Is the T100’s Latest Purchase a Challenge to IRONMAN?

Good morning everyone,

It’s been a minute since our last newsletter. The past month or so has been very busy working on a new project with my team at Amplify. That project has settled down a bit, so I’m able to return to The Tempo.

But this return is marked by a deep sadness.

Just over a week ago, our triathlon community lost Hannah Henry, who was tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver while out on a training ride.

Hannah and I grew up in the same triathlon community on Vancouver Island. Over the years, I had the privilege of watching her progress from the youth ranks to become a 2x NCAA Division I Triathlon Champion, Junior World Championship competitor, and a medallist at the Pan American Games.

Hannah’s abilities extended far beyond the race course. She was an impressive scholar who graduated with a 4.0 GPA and earned her MBA at 22. At Arizona State University, she was also a leader, mentor, and, most importantly, an incredible friend to her teammates.

She embodied our sport’s best qualities - hard work, passion, community, and excellence.

Hannah was an athlete who showed up to every training session with a bright smile and a willingness to work. She will be remembered as someone who never let her competitiveness overshadow her warmth and generosity towards others.

Hannah will be deeply missed - and my thoughts are with her family and loved ones.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

HEADLINES

Is the T100’s Latest Purchase a Challenge to IRONMAN?

What is it: The Professional Triathlete’s Organization/T100 recently announced that it has purchased a majority stake in Challenge Family from Y11 Sport and Media.

• With the acquisition, the PTO intends to integrate the 35 Challenge Family races into its Triathlon World Tour, which will begin operations in 2027.

• Of note, the purchase did not include Challenge Roth, which shares the Challenge name - but is its own entity.

Tempo’s take: The PTO/T100, flush with cash, seems to have forgotten they almost went bankrupt last year and are now expanding their racing footprint even further with events in Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and Canada.

• And these are events that are usually franchised to local organizers, which aligns well operationally with the T100, as they won’t be the ones actually putting them on!

So should IRONMAN be worried about this latest move from the T100? Well, consolidation around a unified “Triathlon World Tour” with 200+ global races and aligned media distribution could become hard to ignore…

IRONMAN Surprises with Draft Zone Development

What is it: Earlier this month, IRONMAN announced that as of this season, professional races will move to a 20m draft zone, an increase from the previous 12m.

This change resulted from comprehensive, multi-phase draft zone testing conducted by IRONMAN. According to the findings, increasing the draft zone from 12 to 20 meters “significantly reduced aerodynamic benefits.”

This change will be applied to all Professional IRONMAN races starting on March 1st, with the first competition with the updated rules set to be the upcoming IRONMAN New Zealand.

As of now, IRONMAN has no plans to update its age group draft zone due to specific factors, “including racing speeds and course density.”

Tempo’s take: IRONMAN saw what happened at the previous men’s World Championship in Kona, with almost 20 athletes lined up along the Queen K, and knew something needed to change.

But will this move fundamentally change the dynamics of a race? Not exactly. But it could be an extinction event for pure runners - athletes like previous World Champions Patrick Lange (GER) and Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) - who could benefit from the 12m advantage.

• Of course, age groupers will have to wait before they see a 20m draft zone. But let’s be honest, before that change occurs, IRONMAN actually needs to police the 12m properly!

FAVORITES

🏋️‍♂️ A perfect exercise? No single gym exercise will get you that new PB, but this one might help improve your mobility, stability, and strength! [Fit and Well]

🚨 A fueling crime: Are nutrition companies lying to you? This study says there might be! It found that there was a gap between the carbohydrates listed on popular gels and what they contained. [Canadian Cycling]

🥇 Golden investor: Alistair Brownlee - Olympic Gold Medalist, Charity founder, and venture investor? This fascinating interview peels back the curtain on the finances of a sporting icon, and why he’s all in on “wellness investing.” [The Times]

🔗 Most clicked link: The most clicked link from our last edition was an article on how to make the most of your morning workouts! [Triathlon 220]

TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

Will T100’s Challenge Purchase Lead to Higher Race Prices?

Does IRONMAN’s new streaming distribution mean a broadcast overhaul? And did a Winter Olympian just push their body too far?

All this and more on the latest episode of the Tempo Talks podcast!

REEL TIME

Paralysis by analysis 😅🏊

QUICK NEWS

Let them eat tri: One of the most epic courses we’ve seen in years, IRONMAN 70.3 Versailles, France, will take place on July 12, 2026, on the grounds of the historic chateau. And of course…it’s already sold out! [Tri Today]

Stacked list: The stacked start lists have dropped for the first IRONMAN Pro Series of 2026 - IRONMAN New Zealand - headlined by 2025 Pro Series Champions Kat Matthews (GBR) and Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR).

Thief meets triathlete: A London pickpocket thought he’d found an easy mark until the triathlete whose phone he stole was bearing down on him! [People]

Port support: The Port of Tauranga has partnered with Triathlon New Zealand ahead of the 2028 World Triathlon Championship Finals! [SBR Tri]

Paratri performances: The St. Anthony’s Triathlon, Leon’s Triathlon and more have been announced as part of USA Triathlon’s 2026 Paratri National Series. [USA Triathlon]

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