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After Illegal Shoe Controversy, Wilde Walks

After Illegal Shoe Controversy, Wilde Walks

Plus: the surprisingly quick performance and longevity benefits of training!

Matthew Sharpe
September 12, 2025

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Good morning everyone,

In case you missed it on Wednesday, we dropped our Men’s IRONMAN World Championship preview. And spoiler alert, we picked a former champion to take the win!

In today’s edition:

👮 After illegal shoe controversy, Wilde walks.
🏃‍♂️ And the surprisingly quick performance and longevity benefits of training!

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.

FAVORITES

👮 Wilde walks: After Hayden Wilde (NZ) won the T100 French Riviera with an illegal pair of shoes, there were calls for disqualification. Surprisingly, he won’t be facing any consequences. [220 triathlon]

🏃‍♂️ Quick performance benefits: You won't see much improvement from a one-off run. But you can enjoy the performance and longevity benefits of consistent training - like an improved VO₂ max - much quicker than you think as explained in this insightful post. [David Abbot]

🚴‍♂️ Sam’s steed: Yo yo yo! Could we see an upset from Sam Long (USA) at the IM World Championships? If he does, he’ll have his incredibly dialed bike to thank. Check out walk it takes to build a World Championship-worthy bike here.

🌴 Nice numbers: It’s a men’s-only race in Nice, but 2,500 athletes are still expected to hit the start line. But how does this rank compared to Kona? And how many countries are represented? Find out the Nice numbers here! [Slowtwitch]

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REEL TIME

Attacks on the swim and bike, plus sub 2:30 marathons! 🤯

ironmantri
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TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

How will the IRONMAN World Championships Play Out?

What surprises could we see on race day. And could Vuelta-like protests disrupt Nice?

All this and more in the latest episode of the Tempo Talks Podcast!

Together with The TriDoc, we bring you the biggest stories in Triathlon,

Training tips to make you faster,
And breakdowns of the latest in sports science and performance!

Don’t miss a moment; listen to Tempo Talks on Apple, Spotify, and more!

QUICK NEWS

Anti-doping win: Challenge Roth’s expanded anti-doping program saw all 65 tests return negative for Pro’s and Age Groupers. [Endurance Sportswire]

Tri to survive: Survival of the Shawgunks - one of the longest running events in triathlon - saw it’s 39th edition take place to great success! [New Paltz]

RIP Sam: Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Sam Buchanan. A Welsh triathlete who passed away suffering a cardiac arrest during 70.3 Wales. [Wales Online]

Inspiring athletes: Father-son duo Travis and Braden McKenzie nearly died when they were hit by a car on a training ride. This weekend, they’ll be celebrating a pact they made while recovering in the hospital, competing in an IRONMAN. [Slowtwitch]

Hong Kong prep: As the Hong Kong triathletes make their final preparations ahead of the National Games, it appears they may be spending time in an unexpected location. [South China Morning Post]

YOU SAID

Here’s who Tempo readers thought would win the IM WC’s!

Reader: Kristian Blummenfelt is a unique specimen and when he dials it in, which he seems to have done, he is unbeatable.

Reader: Team Conrad.

Tempo: But will he be a winner in France?

If this reference escapes you that’s good. Keep it that way 😆

Reader: Laidlow will lead out of the water (with Riddle and Schomburg, and maybe a few others, in the front group). KB and Ditlev will be shortly behind them and will put out huge watts on that early climb to try and catch him - which they will, eventually - but it will totally wreck their run. Laidlow can outbike KB any day, and KB can outrun Laidlow just the same. Who manages the bike-run best will come out on top.

Reader: The Norwegian Beast will run sub 2:30 and take it.

Reader: I think either Kristian or Gustav will win it. The rest, Van Riel, Jonas, Rudy, Magnus, Lange, Laidlow, Hogenhaug will fight for the podium and top 5. Laidlow looks so unhealthy, almost sick, on Babbitt’s that i don’t picture that face as a winner. Cam, Leon, Sam Long can only target Top 10.

WEEKEND RACES

Challenge Almere

Els Visser (NED) and Robert Kallin (SWE) are the headliners in Almere!

IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast

Ellie Salthouse (AUS) and Ben Hamilton (AUS) are ranked #1 on the Sunshine Coast!