Is the Men’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships the Most Competitive Race Ever?

Good morning everyone,

It’s 70.3 World Champs weekend in Marbella! And if you’re competing, you are an absolute beast for taking on that course. I’m really looking forward to hearing people’s experiences with it. So if you want to tell me how you took on the hills, send me a note, [email protected]!

• And if you missed Tuesday’s 70.3 Worlds Preview, it is here - we picked Kat Matthews for the win!

In today’s edition:

• 🏆 Is the Men’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships the Most Competitive Race Ever?

• 🧘‍♀️ The keys to keeping your hips mobile and healthy!

• 🍕 And what the pros eat leading into a World Championship!

-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

Is the Men’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships the Most Competitive Race Ever?

What is it: This Sunday, the men will tackle the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Marbella, Spain. And not only will they be facing an absolutely diabolical race course, but perhaps the deepest field ever assembled.

The Favorites

The defending champion, Jelle Geens (BEL), once again returns as the favorite for the win, coming off five T100 podiums this year, including the win at T100 Vancouver. But many others are ready to take his crown,

• Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR): Undefeated and absolutely dominant for most of this season. His bronze at the IM World Champs will have out for blood in Marbella.

• Casper Stornes (NOR): The surprise victor at the IRONMAN World Championships has momentum on his side. But will “the other Norwegian” continue to conquer? Or will he crumble under the limelight?

• Gustav Iden (NOR): A 2× 70.3 World Champion who has found his form once again. Could he turn Nice silver into Marbella gold?

• Magnus Ditlev (DEN): Two podiums at the last two IRONMAN World Championships. Ditlev was sick in Nice and couldn’t showcase his incredible bike strength - this time, he will.

• Rico Bogen (GER): The shock 2023 70.3 World Champion will be on everyone’s radar come Sunday. And with his bike strength being one of the best in the sport, he has the potential to find himself on top of the podium.

Front Pack Fervor

At the IRONMAN World Championships in Nice, Jonas Schomburg (GER and Jamie Riddle (ZAF) attacked the swim/bike like there was no marathon to be run. Expect the same in Marbella, but with a few more friends.

Vincent Luis (FRA), Ben Kanute (USA), Marc Dubrick (USA) are all blue-chip front pack swimmers who will be joined by recent Olympians Miguel Hidalgo (BRA), Alessio Crociani (ITA), Tayler Reid (NZ), and Seth Rider (USA) out of the water.

• Having this many elite swimmers could put pressure on favorites like Geens and Blummenfelt.

Bike Bruisers

With more than 5000ft of climbing, Marbella will be defined by the bike. Athletes like Nick Thompson (AUS), Mathis Margirier (FRA), Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN), and Kevin McDowell (USA) will be ones to watch as the hills progress, and could even use this unique course to set up a surprise podium.

How Will it Play Out?

Once the athletes are out of the water, the real race begins. The course features three distinct climbs with pitches that top out at over 20%.

• There could be a large front pack as the athletes hit the first hill. However, given its steepness, we should see some significant separation.

But at the top of the second hill is where we’ll see who is on for a big day. By this point, athletes like Bogen, Schomburg, and Riddle should still be leading the race.

• If Geens is still with them at this point, that spells trouble.

• If the Norwegians and Ditlev aren’t too far behind at this point, then they should be setting themselves up for a strong second half.

After the far turnaround point, the long third climb begins. And this is where the attacks will be made. Watch for Ditlev and Bogen to go early. And if the Norwegians want another win, they’ll have to get rid of Geens here!

Last year in Taupo, Geens showed he’s one of the best runners in the sport. And if he can come into T2 within two minutes of the leaders, the win will be his once again.

• But if he’s dropped on the hills, Norway could make this race look a lot like Nice!

Podium Prediction

Our picks have been (somewhat) cursed this year. But we believe Blummenfelt will turn his Nice loss into Marbella magnificence!

• 🥇 Kristian Blumenfelt (NOR)

• 🥈 Gustav Iden (NOR)

• 🥉 Magnus Ditlev (DEN)

How to Watch

The gun goes off at 7:50 AM CET Sunday, November 9th.

• That’s 2:20 AM EST.

• Watch free at proseries.ironman.com or OutsideTV for North Americans.

FAVORITES

🧘‍♀️ All in the hips: Want to get the most out of every run stride and pedal stroke, and give yourself the best chance of staying injury-free? Then keep your hips moving well with these key mobility drills! [FourHourBody]

🚫 Kona slots setback: After the much-hyped change to the IRONMAN World Championships age-group slot allocation, things haven’t exactly turned out as planned. And this post shows how some changes may have to be made! [WomeninTri]

🦉 Training in the dark: “See and be seen” is probably the most important piece of advice for running at in the dark. But it's not the only one! Here are four other tips that can make your training in the dark safe and successful! [REI]

🍕 What pros eat: Pizza, pasta, and Nutella? It’s what’s on the menu for top pros in the final days ahead of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. [Triathlete]

🏃 Most clicked link: Last edition’s most clicked link was an article on how to increase your run volume sustainably and successfully! [Run]

TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

Is the Men’s 70.3 World Championships the Deepest Field Ever?

Find out why 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!

REEL TIME

Part of why we love this sport ❤️

QUICK NEWS

Senseless shove: A police investigation has commenced after a man pushed a fellow competitor at the finish line of last weekend’s Noosa Triathlon.

Supertri impact: Supertri Toulouse generated over $5 million in economic impact for the city of Toulouse! [Endurance Biz]

Grand theft tri: Rockstar Games, the iconic video game developer behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, is once again sponsoring the New Year’s Day Triathlon in Edinburgh. [Rockstar Intel]

Bear down: The University of Arizona is looking to run back their national title at the upcoming NCAA Triathlon Championship.

Beast tri: It was another successful edition of the Beauty and the Beast triathlon in St. Croix! [Virgin Islands Daily]

RECENT EDITIONS

• QOM set to be crowned at 70.3 World Championships!

• Where is the most aero bottle placement? And your thoughts on doping!

• Anti-doping acquittal. Plus: What muscles do you use for swimming?