up with the Rome World Cup, where Alex Yee dominated the men's race, Diana Isakova, Tilda Månsson and Taylor Spivey made the women's podium, and Great Britain brought their A team to the mixed team relay.

Brought to you By Official Beer Co.Produced By Podfire.The 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals delivered one of the most dramatic weekends the sport has seen in years, and Lockie & Lleyton break down everything from Pontevedra.They dive into Matt Hauser's controversial sprint finish against Vasco Vilaca, debate whether World Triathlon needs a "hold your line" rule, discuss France's incredible production line of talent, and ask whether Cassandra Beaugrand has surpassed Gwen Jorgensen as the greatest complete female triathlete we've seen.The boys also analyse Alex Yee's remarkable comeback run, Fanny Salai's dominant junior performance, the future of Team USA heading towards LA 2028, and preview another stacked field at the Rome World Cup.

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by PodfireAfter a short break, Lockie and Lleyton return to the podcast to catch up on everything that's happened in the triathlon world. They discuss Lleyton's recent European racing block through Ireland, Tunisia and Nice, while Lockie opens up about his latest shoulder injury, surgery and the mindset that's helping him navigate another lengthy rehabilitation.The boys then run through the biggest triathlon stories they missed during their time away, including Christian Blummenfelt's remarkable performances, Hayden Wilde and Taylor Knibb's 70.3 World Championship victories, Super League's return, Matt Hauser and Cassandre Beaugrand's WTCS campaigns, and recent anti-doping suspensions.The second half of the episode is a comprehensive preview of the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Spain. They analyse the junior, U23 and elite fields, highlight Australian athletes to watch, break down the championship points scenarios, and give their predictions for both the women's and men's world titles, including whether Matt Hauser can overcome Vasco Vilaça to claim the overall championship.

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by PodfireAfter a month between recordings, Lockie and Lleyton catch up from opposite sides of the world as Lleyton wraps up his European racing block while Lockie continues his return from injury. The boys discuss life in Font-Romeu, training alongside many of the world's best triathletes, and their plans for upcoming races in Ireland and Tunisia. They also reveal their hopes of covering the 70.3 World Championships on location before diving into a recap of the recent South American World Cups, highlighting Dylan McCullough's dominant breakaway performances, Toby Powers' breakthrough World Cup podium, and the amusing story of Mitch Kolkman accidentally racing in Jordan Ruck's tri suit. The conversation then shifts to the WTCS Weihai race, where standout performances from Cal Kaminski and Brendan Copeland contrasted with disappointing days for Matt Hauser and Luke Willian. Finally, the hosts break down the rapidly changing World Triathlon Championship standings, discussing Vasco Vilaca's growing advantage, Cassandra Beaugrand's commanding lead in the women's series, and what still needs to happen before the World Championship Finals in Pontevedra.

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by Podfire.The boys kick off with stories from training, birthday celebrations, and a hilarious travel nightmare after a fellow triathlete almost missed his flight to Europe. They then discuss the surprisingly low profile of the Commonwealth Games before breaking down the newly announced 2027 World Triathlon calendar, including the rebranded T50 World Tour, new venues, and questions surrounding the championship format and points system.Attention then turns to the London World Triathlon Championship Series race, where Matt Hauser and Cassandre Beaugrand continued their incredible dominance with another commanding victory. Lockie and Lleyton analyse Hauser's remarkable consistency, Beaugrand's control of the women's field, the current World Series standings, key crashes involving Braden Mercer and Tilly Anema, and what it all means heading towards the season finale.The episode wraps up with previews and podium predictions for the Rio World Cup, discussing the athletes to watch and whether anyone can challenge the established favourites.

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by Podfire.Lockie and Lleyton return for another Freaky Friday episode, catching up on training, Leighton’s upcoming six-week European racing block, and Lockie’s return to full training after injury. They also discuss some of the latest innovations in triathlon, including the unusual hydrodynamic swim cap attachment that’s starting to appear in elite racing.The boys break down all the action from the World Triathlon World Cup in Edmonton, including Solomon Okrafo-Smart’s breakthrough victory, Tyler Mislawchuk and Reese Vannerson’s thrilling sprint finish, Taylor Knibb’s dominant bike leg, and Australia’s mixed relay performance. They also give their thoughts on the current state of World Cup commentary and debate whether mixed relays are as exciting outside of major championship events.Looking ahead to WTCS London, they preview the stacked men’s and women’s fields, discuss Matt Hauser’s incredible season, Alex Yee’s homecoming, the rise of Calum McClusky, and why Cassandra Beaugrand remains the woman to beat. The episode wraps up with podium predictions and a discussion about which iconic cities around the world should host future World Triathlon races, including Sydney, New York and Barcelona.

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by Podfire.After a week away from the studio, Lockie and Lleyton return to break down one of the biggest weekends on the triathlon calendar. The boys dive into Matt Hauser’s incredible third consecutive Hamburg World Triathlon Championship Series victory, analyse the standout performances from the men’s and women’s races, and discuss who is shaping up as the biggest threat for the remainder of the WTCS season.They also unpack the Mixed Relay World Championships, where France secured the first relay qualification spot for the LA 2028 Olympic Games, while discussing the surprise performances from Hungary, Australia’s unfortunate withdrawal, and the selection decisions that left a few eyebrows raised.Away from triathlon, the conversation drifts into Conor McGregor’s disappointing return, football World Cup fever, the Tour de France, Facebook nostalgia, influencer culture, and why Hamburg should never get rid of its iconic beer steins.

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.Produced by Podfire.Lockie and Lleyton return for a relaxed catch-up episode as they discuss a quieter period in the triathlon calendar before diving into the biggest talking points from around the sport. The boys recap the Tiszaujvaros World Cup, where Csongor Lehmann continued his remarkable dominance on home soil and Fanni Szalai claimed another breakthrough victory for Hungary, while Taylor Knibb returned to World Cup racing with a strong performance.They also unpack the viral Louis Vuitton runway bike, debate the growing influence of Chinese bike manufacturers in professional triathlon, and discuss whether premium bike prices are becoming impossible to justify for aspiring athletes.Looking ahead, the focus shifts to the Hamburg World Triathlon Championship Series and Mixed Relay World Championships. Lockie and Lleyton break down the key contenders, debate whether Matt Hauser can continue his winning streak, discuss Hayden Wilde’s return to short course racing, predict the individual podiums, and give their picks for the relay world title as nations begin the road to Olympic qualification.