As 2025 Unfolds Here's What to Watch For

Good morning everyone,

How long of a bike ride did it take this newsletter editor to get a sunburn here in Chile? Exactly one hour! 🙄😂

Other than the slight red tinge on my skin I’m super happy to be back here in Pucon, Chile for the IRONMAN 70.3 this weekend. It’s the Super Bowl of triathlon here in Chile and the entire and it’s awesome to see how the entire community gets behind the event.

My goals for the weekend are to race hard/smart and fight for the podium! January isn’t typically when you’ll find me at my fittest, but I’ve had a solid month of training behind me, so I’m excited to see what I get on race day!

In today’s edition:

• 📢 Triathlon’s biggest stories in 2025.

• 🤔 Is protein powder a scam?

• ⚖️ And can you be aerodynamic and comfortable?

Thanks for being here.

-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.

ONE BIG THING

As 2025 Unfolds Here's What to Watch For

What is it: After a year that saw the rise of the T100, an Olympic ovation, and IRONMAN’s push to become a lifestyle brand, what will 2025 bring? Here’s what we think.

A decision on Kona

2025 will be the third year that IRONMAN will have it’s World Championship split between Kona and Nice. This arraignment is set to expire in 2026, but we won’t have to wait that long to know what the future holds.

• IRONMAN has been sending out surveys to various stakeholders, and by the end of the year, we should see an announcement that determines once and for all what the future of the IMWC holds. We’re guessing it will look a lot more like the past.

We’re hearing that it will return to Kona. But will it be a single-day event? Or will IRONMAN convince the locals to have a two-day tournament?

The rise of the multisport weekend

It isn’t enough to just run a triathlon these days, and in 2025 we’ll see race organizers offering multiple opportunities to compete in a festival-like atmosphere. Big players like IRONMAN have added pre-race swims and runs (more brand activation than competition, but still), while more local and intimate events like the Wildflower Experience will be offering athletes a range of races including a middle distance triathlon, a trail run, open water races and more.

We’re in an era where triathlon is competing with new endurance offerings like ultra trail running races and gravel cycling. It’s also a time when athletes are diversifying their endurance portfolios like never before.

• If race directors can retain their triathletes AND bring in new athletes to their events, they could outsized growth and much-needed post-pandemic stability.

Does the pro racing bubble pop?

After a year that saw two major global triathlon series offer millions of dollars, could there be an incoming correction?

In 2024 The T100 Triathlon World Tour had its share of ups and downs, but in the end, it was able to pull off a successful global professional triathlon series. But 2025 is make or break for the startup series. Its investors are hungry for a return and given the T100 had to make a slapdash switch from a broadcast product to an events company, it may not have enough event inventory for a sustainable business model.

• With many of the global professional triathlon entities having already released race calendars, the lack of announcements from the T100 is concerning. Currently on the T100 website, they only list six events in 2025 - and conspicuously absent is any mention of T100 San Francisco.

Will the T100 Triathlon World Tour take place in 2025? Most likely. But the next few weeks will be crucial in understanding what the T100 will bring to the table, and whether it will have a seat at all!

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FAVORITES

🤔 Is protein powder a scam: Clickbait headline aside, protein powder can be a great supplement for many people (and athletes). But there can be cases where it might not be needed. If you take protein powder, you might want to give this article a look! [New York Times]

⚖️ Aero vs comfort: Being aerodynamic and being comfortable aren’t always besties! But this video shows a few tips on how to achieve that holy grail of performance. [GTN]

🧘 Yoga for us: We know yoga is great for triathletes, but with all the swim/bike/run/life where are you going to fit in another class? Don’t stress and instead check out these 5 yoga poses for triathletes - they’ll also help prevent injuries! [Triathlete]

🏃‍♂️ Ten shoes for you: Remember when you could get a decent pair of running shoes for under $100. Now? Not so much! But in an era of $300+ super shoes at least there are still great options for under $150, ten of them are listed in this great video. [Believe in the Run]

🏎️ Fastest age groupers: Certain races just seem to have crazy fast athletes. And chances are if you race on a certain continent, your age group will be even faster. This interesting study proves it. [Nature]

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REEL TIME

Not a big deal when you don’t need it. But when you do? Nothing else exists!!! 🤣💩

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QUICK NEWS

Beaugrand’s big move: What do you do after winning the Olympic gold medal and a World Title? Completely overhaul your training setup! So why did Cassandre Beaugrand change her winning setup? Find out here. [TRI247]

Ghana gold: The Keta municipality in Ghana has successfully hosted it’s first triathlon event in the region. The goal? Unearth new sporting talent. [GNA]

“Crazy” athlete: Singaporean athlete Luke Chua has decided to turn professional with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2028 LA Olympics. Even with many people telling him he’s crazy, he hopes to show young athletes they can also dream big. [Straights Times]

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