For those who don’t know their story, Brent and Kyle Pease became the first brother push-assist duo to finish the IRONMAN World Championships when they crossed the finish line in Kona in 2018, in a time of 14 hours and 29 minutes. 

The Pease Brothers represent the best type of attitude in long-course triathlon, approaching the sport with humility, determination, and flexibility. And to a degree, they have to; Kyle was born with cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia, meaning that he uses a wheelchair for mobility. Brent, the older of the two brothers, is able-bodied. 

Together, they leverage Brent’s physical strength as he tows and pushes Kyle through the swim, bike, and run of an IRONMAN and Kyle’s relentless positivity and iron-clad willpower to not only cross an IRONMAN finish line together, but to do so with gusto. 

Now, the brothers are back on the Big Island after six years away, during which time they expanded and grew their nonprofit, the Kyle Pease Foundation, which aims to “improve the lives of people with disabilities through sports and beyond.”

This trip to Kona comes with a specific mission beyond reaching the finish line, though. During their year-and-a-half-long training journey for this year’s men’s IRONMAN World Championship, the Peases have raised nearly $900,000 – their goal is to reach $1 million – with the purpose of adding more employees to the Kyle Pease Foundation Inclusive Employment Program. The funds raised will allow the Foundation to hire a minimum of two more individuals with disabilities – and potentially even more hires than that – to grow the program. 
Although Brent and Kyle are busy attending to all of the typical pre-race “to-dos” of any athlete, they made time to chat with Slowtwitch about their upcoming 140.6-mile journey.

Get to Know Brent and Kyle Pease

ST: How are you both feeling heading into your second Kona? 

BP: We both just feel so grateful to be here. Everything weighed so heavily on us in 2018: the nutrition, the enormity of the race, the crew and support we had here cheering us on – it all felt so heavy. 

This time, we only feel gratitude to be able to come back to this island and experience the race. Whatever goes down on Saturday – and I’m not saying if it does one direction we wouldn’t be disappointed –  is fine because this time is much more about the experience that we get to have as brothers and sharing it with so many other people.

ST: Kyle, many people wrongly assume that you’re just ‘along for the ride’ during the race. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Can you share a bit about how and why race day is just as taxing for you?

KP: I appreciate you guys asking this question – it’s important that people know I’m not just along for the ride – I’m “in it,” too. Although I don’t go through the same physical tasks as Brent, my body still goes through a lot. I also have to have the mental fortitude to push through the ups and downs of the day. 

At the end of the day, I’m a student of the sport. I did all of my course scouting this week – I know where the turns are, I know what to expect on the Queen K. 

BP:  Someone once said to us, “I can’t imagine what it must be like for you, Brent, to carry another human being for 14 or 15 hours.” 

But what I really can’t fathom is what it’s like for Kyle to not only push his mind and body through that same type of physical effort, but to also have to be this positive emotional force because the race takes such a physical lift for me – to take care of Kyle, to feed him, to push the pedals, to do all of those things. It means my mind goes to a dark place much quicker than Kyle’s. 

We have countless stories of, “Brent struggled and Kyle saved him.”

I’m pushing the pedals of 375 pounds of humans on our bike and it’s grueling in the Hawaiian heat and wind, but then Kyle has to sit there as his body is literally fighting itself because of his spastic quadriplegia and he has to be so positive for the eight or nine hours that we’re on the bike together. 

I don’t think people realize how hard that is. Imagine if I told you that for every minute of your race day, you cannot have one negative emotion that you allow people to experience with you. 

It’s incredibly hard to do that and to not complain. Kyle can handle those things. He can handle my emotions, he can handle his emotions, and he can deal with the physical strain of the challenges he faces in our endurance race because of his disability.

ST: What are you both looking forward to most on race day?

BP: Oh man, I want to say all of the race is my favorite part, especially because I don’t know if we’ll get another encore after this. 

But if I had to pick just one aspect of the race, it’s the bike turnaround in Hawi because once we’ve made that turn, we know we get some time back on the descent and that’s a moment of relaxation between us. 

All we have to do once we make that turnaround is make sure the bike goes straight downhill, tap the brakes here and there, and get in the right gear for the Kawaihae climb. 

In 2018 when we made the turnaround in Hawi, we looked out over the Pacific Ocean and there was a deep sense of overwhelming gratitude. So, if I had to pick one part of the race, that would be mine.

KP: I would say that is also one of my favorite parts for me, too. You can feel the energy of the Island and all of the people around you and us working as a team, which carries me in a way I can’t even express to you. 

The most rewarding aspect of being on the bike is helping Brent see the full potential of what he has given to me, and it is a gift I will be forever grateful for. We have to stay connected the entire time on the bike.

ST: Speaking of the bike, how has your bike equipment changed since your first time in Kona back in 2018? Any upgrades for comfort or speed this time around?

BP: It’s evolved tremendously. I mean, our very first bike had an eight-gear internal hub. Every race we did taught us something about how to refine the equipment for Kona. We use a company in Winnipeg, Canada, called Freedom Concepts to build our bike. 

So we bought that bike, and then we built in a race car seat in the front for Kyle and added a bunch of ventilation to it. Our goal was always for Kyle to be in the front of the bike – we want him to have the experience of a cyclist. 

We actually have two bikes here on the Island this week: one where Kyle can sit upright as he does in his wheelchair, and one at a slight angle similar to what we had in 2018. And Kyle made the decision on Wednesday that we will use the slightly angled chair – we all felt like that was a slightly faster setup.

The bike now has a carbon fork, carefully crafted welds to allow everything to work really well – it’s a really impressive machine when you consider our goals as athletes.

ST: What kind of training have you done together in this leadup to Kona?

BP: My TrainingPeaks schedule looks very similar to what every athlete on the Island has done the past few months: big training weeks, big bike blocks. But what we try to do is get Kyle involved. 

Because we had such a long runway to Kona – nearly a year-and-a-half – we’ve been training a lot together in preparation for Kona. 

Getting our running groove down is easy – we sign up for local run races. We did a half-marathon together and ran a marathon in January of this year. Those efforts were to focus on having Kyle be in the chair for a long time, and for me to get the run mileage. 

For the bike, we try to find opportunities to do big bike rides to practice the stress on both of our bodies. This summer we did a “rails to trails” ride on the Silver Comet Bike Trail, which runs from Atlanta, Georgia, to Anniston, Alabama, 95 miles in all. It took over seven hours to do that with Kyle, and it was a fun experience to have Kyle go through a long training day like that, and it was good strength building for me. 

Ultimately, those hours spent together are really, really special. 

ST: Just for a bit of levity before such a serious undertaking, do either of you have any funny stories of training or racing together that you can share?

BP: Even with all of the amazing experiences we have had as brothers and athletes – getting to race IRONMANs, being photographed by Annie Leibovitz – we’ve had these rockstar moments, but one of the best parts about doing something like an IRONMAN is the community aspect. 

On that ride from George to Alabama, that’s what it was all about. Us and about a dozen friends biked there all day, we stayed in a hotel, and then the next day, I biked back solo. 

When we got to Alabama that evening – everything was funny because we’d trained so hard. We’re sitting around eating pizza, and I told a story that was a little inappropriate that I won’t repeat here. And Kyle started giggling and couldn’t stop. I looked at my buddy and I said, “Now we’ve checked every box.”

It was a moment of like, “This is what it’s supposed to be.” We’re sitting around, exhausted, eating pizza, and we can’t stop laughing. This doesn’t have to be serious. We didn’t shave our legs or taper for the ride. We stopped and ate pickles and chips and drank Coke. 

And then I put Kyle to bed and accidentally left the lights on his hotel room all night. So, we had a good laugh about that, too. I can take such good care of him on a race course, but I can’t turn off the f*cking lights in his hotel room. 

KP: Yeah, leaving on the lights was a good one. So, you know, when we’re out there training and you need to use the restroom, it can be difficult. But during an IRONMAN, I get to pee whenever I need to without us stopping. 

So, if I pee when we’re on the bike, it’ll all go backwards onto Brett, so that’s always a good laugh.

ST: Who have been some of the partners who have helped you both return to Kona this time around?

BP: Roark Capital, Adidas, Hyundai, Rabobank, Stein Investment Group, LocumTenens.com, Wells Fargo – we’ve been so lucky to work with a number of incredible partners to make this happen. We always say that our secret weapon is all of the people who help and support us.

ST: What does it mean to you both to get to do this race again, together, on Saturday?

BP: I think doing hard things is what makes us really feel alive. You’d almost never think that sitting on the couch all day was a really great day. But when you struggle and when you overcome, when you laugh, smile, and love and experience these things together, that’s what makes you feel alive. 

When I’m out there with Kyle, I feel so connected to him. I know that any challenging moments we have will pass, and I know we’ll both feel stronger when we come out of them. I want to watch him push himself; it’s inspiring to literally sit behind Kyle on the bike and watch him fight his body for eight or nine hours while he’s still encouraging and pushing and driving me towards the finish. I’m so thankful for that experience. 

KP: I always say that we get to do this. We don’t have to do this, we get to do this. We choose to do this. We could just go to a baseball game or drink the day away, but Brent has allowed me to be an athlete. And to be an athlete with Brent is one of the greatest gifts of my life. 

At the end of the day, there’s somebody always cheering for you, but the best part for me is that the guy who is cheering for me, is literally five feet behind me. 

ST: Kyle, what would you like any athletes or spectators cheering you on on Saturday to know?

KP: Don’t look at me as a charity case, and don’t think of me existing as being an inspiration. I want you to be inspired by our efforts to push beyond your own limits.

Photo Credits: The Kyle Pease Foundation

The post History-Making Duo The Pease Brothers Return to Kona first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Last year marked the first time that the IM World Championship was split up into two locations, with the women remaining on the Big Island and the men heading to Nice.

As the men’s race drew nearer last September – and the Norwegians were notably absent – names like Patrick Lange, Magnus Ditlev, and Jan Frodeno (who was competing in his final IMWC) began making the rounds with regards to who might cross the finish line first.

Frenchman Sam Laidlow had come in second place in Kona in 22, but had a tough early 2023 season with a DNF at IM Lanzarote and a slew of nutrition-related difficulties at other races. His name was mentioned here and there, but rarely in the vein of having a chance to win in Nice.

Then, Laidlow shocked most of the triathlon world by claiming first in Nice in a time of just over eight hours, crowning him IM World Champion.

Laidlow has found success in 2024 at the T100 races, with two podiums at that distance, but a contested disqualification at IM Vitoria-Gasteiz left Laidlow in the lurch for a moment, thinking he would not validate his spot for Kona. In the end, IRONMAN allowed Laidlow a slot to compete, and he’s now back on the Big Island and aiming for a two-peat.

Another Podium Finish for Laidlow?

ST: How do you feel being the returning IM World Champion heading into Kona? Do you feel as though you have a target on your back, or are you more relaxed knowing you’ve already achieved the highest podium finish in all of IRONMAN triathlon?

SL: I feel happy and content with where I am right now, of course there will always be pressure in triathlon, but I feel like it’s being overridden by the joy of being healthy, fit and in contention for another title. It’s not about the outcome right now, I just need to keep making sure I do everything I can to be the best – that’s what success is to me.

ST: What did it mean to you to have back-to-back years of podiums at IMWC, in 2022 and 2023? 

SL: It’s a good question; on the one hand, I feel like I’ve been doing this a very long time already, and on the other, I feel like I have a lot more to give in the sport. I have a deep, profound belief that I can be the best in the world at IRONMAN, and so long as I have that belief I will keep wanting to win world titles. I’ve raced three IRONMAN World Championships and had great days, I just hope I can make it four.

ST: This year has had its ups and downs for you with two podium finishes in T100 races and then the disqualification at IM Vitoria-Gasteiz. On the whole, how do you feel about your season thus far? 

SL: This season was a bit of a slow start, which was of course hard to accept, but in reality this was always the plan. I’ve been so committed these last two months [and that effort] simply isn’t sustainable all year. It’s been a slow build up to this point and I can happily say I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been. Whether I can translate that to the race course is another question.

ST: Kona is a very different course than Nice, and you’ve shown you can have success at both. Can you share any broad strokes of information about how you’ll change your approach for Kona vs. your approach for Nice last year? 

SL: The course in Kona is of course very different to Nice, but both are extremely honest: the fittest guy will win. It’s that simple. On paper, I think Kona probably suits me slightly better; I’m one of the heavier athletes out there and this course favors big power riders more than Nice. The run in Kona is also hillier which suits me more than an all-out fast flat course like Nice. In terms of preparation, there isn’t much difference – I’ve spent a month here which I didn’t do in Nice so naturally riding on the course is probably the biggest difference.

ST: Which course do you ultimately prefer as an IRONMAN World Championship course – Kona or Nice? Why?

SL: Nice was amazing, the course and crowds were spectacular. However, Kona is where my heart lies and will always lie. I’ve watched this race since I can remember on TV and I’ve committed my whole life to trying to win this race in particular.

ST: Who are your sponsors this year?

SL: Hoka, Canyon Bicycles, Ekoi, Oakley, Red Bull, Breitling, HVMN, AG1, Valfidus, Fusion Sportswear, Favero Electronics, Compressport, Maurten, HED Cycling, Sailfish, Ceramic Speed

Photo Courtesy of Baptiste Vignaud 

The post 2023 IRONMAN World Champion Sam Laidlow Wants a Two-Peat in Kona first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

It’s been eleven years since an Australian native stood upon the IRONMAN World Championship podium – in Kona or otherwise. The last Aussie to achieve this feat was Luke McKenzie in 2013 when he came second to Belgium’s Frederik van Lierde. 

With a smattering of strong Australian contenders prepared to hit the start line at Dig Me Beach next weekend, we could see this dry spell finally broken. Aussie Steve McKenna is one such contender, but he has an extra challenge ahead of him given this is his first-ever IRONMAN World Championship. 

McKenna has a smattering of podiums and one outright Ironman win over the past year and a half: a second-place finish at 2023 IM Cairns followed by a fourth-place finish at IM Western Australia that December, and then a win at IM New Zealand earlier this year. He also nabbed second place at the World Triathlon Long Distance World Championship in Townsville.

Despite qualifying for the 2023 men’s IM World Championship with his second-place finish at IM Cairns, McKenna says it was not until his qualification at 2024 IM New Zealand that he truly felt ready to accept his IM World Championship slot. 

The Aussie will be taking the start line in Kona this weekend after a dynamic year in which he and his wife welcomed their second daughter and in which McKenna formally launched his race belt business Nerd Belts. 

We caught up with McKenna ahead of race day to see how the athlete from Down Under is feeling about his first dance on the Big Island.

Kona, Kids, and Nerd Belt Kits

ST: How do you feel about your 2024 season thus far? 

SK: I had two goals this year, the first of which was to be present when our second daughter was born, and to put family first and triathlon second this year. The second goal was to qualify for and to attend Kona – that’s why I raced IM New Zealand pretty early in the season – I knew I had to commit fully to that one earlier in the year than I usually do because my daughter’s birth date was predicted to be the same day as IM Port Macquarie. 

She actually ended up being born a few days before IM Port Macquarie, and I hadn’t really trained for it, but for some reason I still went and tried to race, but it didn’t go very well. After that, I took six weeks of just being a dad to make sure I prioritized my family and those special moments. 

That all means I haven’t raced much this year, and for a period was quite unfit as a result. So, I started getting fit midway through the year, raced Townsville World Champs, and I hadn’t really got going just yet on where I wanted to be, but was way fitter than I thought and came second at the Townsville World Champs. In the future, I will be doing the IM Pro Series and fully committing, but I’m not going to let triathlon get in the way of the special family moments outside of the “tri bubble,” as I think those moments are, for me, more important in the end. 

ST: What are your thoughts on this being your first Kona?

SK: I’m a lot newer to triathlon than people realize – I’ve been in the sport for nine years as I was a runner first. I didn’t get into triathlon until I was 24, and I’m 33 now. I didn’t feel ready to do Kona until this year. 

However, I don’t know that that’s the right mindset – I probably should have done it two years ago when I qualified. My mindset now is to not be afraid of failure. 

ST: Given that this is your first Kona, how do you feel about the race? Can you share anything about your race-day strategy with us?

SK: I think the race will go well if I don’t get too carried away with chasing the other guys in breakaway situations and whatnot. I need to try my hardest to be smart in the moment – which isn’t a strength of mine.

I’m not too worried about the heat as I just raced the Townsville World Championships in Australia in similar hot and humid conditions and I felt really good during the run. Overall, I’m feeling confident that if I don’t stress going into the race, drink a lot of water, and have fun I’ll have a good day.

I’ve got to pick my battles wisely, and that’s tough. I don’t want to accidentally overdo my efforts on race day, and that’s the biggest risk factor for me. 

ST: There are now many professional triathletes who are also parents and race at the highest levels of our sport. How does being a dad to two young kids impact your triathlon career, both positively and negatively?

SK: Unlike some other professional triathletes who are parents, I don’t really get motivation from having kids – I probably get less motivation to train and race because I’d rather hang out with my kids and not train. 

The biggest positive for me with having kids is that I don’t care about my results as much anymore, which is really cool. I don’t get as nervous for races now because at the end of the day, my results don’t matter to my kids, which is a great perspective to have. If I quit doing professional triathlon tomorrow – which I’m not planning on doing – everything would be fine because I have my kids and triathlon isn’t “everything” to me.

I’m also way less stressed about getting sick than the average triathlete. I’m very used to getting some sort of childcare-related sickness ahead of a race; I actually just had a stomach bug last week. I look at the positives: I lost two kilograms from it and I’m still pushing the same power on the bike.

One of the negatives of balancing parenthood and professional triathlon is that there is definitely less consistency in training. I don’t get nearly as much sleep as I used to get [before having kids]. I do go to bed earlier now, though, because if I don’t go to bed when my eldest daughter does, she screams for me, haha. But some nights there are so many middle-of-the-night wakeups, and that’s the downside.

But again, at the same time those situations actually destress me because there’s nothing I can do about them and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I just try my hardest to train the next day at the same level, or am flexible and alter my training. 

I am in Kona on a “Dad-only” trip, though. I will get a bit of extra sleep and can get some downtime after my pre-race training. I miss my girls and my wife, Lauren, but I’m feeling extremely healthy and happy at the moment. 

ST: In addition to having a family and mixing in some racing this year, you also started a small business in the past 18 months: Nerd Belts. How has that been going for you?

SK: I started off just developing one Nerd Belt for myself, selfishly, because I saw the value in creating a truly good run belt. And then I had nonstop messages with people asking if they could purchase one, too. I was a bit frustrated at the start because I only intended to make one for me, but I did end up making 500 of them to start. 

I underestimated what it would take to run a business, so to be honest, it’s just about ruined my race results for 18 months. Nerd Belts was a one-man show for about a year. It’s come to a point where I need a big break after Kona to sort it out. We’re going to hire two staff members. We’ve already got some folks assisting with shipping and social media, which has helped a lot. We’ve got people doing shipping.

It’s been the toughest 18 months of our family’s life because of trying to manage a business, raise our kids, and also fit in triathlon at a high level. That’s all fine because it’s short-term pain, and I think I’ll be the athlete people expected me to be once I sort out the business after Kona. My career has felt about 18 months delayed because I ran the business myself. 

ST: What are you most excited for on race day in Kona? 

SK: Once the swim settles, I hope I can be in the moment and enjoy that nice water. I want to be in the moment as much as possible on race day and appreciate that I’m racing these other guys who I watch all year. 

Racing is pretty stressful, especially as a pro, and I hope I don’t bonk or overheat. Honestly, I’m excited for the entire trip here on the Big Island – maybe slightly less excited for the race. I do love racing, but if I end up having a bad day out there, I’m gonna hate it. If I have a good day, that’s a different story.  

ST: And lastly, who are your sponsors this year?

SK: 2XU, Hoka, Aid Station, Modex, Vision, EliLee Bikes, Radiology SA, and of course, Nerd Belts.

Photo: KoruptVision

The post A Pre-Kona Chat with One of Australia’s Finest: Steve McKenna first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Even with men having competed in Nice in the inaugural edition of a European IM World Championship last year, a fair amount of curiosity still remained around what Nice is like as a world championship host as the women’s IM World Championship rolled around this past September.

My hope is that by sharing my experiences – both good and “could’ve been better” – I lift the shroud of mystery around this new host of the IM World Championships and clarify some common questions asked about the venue and experience.

My personal adventure in Nice was a tough one: it was actually my first-ever DNF in more than 15 years of triathlon, nine years of IMs and 14 Ironman start lines.

I faced a few unexpected challenges during race week (don’t we all), but perhaps most damning was the fact that I slipped and fell on a marble staircase a handful of days out from race day and landed right on my lower spine vertebrae, full force, no banister to catch me, on the edge of a stair and then proceeded to slide down six more stairs.

The ensuing bruise was pretty gnarly, as was the stiffness and pain. I got to the halfway point on the run and decided that’s enough Nice and triathlon for me for one week. No regrets, DNFs happen, my ego is less bruised than my low back.

Regardless of my unique race situation, I still had some takeaways about racing a World Championship in Nice. This was my third IM World Championship, the last two having been in Kona in 2022 and 2023. 

I was curious to see what Nice was like, because they are so vastly different. 

The oh-so-shocking gist is this: Nice is a World Champs-worthy course, that much has already been said and agreed on by the general triathlon population. It is not Kona, it is not trying to be Kona, we all need to get away from using Kona as our Holy Grail for a World Championship.

That being said, Nice was good but still had some drawbacks. Let’s dive into the “good” and the “what could be better.”

The Good

There are two obviously very good things about Nice. The first one is that it allows women to have their own race day (this is not dependent on Nice per se, but more so on a second World Champs location/separate race day) and the second one is that Nice is far easier to get to for most of the world than a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean.

The City

The lodging and dining options are extremely plentiful in Nice, so much so that you can stay there for well over a week and never repeat a cafe or brasserie twice if desired. I never had to wait more than a few minutes to be seated at a table to begin a meal, and as a pescatarian, I had plenty of seafood or vegetarian options at most places.

Nearly everything you could need is within walking distance, and there is really no reason to get a car given how plentiful Uber and taxis are should you need to go a bit farther. If you want to drive the bike course, renting a car for a day is easy and relatively inexpensive. On race day, there is no need to fret about where to park because you and your support crew will likely be able to walk to and from the race area.

The Race Course

Some people are saying that Nice is a harder course than Kona. I think they’re both challenging, but in very different ways. 

Nice is more “traditionally” challenging in that its bike course packs in tons of elevation changes and a twisty descent and its run is a four-loop death march that truly tests one’s mental fortitude, even with the vibrant crowds in the miles near the Promenade. 

Kona sneaks up on you. The bike course can have wicked wind, but even when it doesn’t, eventually the heat and exposure can leave even the best athletes feeling knackered, just in time to tackle a lonely, rolling marathon as you bake in the sun. 

Let me say that a massive “good thing” about Nice was the volunteers. This is true for every triathlon I’ve ever done. Thank you to every volunteer who devoted some of their time to making this race, and the men’s race last year, possible.

The Nice swim was a lot more fun than Kona’s swim, in my opinion (all of this is just my opinion, remember). There were fewer sighting buoys between the turn buoys and that meant you could truly pick your own line and have fun with it. The intense swells this year on the Nice swim made for some pleasant adversity, too. 

The bike course is epic, from the climb to the tundra-esque plateau to the ripping descent. I actually think that most age groupers would do well to consider doing this bike course on a road bike, which lowers the barrier to entry for some. In Kona, you most definitely need a time trial bike to be at your fastest. 

The run is well-supported nearly the entire way of each lap, with the miles back towards town feeling like a big party. No lonely marathon vibes in Nice.

The Women-Only Vibe

I don’t think we can ever go back to having women and men pros race on the same day for an IM World Champs. It’s been proven now how epic it is to focus on the pro women in their own separate race; they can now get the full attention they deserve during an IM World Championship. 

I also heard a lot of age group women saying they were glad not to be contending with male athletes on such a dynamic bike course, especially on the descent. To be surrounded only by fellow women was a relief, it seemed, for many toeing the line on Sunday.

Plus, this course gave women who don’t find success as easily in Kona the chance to find it on a hillier, colder, and more varied course. This is good for both pros and amateurs alike.

What Could Be Better

Just like with any large-scale event, there are always things that could be better, or that you wish were able to change but maybe can’t. As epic as the bike course was during the race, as well as all of the other good things I just listed, I still have a few gripes about IMWC Nice, too.

The City

Believe it or not, this was my first-ever trip to Europe (but not my first trip internationally), and a few things that may have been “givens” for those who have been to Europe were a bit of culture shock for me.

I think I experienced a bit of Paris Syndrome when I visited Nice. I was sold on crystal-clear blue waters, a quaint European experience, sunny skies and birds chirping with every step. Was I a bit naive to think this would all pan out? Yes, absolutely, but hindsight is 20/20.

For those coming from locales where cigarettes are not as common, Nice (and other parts of Europe in general, I’m told) may take a bit of getting used to. Cigarette smoking is part of the social culture in Nice, and most outdoor patios and pedestrian-filled streets brought with them a faint smokey haze that, at times, left me with a bit of a headache.

Additionally, elevators are the exception, not the rule in Nice (and again, in other parts of Europe). You should expect to utter a few expletives as you haul your bike box and other luggage through the narrow sidewalks and up a few flights of stairs. The mainstream hotels have elevators, but it’s unlikely your AirBnb or short-term rental will. If you travel with a companion, this will be less difficult than traveling solo as I was for my arrival and departure.

Neither of the things listed are insurmountable or trip-ruining obstacles, but are two things I wish I’d been more prepared for heading to Nice, so I share them in the hopes of apprising others who also may not be as familiar with France.

The Race Course

I have no real gripes about the swim course; I thought it was fun and a nice break from the typical rectangular swim courses of most IMs. 

My biggest issue with the bike course was that it was ( for the most part) open to cars in both directions. From both pros and amateurs alike, I’ve heard and seen stories of far too many racers almost getting hit by cars during IMWC Nice this year. At one point, I had a van suddenly pull out in front of me on the descent and at that moment, I’ve never been happier to have disc brakes. 

I do want to give credit where credit is due, which is the fact that IM successfully worked with all 17 of the small villages through which the bike course passes, getting permission to send more than a thousand cyclists through these tiny towns on a random Sunday in September. I can’t imagine such a feat in the U.S. or many other countries.

I’d like to see some improvements regarding traffic on the bike course; I don’t think we’ll ever see a fully closed course in Nice, but a bit more education about the event with regards to traffic flow in local areas could be helpful for drivers and cyclists alike.

A small gripe is that bike Personal Needs was super easy to miss, if you planned on using it. It was located on the opposite side of a roundabout and there was one sign a few feet before the roundabout notifying you of it. Of course, it is the athlete’s job to know the race course, but I think more signage beginning a half-mile or so before Personal Needs would be helpful. 

A four-loop run is one loop too many, to me. And I’m one to talk, I DNF’d at the second loop! I don’t think there’s anything to be done about four loops, but whew, that’s a lot of times to run a flat 10km-ish lap. 

I also want to note that while the crowd support was appreciated for the miles of the run course that ran parallel to the Promenade, the amount of spectators smoking cigarettes while cheering on athletes led to an uncomfortable amount of cigarette smell for an Ironman. And it’s not just me who thought this – 40-44 age group World Champion Jana Richtrova shared her thoughts about this on Instagram, too.

Again, not sure what can be done about that, but I was glad to hear I wasn’t the only one who thought the air quality of the run course was “meh” in that section.

The Women-Only Vibe

We’ve already established that gender-separated IM World Championships are both good for the sport and likely the way things are going to remain. 

I think the question IM still needs to figure out is how to make a non-Kona location feel like a World Championship. Kona is so steeped in the lore of the 140.6 distance that it can be hard to build the same giddiness around another location, even one with the triathlon history of Nice.

Most amateur women I spoke with said that leading up to the race, it didn’t feel like a World Championship in terms of hype or marquee World Championship things like the race expo. After the race, many said the race was well-executed and fun, but didn’t have the same je ne sais quoi as Kona (check out that French!). Is this because Nice is so much larger than what we are used to on that little “Big Island”?

Does IM need to do more to promote the race locally in Nice so more businesses and residents are aware of it? Do athletes need to simply stop comparing “Kona vibes” to other race venues? Does the livestreamed coverage of race day need to be better?

A mix of answers to all of those questions can be considered, and I’m not sure of the solution, but I think those questions can and should be explored given that it’s unlikely we’ll ever return to a solely Kona World Championship location.

Closing Thoughts

My personal circumstances meant that, to be honest, I had a much more difficult time in Nice than I anticipated. I am just one athlete out of nearly 1,260 who started the race, though, and I know many women who absolutely loved their trip to the French Riviera. 

There were a lot of very good things about Nice, from its convenient city layout to its breathtaking bike course. And, there were some things that could be better, like traffic control on the bike course on race day and continuing to focus on building increased hype around a non-Kona World Championship location.

IRONMAN sent out a women-focused survey to some earlier this year, and one of the questions on it was about one’s preferences for the future state of the World Championship: bring it back to Kona only, or continue to rotate locations. 

I haven’t heard anything since I submitted my survey answers a few months ago, but it tells me that IM is still ideating on what the best solution is for the IM World Championships. Time will tell, but for now, I’m gearing up to cheer on the men in Kona – another perfectly imperfect location –

The post Making Nice with Nice first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

As speculations continue as to which women will find their way to the Nice podium on Sunday, one name seems to come up again and again: Laura Philipp.

The German has always had strong showings at the IRONMAN World Championship. In 2022, despite a drafting penalty on the bike, she still finished in fifth place. Last year, Philipp rounded out the women’s top three finishers alongside first place Lucy Charles-Barclay and second place Anne Haug.

It’s clear that this year, Philipp is all-in on going for the win at this weekend’s IM World Championship in Nice. She has spent nearly all of her year training in the mountains and spent time in Nice this past spring testing bike equipment and setups to optimize for the IMWC.

She’s had a slew of successes to build up her confidence as well: Second place at Challenge Roth, third place at the San Francisco T100 race and fourth place at the London T100 race, as well as three top-five finishes at IM-brand 70.3s this year.

And though Philipp is saving her mental and physical energy ahead of race day, we were still able to sit down with the IMWC podium finisher for a few quick questions ahead of race day.

Laura Philipp Shares Her Thoughts on Her Season and Nice

ST: How has your training gone for Nice? 

LP: My training has gone well and mostly according to plan. I did a big block of altitude training in St. Moritz over the last few weeks and rode many of the big climbs to get ready for the challenging bike course [in Nice]. We focused a bit more on improving some specific skills for the climbs and descents, but otherwise the volume and intensity remained similar to any other race preparation I would typically do.

ST: What excites you about an IM World Championship in Nice?

LP: The bike course in Nice is the most amazing bike course. It’s super tough, challenging and will most likely bring a lot of separation into the women’s pro field. I like the fact that bike skills are a necessary part of nailing this course, and that it is not only about physical power output. It was also really nice to prep [for the IMWC] closer to home and avoid another big trip [such as to Kona]. I am excited about my first racing experience in Nice and I am sure that this location is very World Champs-worthy.

ST: What are your thoughts on the IRONMAN Pro Series? Have you enjoyed partaking in it?

LP: I think the IM Pro Series is a great addition to the pros’ racing calendar and has definitely increased the strength of the field at the races in the Pro Series, which is awesome and what fans want to see. I have only participated in one IM Pro Series event so far at 70.3 Mallorca, but enjoyed the experience. I like the inclusion of Race Ranger and will definitely try to race more races of the series in the future if IM decides to continue the Pro Series.

ST: What other races will you prioritize this year after IMWC?

LP: I will continue to race the T100 series.

ST: Who are your sponsors this year?

LP: Hep Solar, Canyon, New Balance, Castelli, Spa, AG1, Whoop, Shook, SwissSide, Schwalbe, Ergon, Mnstry, Incylence, Soprema, Kickass Sports, Lever Movement

The post A Quick Check-In with Laura Philipp ahead of the IRONMAN World Championship first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

The pros are just like us: both age groupers and pros alike fear getting a dreaded mechanical issue on the bike portion of an IRONMAN race. Depending on the severity of the mechanical, it can slow you down a bit at its tamest and completely derail your race at its worst.

Last year, Dutchwoman Els Visser faced the latter when her entire pedal came off during the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona – it was still clipped onto her cleat – with only a handful of miles left on the bike course. She went from riding towards the front to slipping into the middle of the pack. 

Visser ended up finishing in fifteenth that day, and this year has returned valiantly to the racing scene with tremendous success, finishing in the top five for all but one race of the IRONMAN-brand races she’s competed in . Can she continue that streak with a podium finish in Nice?

Els Visser is Ready for Nice

ST: How has your season gone so far this year? How are you feeling about your season at this point in time?

EV: It’s been the season of my life so far. I’m in the best shape since the start of my career and have had some incredible results – finishing third in Roth and setting a new Dutch women’s IRONMAN record was super cool. I’ve been racing a lot, too – I think IMWC Nice will be something like my thirteenth race of the year and my fifth full distance IRONMAN this year. 

I’m really happy with the consistency I’ve been able to put out this season, how I’ve recovered from each race, and how the season is going.

ST: You’ve bounced back really well after your bike mechanical in Kona last year. Remind us – what exactly happened there?

EV: I was riding with Anne Haug after the turnaround in Hāwī – she was really setting the pace but I was able to follow her – we were in something like sixth and seventh place. With about 35km (~22 miles) to go, my left pedal broke and it was still clipped underneath my bike shoe. It literally broke off its pedal spindle.

At first, I stopped and got off my bike, but it was obvious that I couldn’t fix it, and I didn’t see a mechanic coming, so I thought, “Okay, the only thing I can do now is jump back on the bike and ride the last 35km with one leg.” 

It was very frustrating because a lot of girls behind me overtook me in those final kilometers and I had been in such a good place when I was riding with Anne [Haug].

At the start of the marathon, I had to mentally reset and still try to run a good marathon. It took me nearly 10km to not feel sorry for myself anymore. In the end, I finished in 15th. 

I think that given the circumstances, it was still a really good performance, but of course it could have been better had I not lost my pedal. But that’s also, I think, part of the sport and how you handle it, how you overcome obstacles and if you can still manage to deliver a good performance.

ST: What are your thoughts on the IM Pro Series? You’ve been in the pro triathlon circuit for a long time; do you think the Pro Series is ultimately a good thing for pros?

EV: At the start of the year, the IM Pro Series wasn’t really my focus, but then I did do some races in the series and kept going on that path; I could probably have done a better job of picking the right races within the series. Right now, I am in fourth place in the series.

Next year, if the Pro Series stays the same, I will definitely focus on it and train specifically for the races in the Pro Series to try to get the highest amount of points possible. I think the Pro Series is an incredible opportunity for us athletes to get rewarded – I like that if you are a consistent athlete and able to deliver good performances over multiple races you get a financial bonus for that. 

I think it’s super cool how IRONMAN bases the Pro Series on the point system and that every second really does count and that at the end of the day the Pro Series is about getting the best out of yourself.  

ST: What are your thoughts on the new IRONMAN World Championship venue in Nice?

EV: I think in the end Kona is still the race that everyone really wants to win if you compare it with Nice, but I think that’s also because Nice is still a very new IM World Championship location, so it may take some time for people to truly appreciate the race. 

Nice is definitely a course where, in the end, the best overall athlete will win the race. You will need a good swim, an incredible bike, and a good run performance; it is a very honest course. 

I also like that Nice is close by for those of us based in Europe. For Kona, most pros would do a pre-Kona camp and need to travel out to Kona a month out. This year, I won’t arrive to Nice until the Tuesday of race week. I can drive there, and because I’ve raced so much this year and traveled a lot, it’s convenient to have Nice so close. I do think some of the “World Championship” hype is missing a bit now, but maybe that is because it is so close to where I live.

ST: You are a very strong cyclist. What are your thoughts on the dynamic bike course in Nice and how will it impact the end result of the race?

EV: For this race, you can have an incredible bike, but if you over-bike and you aren’t able to run a good marathon, then it doesn’t matter. You need to pace yourself on the bike so that you can still run a good marathon. I think the race will come down to having the right combination of a strong bike and a fast run, but not overdoing it on the bike.

I don’t think the swim will be as important in Nice because with all of the climbing on the bike, I don’t think quite as many groups will form – the bike will be very honest and very much an individual effort. 

Pace yourself well, approach the race as your own race and racing against yourself, take care of your fueling plan, and don’t get too excited in the first hour on the bike are my pieces of advice. 

ST: Who are your sponsors this year?
EV: Red Bull, Breitling Netherlands, Jelenew, and a private sponsor, the Lion Capital Group.

Photos: Eric Alonso, Alexander Koerner / Getty Images for IRONMAN

The post “I’m in the best shape since the start of my career” – Els Visser on Nice Prep first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

We now have less than a week to go before the women’s IRONMAN World Championship in Nice gets underway in the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean, the dynamic mounts of the Alpes-Maritimes, and the buzzing Promenade of Nice. 

Last year was the first edition of the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, although regular IRONMAN Nice has been a staple of the region for many years. Frenchman (yes, we know he’s British, but he identifies more with his French nationality per his website’s bio) Sam Laidlow became the youngest-ever IRONMAN World Champion winner when he, in a shocking twist to many, claimed victory in Nice in 2023.

It’s been said before and we’ll say it again: Nice is not Kona. This race not only has practically the opposite terrain of Kona, but the strengths and strategies needed to podium are vastly different than on the Big Island.

As for which women will make their way onto the podium on Sunday – it’s anyone’s guess.

The Course

We shared an article last week with a more in-depth view of the IM World Championship Nice course, but the quick breakdown is:

• Swim: an ocean swim that will likely not be wetsuit legal for the pros, but may be for the age groupers. A relatively straightforward swim except for its slightly odd W-shape.
• Bike: a doozy. Begins with a punchy climb that turns into a long endurance ascent with rollers on the plateau at the top followed by a descent that requires care and focus right when athletes are at their most exhausted.
• Run: flat and centralized. Although the run is as flat as it gets, challenges like little shade and mounting heat may catch some by surprise. The course will be buzzing with spectators thanks to its central location on the Promenade.

Five Possible Podium Picks

As Laidlow proved last year, even at the IM World Championship, anything can happen. If we had to make some educated guesses about who is most-ready to tackle the dynamics of Nice, though, we’d go with the following, in no particular order:

• Lucy Charles-Barclay: Never bet against a returning champion, especially when they appear to be healthy, fit, and also won IRONMAN Nice by nearly 20 minutes earlier in the year. Lucy’s swim will set her apart, as will her typically strong bike splits. However, she’ll have many incredible runners seeking to chase her down on the marathon.

• Laura Philipp: After finishing in third place at Kona last year, Laura seems to have doubled down on her quest to make it to the top step of the podium, spending much of her year training in the mountains. She’s also found success at the 100km distance as part of the T100 races; she’s had a couple of top five finishes so far there, too. Laura is a phenomenal cyclist and very solid runner. She will need to call upon all her bike strength to keep her in play all day and set her up well for a strong marathon.

• Kat Matthews: Kat had a tough go at Kona last year, DNF’ing on the bike shortly after the turnaround at Hāwī. She came roaring back in 2024 with wins at IRONMAN Texas and IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz. Her run is always one to watch, but can she hang on through the dynamics of the bike course to make it count?

• Anne Haug: Anne came in second at Kona last year largely in part to her excellent run abilities – but she also put together a solid bike split, too. This year, Anne has had a slew of private medical issues that has kept her from racing consistently. When she has raced, though, she’s come away with results like a victory at IM Lanzarote, which is another course with a killer bike leg and a flat run. If she’s been able to get enough training volume in, she could be a contender here in Nice.

• Els Visser: Although she may not be brought up in as many podium picks as the other four women, Els has had an incredibly strong season in the IM Pro Series so far, taking fifth at IM Hamburg after dealing with a mechanical issue on the bike and then second at IM Vitoria-Gasteiz behind Kat Matthews just over a month later. After Els’ pedal-falling-off fiasco in Kona last year, she is definitely hungry to get some redemption. Els can easily be outrun by the likes of Kat Matthews and Anne Haug, so she’ll need to have an all-around magical day to make it to the podium.

Ones to Watch

Podium predictions are fun and all, but on race day it’s always neat to see someone unexpected find themselves in the mix. A few women with that potential are:

• Jackie Hering: This year marked American Jackie Hering’s return to IRONMAN-distance racing after about a decade-long hiatus, and a more-than-decade-long break from competing in an IRONMAN World Championship. She returned to 140.6 racing with gusto, though, taking the win at IM Hamburg and coming in second at IM Lake Placid.

• Danielle Lewis: Another American with the potential to shake things up, Danielle Lewis came in first at IRONMAN Lake Placid this year after a ninth place at IRONMAN Texas and a DNF in Kona. Lewis faced some health issues during her off-season but seems to have returned to form as demonstrated at Lake Placid. Her strong bike and run skills could net her a spot on or near the podium if all goes well for Danielle on race day.

• Lotte Wilms: Lotte seems to be rarely mentioned in conversations around World Championship podiums, but she has every right to be. She finished third at IRONMAN Texas and second at IRONMAN Cairns earlier this year. She relies heavily on her dominant bike to give her a lead going into the run – this could be an advantage given Nice’s challenging bike course, but a flat run means she’ll have a lot of work to do to keep her momentum once on the marathon.

• Chelsea Sodaro: Chelsea is of course a former IM World Champion herself, and she took the win at IM New Zealand in March of this year after finishing sixth in Kona last year. She switched coaches mid-season as well as relocated from Reno, Nevada to the triathlon hub of the U.S.: Boulder, Colorado. Chelsea has had some struggles this year, like her DNF at the T100 Singapore race, but her run has always been a threat and depending on how her new coaching relationship is going, she just might pull out a podium or near-podium finish.

Word on the Street: Kona and Nice

As you’ll read in both our course preview article which features commentary from retired professional triathlete Renee Kiley and in two upcoming interviews with Laura Philipp and Els Visser, the women pros seem to be overall glad about the IRONMAN World Championships rotating to different locations other than Kona. 

In summary, pros seem glad to have a chance to succeed at a race that isn’t one big time trial out in the lava fields followed by an exposed, humid, and desolate run. The Nice bike course is a welcome change, as is the spectator-filled Promenade. The different location gives pros with varied strengths a chance to succeed on the world stage. 

Although it remains to be seen if IRONMAN will continue to do the every-other-year rotation between Kona and Nice after the next couple of years, the gist from most pros is that they hope the new locations for the IM World Championships are here to stay.

Tune in beginning at 7:15 a.m. CEST on Sunday, September 22 to watch the women’s IRONMAN World Championship.

Image Credit: Donald Miralle/IRONMAN

The post IRONMAN World Championship Nice Preview first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

The 2024 women’s IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France is in less than two weeks, and the hype around which female pro will find success in the Alpes-Maritimes is buzzing all over the triathlon world. 

From the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea to the breathtaking mountains surrounding Nice to the electric energy of the Promenade, the women’s IRONMAN World Championship on September 22 is sure to bring the heat, literally and figuratively.

As many are still getting used to the swim, bike, and run courses of the Nice IM World Championship given its newly minted status as a rotating World Champs location, we asked former professional triathlete and top-10 female pro IRONMAN finisher Renee Kiley to break down each part of the race for us, as well as touches on her recent retirement.

“I just don’t want to do this anymore”

Many know Kiley’s inspiring story of using triathlon as a way to quit smoking, lose weight, and pursue an entirely different life in her 30s. The Aussie went on to have a strong professional career, qualifying for two IRONMAN World Championships and moving up the competitive ranks since 2019.

Last month, though, Kiley decided to leave racing as a professional to pursue the next chapter of her life.

“I started the year with big goals, but I have found it impossible to push myself and my body to the required level not because of my physical state, but because of my headspace and external stressors,” Kiley says. “I was at an altitude camp in July and finished a hard swim workout and said, ‘I just don’t want to do this anymore,’ and that was that.”

Kiley, who had relocated to Europe earlier this year from Australia to be closer to her significant other, says she felt “sad but also relieved” at her decision to step away from professional triathlon.

“It’s time for something new,” Kiley says. “Triathlon saved my life and I’m still an obsessed fan and student of the sport. I am very excited to be in Nice to watch the race and to start my coaching business next month.”

The Aussie spent 10 days in Nice in April to do some course recon as at the time she was still all-in on aiming to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship this year. 

She says there are endless accommodations, tons of restaurant and food options, stunning beaches and overall, “a great vibe.”

“I think it’s one of the best locations in the world for a championship race in terms of overall convenience and ease of access to facilities,” Kiley says.

Having trained there for a chunk of time, Kiley breaks down the swim, bike, and run portions of the race based on her experience in Nice this spring.

Swim

The swim, which from the perspective of standing on the beach, is a unique “W” shape, requiring athletes to make multiple turns throughout the swim course. 

Kiley says that the swim is similar to Kona in terms of “clean, clear” waters and high salt concentration. Be ready to take a swig of hydration as soon as you get on the bike as you’ll likely need it after, for many, more than an hour in the ocean.

The pros will likely have a non-wetsuit swim, and age groupers could, too, however, don’t expect the waters to be quite as warm in Nice as they are in Kona.

“Overall, I feel the swim is quite straightforward,” Kiley says.

Bike

Perhaps because it is the longest leg of an Ironman, or perhaps because there are so many variables that can affect it, the bike course of any IRONMAN World Championship is seemingly always the subject of much discourse. 

In Kona, folks love to talk about the high winds, the scorching heat of the lava fields, and the famous descent from Hāwī. 

Now, in Nice, much of the focus is on the quad-busting ascent that begins just a handful of miles into the bike, followed by the screaming descent in the final 30 miles. 

With nearly 8,000 feet of climbing, the narrow mountain roads and switchbacks of Nice will provide a challenge for both pros and amateur athletes alike.

Kiley provides a dose of reality for those who feel uneasy:

“The bike course is not ‘bad’ or ‘scary,’ at all,” she says. “In fact, it’s an incredibly beautiful course, but it’s definitely one of the most challenging bike courses I’ve ever ridden.”

Kiley notes that what makes the Nice bike course so challenging is the initial, main climb is quite long, but there is little reprieve once athletes reach the plateau of the climb – sections of dedicated time trialing with the potential for wind gusts greet athletes at the top. 

Kiley notes that the main climb at a moderate aerobic pace took her just over 60 minutes to complete, is about 18-kilometers (or 11 miles) long with a gradient of 5% and has 900 meters (~3,000 feet) of elevation gain.

Between the initial climb and the long, flat-ish sections at the top of the climb, athletes should be ready to be pedaling with few breaks for multiple hours.

Once athletes begin the descent at about mile 70, Kiley says it is time to be entirely focused and thoughtful as you ride. 

“The descent is long, but it is not super technical or steep – however, it requires complete concentration and some caution,” Kiley says.

Kiley notes that the road surface on the descent isn’t ideal in some spots, with speed bumps, embedded grates and road covers, and a few potholes to be aware of.

And, Kiley says, while the switchbacks on the descent tend to get a lot of attention as they can be daunting, they are not many of them – but for the ones that exist, riders who are less confident in their bike skills should take the corners cautiously. 

“In total, I think it’s about 30-40 minutes of mostly downhill before you do the last flat time trial section back into town,” Kiley says. “This course is definitely made for a ‘strong’ athlete. Start conservatively and build into the ride on race day. It will be a long and difficult day if you start too hard.”

Run

After a mountainous bike course, athletes will begin the looped run on the flat Promenade in Nice. 

But, Kiley cautions, don’t underestimate the difficulty of this flat run course. 

“You must create your own momentum and speed all the time with no rest or reprieve for the legs,” Kiley says. “That will be especially difficult after such a challenging bike.”

In addition, as Kiley and others have noted, the Promenade has no shade and little breeze. Nice can be quite hot and humid, meaning that managing hydration and body temperature will be key.

“The great thing about this course is that it’s by the ocean and the crowd support will be awesome,” Kiley says. “Spectators, family, and friends can access practically the whole run course.”

Kiley’s Podium Predictions

Of course, while we have a recently retired professional who is willing to chat, we have to get her podium predictions, too. 

“I think the race will favor a really strong cyclist and runner,” Kylie says. “It’s hard for me not to choose Lucy [Charles-Barclay], Anne [Haug], and Laura [Philipp] for the podium.”

Kiley notes that Kat Matthews may also have a shot at the podium, but that Kiley has a few doubts about Matthews’ ability to be at her best with an ocean swim and the potential for hot, humid weather.

“[Matthews] is clearly in amazing shape, though, and will probably prove me wrong,” Kiley adds.

As for dark horse picks, Kiley thinks that the following women may not podium, but will put up strong performances that may shock more than a few:

• Danielle Lewis
• Nikki Bartlett
• Alice Alberts
• Ruth Astle

“All four of those women will be starting the bike with a significant deficit out of the water, but they are all very strong cyclists who are used to closing down big gaps and getting to the front of the race,” Kiley says. “They are all super strong runners and have shown excellent form this year.”

Is Kona Still King?

Absolutely not, Kiley says.

“We are perhaps the only sport that has our world championship race in the same place every year,” Kiley notes. “It’s a fact that a particular physiology and type of athlete is suited to the Kona conditions and that doesn’t make the race exciting, in my opinion.”

Kiley proposes that the IM World Championship location continues to rotate, with Kona being on the docket every few years. In her ideal world, Kiley would like to see men and women race together on the same weekend, with one race as an age group-only race and one as a pro-only race. 

“I know it’s a logistical nightmare with volunteers, but I would love to see that two-day format,” Kiley says. “That would also make it possible for age groupers to watch more of the pro race in real time and cheer on their favorite pros.”

A Parting Thought

Kiley, who has raced at the IM World Championship in Kona as both an age grouper and as a pro, offers some words of advice to the women heading to Nice this year.

“It sounds cliché, but my advice would be to let go of any expectations and enjoy the experience,” Kiley says. “Go to the pre-race activities and functions. Get out and enjoy Nice. A relaxed and happy athlete always gets the best out of themselves on race day. Worry, nerves and anxiety are a waste of energy!”

Image Credit: Jan Hetfleisch / IRONMAN

The post IRONMAN World Championship – Nice Course Preview first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Kona is a brutal race for anyone, amateur or pro. Arguably, though, the pros taking the start line feel even more pressure than the age groupers. There are sponsor obligations to meet, meticulous race strategies to execute, and often, the desire to prove that you as a pro “deserve” to be out on the Queen K. 

New-ish pro Rachel Zilinskas, who turned pro in late 2021, knows these feelings all too well. Zilinskas, who trains in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, competed in her first-ever IRONMAN World Championship last year in Kona where she finished 25th in the pro field with a time of 9 hours and 10 minutes.

While many of us regardless of gender aspire to such a fantastic finish time, Zilinskas was disappointed in her World Championship debut; she was sick with a head cold during the race and battling the self-imposed pressure of acing her first time in Kona. 

Now, a year and a fourth place finish at IRONMAN Lake Placid later, Zilinskas is once again ready to take on the IRONMAN World Championship, but this time in Nice. 

We caught up with Zilinskas ahead of her departure to France.

Rachel Zilinskas’ Journey to Nice

ST: Despite your podiums at IRONMAN Mt. Tremblant and IRONMAN Lake Placid, yours may still be a name that folks are unfamiliar with. Give us a little bit of background as to how you got into triathlon and how and when you turned pro.

RZ: I grew up as a competitive swimmer and that was my life for almost 20 years. I swam for the University of Georgia and had an amazing career there. Unfortunately, I had a shoulder injury that kind of derailed my original dream, which was to aim for the Olympics. I had actually come quite close to qualifying before I tore my rotator cuff; I finished seventh in the 10-kilometer open water trials in 2012 and ninth in the 800-meter free in the pool, so I wasn’t too far off from qualifying.

It’s pretty hard to come back to competitive swimming after a torn rotator cuff and I was really struggling with the transition from competitive swimming to not really having any athletic goals. I grew up watching my mom do some triathlons as a kid, but then she took a break from competing when we were young. In 2018, we signed up for a 70.3 together and that’s how I got started in triathlon. 

I started working with my coach, Andrew Yoder, who is still my coach today. I fully intended to just see if I even liked triathlon after that first 70.3 – I only had the intention of it being a hobby. But…I fell in love with the sport after that first 70.3 in 2018 and kept progressing very naturally. After a couple of years of racing as an age grouper and getting good results, I made the decision to turn professional in 2021.

ST: Not only have you qualified for the IRONMAN World Championships twice as a professional, but you also work a full-time corporate job. Do you feel that this helps or hinders you in your professional triathlon journey?

RZ: I work full-time in procurement for Clark Associates, a wholesale food service supplier. I was working full-time as a statistician on clinical trials before I came to Clark Associates and that was a great job but it was extremely high-pressure. It was too much for me to balance both professional triathlon and the statistician job, to be quite honest. Last year, I decided to take a step back and try to find something different that could fit into my life a little bit better, which brought me to Clark Associates.

I’m still working full time and it still is difficult to balance. But I think that the big thing for me is that now, when I leave the office for the day, I can leave work behind me and fully “log off.” 

I would be lying if I said that my schedule is not extremely challenging. I wake up at 4:00 or 4:15 every single morning and get in a morning swim or a morning session and then I go to work. I’m in the office two days a week but even when I’m working from home, I am working standard office hours all day. After I wrap up my work day I head back out for another training session and then I finish up by about 7:00 at night, eat a quick dinner and try to get to bed by 8:00. It’s a huge grind for sure. 

However, I do feel like there are some benefits to this lifestyle, as well. Having a stable salary and health insurance are the biggest benefits, especially the health insurance. And then it is kind of how when I’m at work, especially when I’m in the office, I kind of forget about triathlon for a few hours. I love the sport very much, but it definitely takes some of the pressure off when I’m in the office because I’m  surrounded by people who don’t honestly know too much about triathlon and I can be known just for “me,” which takes a little bit of pressure off of results and racing. 

ST: On top of work, last year was also your first-ever IRONMAN World Championship, regardless of being pro or amateur. Your day didn’t go exactly as planned – walk us through your day in Kona in 2023.

RZ: I first qualified for Kona as an age grouper, but then it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, my coach and I planned that I would race as an age grouper in 2021 and then turn professional after Kona in 2021.

But then, Kona got postponed again and I decided to turn pro without waiting for Kona. I fortunately qualified in 2022 for 2023 Kona at IRONMAN Mt. Tremblant.  

Going into Kona in 2023, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. I was extremely busy leading into the race with my full time job and trying to balance the demands of training for a world championship. It was stressful trying to tie it all together mentally and physically.

When I got to Kona, I started feeling a little bit under the weather. And the whole week ahead of the race I was trying to convince myself that it was allergies .I was like, “No, this cannot happen. This has to be allergies. I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.”

In hindsight, I probably should have shut it down and rested that week before the race. Mentally, though, I just could not handle that at the time and I kept pushing through trying to do my race prep. You know it’s bad when I sleep like a baby the night before the race – usually, I’m the type of person who has a hard time falling asleep before a race. But the night before Kona, which is, like, the biggest race in my life, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

I was definitely ill – I was able to kind of make it through the race but I think I ran myself down too much. I was obviously extremely disappointed. But, I like to come out of every single race and have a period of reflection. It was not a performance that I was super happy with, but I was really happy with all the lessons that I learned from it, just in terms of learning to take care of myself and put a bit less pressure on myself. It was honestly kind of a privilege to be unhappy with a race – much better than to have zero races to be happy or unhappy about.

ST: How has your 2024 season been so far with the IRONMAN Pro Series?

RZ: Unfortunately, I had an injury at the beginning of the season. I had a really strong off season and was really excited to race in the IRONMAN Pro Series, but I moved from Arizona to Pennsylvania earlier this year and was under a lot of stress and suffered an injury, which delayed the start of my season. I was very frustrated and didn’t even think I’d be able to race IRONMAN Lake Placid a few weeks from race day. 

Fortunately, things started to fall into place before the race. My run training was  extremely limited heading into the race, but my swimming and biking were going really well. My coach and I decided to roll the dice and try it out and I was able to finish with a good result – fourth place female pro. 

I was super excited with that result and the Nice qualification and, yeah, again, I’m bummed that I didn’t get to take part in more of the IRONMAN Pro Series. However, being able to qualify for Nice and hopefully have a strong second half of the year is exciting to me.

ST: You’ve raced in Kona, which is of course an iconic location in our sport. What are your thoughts about now racing an IRONMAN World Championship in Nice?

RZ: I’m honestly super excited about it. When I initially heard the news about Kona and Nice, I was a little bit disappointed just because everyone wants to race in iconic Kona. After watching the men’s IRONMAN World Championship last year and talking to people that raced the course, and looking at my own progression in the sport, I think Nice is actually going to be a fun course for me. I like courses with a lot of climbing. I like courses that are kind of challenging and engaging.

It’s also exciting for me because I’ve never been to Europe. It’s a good excuse to take two-and-a-half weeks off from work and go to Europe. It’ll be unlike anything I’ve ever done before.

ST: Who are your sponsors this year?

RZ: Varlo Apparel and DeBoer Wetsuits have both been supporting me since the beginning of my career, and they’ve been awesome to work with. Another sponsor that’s been absolutely amazing for me and new this year is Certified Piedmontese. They’ve provided great support in the nutrition space and are just fantastic people to know in the triathlon space.

The post A Second Shot at Worlds: Rachel Zilinskas first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

These days, it seems like every age group triathlete is an “ambassador” for some product or brand, from nutrition to apparel. 

And this is a good thing: it fosters connection between athletes and niche endurance sports companies. 

But it seems like some ambassador teams come and go, making a big splash for a year or two before fading into the ether. 

Not Team Zoot. 

Since 2008, Team Zoot has been hard to miss at triathlons across the nation and the globe. Their flashy kits and cacophony of cheers for each other make quite the statement at both local and IRONMAN-branded races. 

Now, with more than 5,000 members globally, Zoot Marketing Director Mark Goddard walks us through what makes Team Zoot so enduring and so special. 

Get to Know Team Zoot

ST: What is the background of Team Zoot? How did it come to be?

MG: So the team was actually started in 2008, and it was an elite team. It was called the Zoot Ultra Team, and it was for age groupers who were trying to go pro – at one point we even sponsored Beth McKenzie.

But eventually we knew we wanted to expand the team to be more of an ambassador team for all levels, and that’s when I took over team management duties in 2014. At that time, we had about 300 age groupers under the Team Zoot umbrella.

Today, we operate as one team, but we have about 20 team captains spread around the U.S. who help on a local level with the team and organize group rides and meetups and events. 

As we started growing the team, we’re really thinking about how the best part of being on an ambassador team, especially from a brand ambassador team, is the built in support on race day. 

And so what we wanted to do is we wanted to expand the team in a major way. Just like any business, we keep needing new people to get this triathlon foot in order for us to survive and grow, while at the same time wanting to provide a supportive space for age groupers to connect and train and race together. The goal of our team and why we want it so big is so that people can connect organically with each other within the same team and become friends, training partners, all that kind of stuff. 

Today, we have 5,000 team members in the U.S. and about 1,000 members across Europe.

ST: Who is the “typical” athlete on Team Zoot?

MG: We’re not one thing. We’re not a team trying to dominate in Kona every year, we’re not a team just for women or just for men. We’re truly for everybody. We launched a para division of our team this past year, too.

We do have a lot of fast people on the team, but we also have a lot of people who are doing triathlon just for fun without concern for time or placement. But that’s the thing – everyone on the team has to be here for the fun. 

We only have two real rules on the team: be cool and don’t be a prick, and wear the team kit for racing. 

ST: What are some of the perks of being on Team Zoot?

MG: First, I think there are a lot of misconceptions about Team Zoot. Many people think this is just a money-making opportunity for Zoot. And yeah, of course it is to some extent. We are indeed a business.

However, we don’t charge a membership fee to be on Team Zoot. We own our own factory, which means we own our supply chain. This means we can offer a 40% discount on all our Zoot apparel to our team members, and we have some great partnerships with brands like Quintana Roo, Rudy Project, Garmin, and Hed Wheels. 

We don’t require our team members to buy products from our team partners. You can use the equipment you want to use. We do pass everything down to the team member – Zoot does not make any money when a Team Zoot member purchases from a team sponsor.

And because we are such a big team, we often get free IRONMAN-branded race entries to give out to team members throughout the season, too.

ST: Anything else we should know about Team Zoot?

MG: My favorite thing about the team is the people and the friendships that I’ve made from people that I meet once at a team event and then see them again the next year. As big as Team Zoot is, it can be as personal as you want it to be. 

We don’t ask people to be on social media. There is no requirement to post a certain number of times a month. If you think something about the team is cool, post about it and share it with friends. But we want that to happen organically, not because we’ve required you to post about it.

Truly, the two rules of Team Zoot are: be cool and race in the Team Zoot kit.

ST: How can people apply to be on 2025 Team Zoot?

MG: Applications are open from September 7 through September 22 on the Team Zoot Website

Image credit: Mark Goddard

The post Team Zoot Has One Major Rule: Be Cool. first appeared on Slowtwitch News.