#103 - Ironman World Championship Review

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 video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14 You can follow Andy at https://www.instagram.com/andrew_h_t 

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 do to take the title.   To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

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 look ahead to Supertri Toulouse and ask the big questions: can anyone stop Jeanne Lehair, and is Vasco Vilaça on track to win the entire series? To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

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 support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon Use "TALKINGTRIATHLON" at the www.therunningalgorithm.com To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

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: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14 You can follow Andy at https://www.instagram.com/andrew_h_t 

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.com/talkingtriathlon Use "TALKINGTRIATHLON" at the www.therunningalgorithm.com To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14 You can follow Lizzie at https://www.instagram.com/lizzierayner97 

UTMB delivered a huge weekend of trail racing, with Tom Evans winning the men’s race and Ruth Croft taking the women’s title to complete the UTMB triple. Georgia Taylor Brown has made her ambitions clear, she wants Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 2028. We discuss what it will take to get her there. At the T100 French Riviera, Ashleigh Gentle produced another world class performance to win the women’s race, while Hayden Wilde backed up once again to take the men’s title ahead of Jelle Geens and Samuel Dickinson. The WTCS French Riviera races were just as stacked. Matt Hauser stayed perfect this season with victory in the men’s event, and Cassandre Beaugrand delivered a huge win in front of the home crowd in the women’s race. We also recap Zell am See 70.3, where Kat Matthews took the win in the women’s field and Fabian Kraft claimed the men’s title, continuing his rise in the Pro Series standings.   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: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

Jan Frodeno was meant to race UTMB but had not qualified, and the wildcard entry he received has seen him cop a wave of online criticism. We talk through why the reaction came so hard and what it says about the way the trail scene handles elite entries. From there we look at one of the wildest endurance feats of the year, South African runner Sibusiso Kubheka covering 100km in 5:59:20 at the Adidas “Chasing 100” event. It will not go down as an official world record, but breaking the six hour barrier is a landmark moment for ultra running and we discuss why it matters. Supertri Chicago brought more drama, with Jeanne Lehair and Alberto Gonzalez Garcia taking the wins, Tyler Mislawchuk running brilliantly, and Georgia Taylor Brown showing strong form in the women’s race. WTCS Fréjus sets up a massive showdown as Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde line up against each other again, while at T100 French Riviera Hayden backs up to race alongside Morgan Pearson, Jelle Geens and Jess Learmonth. We finish the episode with listener questions to celebrate the 100th episode of Talking 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: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

This week we set the record straight on T100 Valencia after rumours that it was cancelled. Hayden Wilde is planning to race both the T100 Fréjus and the WTCS on the same weekend, after his comeback could this be one of the best seasons ever? Jan Frodeno’s UTMB bid might be on hold as it appears he hasn’t followed the qualification process properly. Ironman Kalmar happened over the weekend Chelsea Sodaro finishing  third place and the question of whether she is keeping things safe before Kona. Ironman Copenhagen delivered crazy fast times and a rough day for Joe Skipper after a puncture forced a DNF. Zell Am See 70.3 gets a look as we discuss the start list and how the fields are shaping up ahead of a busy late season. Supertri Chicago closes the show with a stacked cast. Georgia Taylor-Brown, Jeanne Lehair, Ricardo Batista, Johnny Brownlee, Morgan Pearson and Tyler Mislawchuk headline what should be tight, aggressive racing. 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: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

Plenty to cover from T100 London, starting with Hayden Wilde’s incredible win less than 100 days after a horrific bike crash and Lucy Charles-Barclay’s brilliant performance that makes her a clear contender for the Ironman World Championships in Kona this October. We break down both the men’s and women’s races, with the women’s race standing out as one of the best T100 events we have seen. Away from London, Alex Yee smashed a 5km road race, setting up an epic showdown the next time he races Hayden. We then preview Ironman Kalmar, where Chelsea Sodaro and Nikki Bartlett headline the women’s race, and Ironman Copenhagen, which sees Joe Skipper going head-to-head with Rasmus Svenningson in what promises to be an exciting battle. To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Use "TALKINGTRIATHLON" at the www.therunningalgorithm.com   Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14