Last weekend was a busy one on the pro triathlon race front including draft-legal racing in Wollongong, the Ironman African Championship in South Africa (pictured above are women’s top finishers Marta Sanchez and Diede Diederiks), Ironman 70.3 races in Cebu and Valencia, along with Challenge Gran Canaria. While the victors at those events weren’t all surprises, there were a few big names who didn’t make the podium, and a number of other champions who aren’t exactly household names, especially here in North America. So what was going on? Well, as you’ll read below, an injury sidelined 10-time I ..read more

It’s 5:15am. It’s cold, still dark and I can hear the rain pummeling the roof of my house. I have a challenging swim workout (6×75, 5×200, 8×50 hard) at the local outdoor pool. How much do I want to swim at this moment in time? Well, you can probably guess. This experience, quite common I’m assuming among my triathlete (and other sport) brethren, has caused me to consider my relationship with my triathlon training. How do I really feel about the time, effort, energy, and, yes, pain that I put into my efforts to be the best triathlete I can be? And how do I best get through those times, as I ju ..read more

For years, athletes have counted on Gatorade Endurance being available at the aid stations to help fuel our Ironman efforts. However, this sports drink is being replaced by a new product called Mortal Hydration. This shift will likely require all of us to reevaluate our fueling strategies for these races. According to Ironman: “To allow athletes time to adjust to the new product offering, Mortal Hydration will be an on-course option added to previous electrolyte options, with a full exclusive roll out of the product on course beginning with July events. Sample packs will also be available for ..read more

There is nothing wrong with doing all of your training and racing in the same running shoes. If you have the means to buy multiple pairs, though, you could see a boost in your workouts and race results. Think about your cycling workouts — you probably don’t want to spend every day in your TT bike’s aero bars (instead of upright on a more comfortable road bike) if you don’t have to, right? The same goes for running shoes. It’s not bad to run in one pair at all times, but your training could benefit (and you could become more comfortable), if you add some variety to your shoe arsenal. If you can ..read more

When it comes to winning a sprint, Tilda Mansson has it dialled in. She’ll turn 20 next month, but the young Swede has already won three World Cup races, including yesterday’s World Triathlon Cup Wollongong in Australia. All three of those wins have come from sprint finishes – she won in Bergen in 2022 by outsprinting Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen and Great Britain’s Kate Waugh, and took the sprint once again over Spain’s Noelia Juan at last year’s World Cup in Tiszaujvaros. This weekend Mansson outdid herself at the World Triathlon Cup Wollongong as she hit the blue carpet with a lead group of s ..read more

Although they are rare, Canadian professional triathletes do exist. There might be about four dozen female and male pro triathletes in the country right now, about the same number of people you’ll find in a typical Tim Horton’s lineup in Canmore. The number of pros earning more than the person serving them at that Tim Hortons, however, would be considerably less than that. If you think you have the talent and fortitude to turn pro, you might want to go over this checklist to see if you have what it takes to make it, or if you’d be better off pursuing something with more job security and social ..read more

With organizers still waiting for confirmation of “public” funders for this year’s race, the board of directors for the World Triathlon Championship Series Montreal race has decided to cancel the race. “Unfortunately, as of last week, we did not receive sufficient confirmations from public funders regarding the WTCS to complete a responsible budgetary planning,” WTCS Montreal president Patrice Brunet wrote in an email. “Applications have been filed, but with most formal replies not having been received yet at this late date, our board is not prepared to move forward with such a big risk, as pu ..read more

We’ve all been there – the frenzied mass start, the disorienting chop and waves, the constant physical contact. Open water swimming can feel like a chaotic battle just to keep your head above water, let alone preserve energy for the bike and run. But what if you could turn this weakness into a strength? Here are 6 ways to do so: 1. Become a drafting pro: Practice swimming in tight packs during training to get comfortable with the physical contact and turbulence. Identify optimal drafting positions by reading the water flow and patterns of other swimmers. Utilize drafting to save five to 10 pe ..read more

There had been rumblings that a new nutrition partner was in the works for Ironman and Ironman 70.3 North American events – now it’s official. After a “soft launch” that saw Mortal Hydration with a booth and available on course at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, Ironman has announced that the new product is “the official sports beverage and hydration partner for the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 North American Triathlon Series.” According to today’s release, “varieties of the Mortal Hydration Drink Mix will be available on course, giving athletes great tasting and effective hydration at Ironman and Ironman ..read more

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