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The IRONMAN Pro Series' $200,000 Shake Up!
IRONMAN Pro Series shake-up, six tips to run smoother, and why you should "eat the rainbow!"
Matthew Sharpe
December 03, 2024
In partnership with
Good morning everyone,
December is here, and for me, that means quality time in the indoor pain cave! When I was younger I used to hate riding on the stationary trainer and would head out into VERY questionable weather. But a few years on and a few frostbite-laden extremities later I’ve come around to embrace, and even look forward to a big indoor workout.
Some of you are heading into summer weather, and we love that for you. But for many of us, the great indoors beckon!
Where do you train when winter hits? |
In today’s edition:
🤑 A $200,000 Shake-Up Hits the IRONMAN Pro Series!
🏃 Six tips for a smoother run.
🍓 And why you should “eat the rainbow!”
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.
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ONE BIG THING
A $200,000 Shake-Up Hits the IRONMAN Pro Series
What is it: The penultimate race of the IRONMAN Pro Series - IRONMAN 70.3 Western Australia - took place this past weekend. And with crucial ranking points on the line, the athletes pushed themselves to the absolute limit in the hopes of coming ever-closer to the $200,000 championship series bonus.
Gregory Barnaby (ITA), who was fifth in Kona, took the textbook win in the men’s race and put a stranglehold on the championship series.
Marta Sanchez (ESP) cruised to victory in the women’s race and ensured she would be in contention for a top series placing.
Men’s race
Swim: Jamie Riddle (RSA) was the headline favorite to lead out of the water and the Paris Olympian delivered as he pushed the pace, and often did backstroke to see if any of the competitors were able to follow.
There were a select few athletes that exited the swim with him including Gregory Barnaby (ITA), Marc Dubrick (USA), and Kenji Nener (JPN).
Further back, Robert Kallin (SWE), Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN), and Nic Thompson (AUS) would exit the water just over 90 seconds behind the leaders.
Bike: It wouldn’t take long for the leaders to be caught, and by 30k on the bike, a group of six that included Barnaby, Riddle, Dubrick, Kallin, Høgenhaug, and Thompson had blown the race apart.
Through the remainder of the ride, there would be a few attacks, but nothing would stick and the six amigos would roll into T2 separated by a few seconds.
Run: Riddle flew out of T2 like he was competing in Paris, and by 10k he had a gap to Barnaby of over 40 seconds. But knowing a win would get him tantalizingly close to the Pro Series lead, Barnaby bided his time. By mile 8 he had caught Riddle and shortly after put on the afterburners before breaking the tape and collapsing at the finish.
Riddle would pay for his early burst, but would hold on valiantly for second place.
🥇 Gregory Barnaby (ITA)
🥈 Jamie Riddle (RSA)
🥉 Marc Dubrick (USA)
Women’s race
Swim: Shortly after the men started, the women entered the significantly choppy waters of the Indian Ocean. It was no surprise to see super swimmers Lotte Wilms (NED) and Teresa Adam (NZ) exit the water with a healthy gap to the chasers.
About 20 seconds back, Marta Sanchez (ESP) was in a group that contained Richelle Hill (AUS) and Valerie Barthelemy (BEL).
A pre-race favorite, Anne Bergsten (SWE) found herself over five minutes behind the lead duo.
Bike: Not long into the ride, Sanchez caught the leaders and begin to work together with Wilms and Adam. They would work well together, and by the time they hit the run, they had a lead of almost three minutes to the chasing pack.
The chasers included a resurgent Bergsten along with Hannah Berry (NZ) and Els Visser (NED).
Run: Similar to Riddle, Sanchez took out of T1 with a fury and quickly dropped her opponents. However, she would hold a strong pace all the way to the finish and eventually take the win by over a minute.
Behind, Bergsten continued her ascent and would eventually land in second. Wilms would hold on to the final podium spot only seconds behind Bergsten.
🥇 Marta Sanchez (ESP)
🥈 Anna Bergsten (SWE)
🥉 Lotte Wilms (NED)
Tempo’s take: Gregory Barnaby isn’t really a household name in the sport. But with his incredible consistency this season and impressive performance in Kona (5th overall) he is now in the driver’s seat to win the inaugural men’s IRONMAN Pro Series title and take home the exceptional $200,000 winners bonus.
And if he ends up winning the title, he may want to give a big shout-out to the T100. Before this year the IRONMAN Pro Series didn’t exist and would never have seen the light of day without the pressure of a rival professional triathlon series.
When IRONMAN realized that the T100 was going to take away many of its top athletes, the Pro Series was created and the newly injected $1.7 million series bonus gave professional triathletes even more opportunity to make a living from the sport.
Right now we are in triathlon’s transfer season as many top athletes including Taylor Knibb (USA), Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), Sam Long (USA), and Sam Laidlow (FRA) decide whether to resign with the T100 Triathlon World Tour and take a guaranteed six-figure contract, or appease their sponsors and pursue the IRONMAN Pro Series where they could potentially profit further.
A few key T100 defections could see IRONMAN as the dominant age-group and pro triathlon entity. But if the T100 can retain their talent, it could signal trouble for the larger incumbent…
Meet My Coach: Lance Watson of LifeSport Coaching
Date: Dec 4th, 5PM PT / 8PM ET
Join LifeSport’s virtual Open House to meet Lance Watson and discover how LifeSport can help you achieve your 2025 goals!
All athletes in attendance have the chance to win a Blueseventy Transition Bag or a set of Blueseventy packing cubes!
Why Attend?
As the “Dreaming Season” begins, athletes are setting goals and planning for the year ahead. LifeSport, led by my coach Lance Watson—an Olympic Games and IRONMAN Master Coach—offers tailored training programs, from beginner to elite athletes.
LifeSport Coaching Options:
One-on-One Coaching: Personalized training with expert guidance, support, and accountability.
TRiCLUB Membership: Affordable training plan with 10 live workouts weekly, community challenges, and team races.
2024 Highlights:
LifeSport athletes achieved PRs, podium finishes, and World Championship qualifications. Most importantly, nearly every athlete finished their races with strong team support.
Sign up to meet Lance and the LifeSport team, and let them help you crush your 2025 goals!
FAVORITES
🩸 Lactate lessons: Blood lactate-guided training is one of the hallmarks of the best endurance athletes in the world. But what exactly is lactate? And how can monitoring it while training make you a better athlete? This insightful deep dive has the answers. [Precision Hydration]
🍓 Colorful fuel: Top sports dieticians say you should “eat the rainbow.” And for good reason as a colorful plate will be more nutritionally dense. So how can you eat the rainbow? And what are the nutritional benefits of specific-colored foods? Find out here. [Mcmillan Running]
😴 Sleep better: Are you struggling to get the good night’s sleep you need to live and perform your best? It could be due to a lack of natural light in the morning, or a number of other simple fixes. Check out this insightful, short-form podcast to learn how you can sleep better. [Huberman Lab]
🏃 Six tips to run smoother: Running is hard enough. So to make it easier you might want to try keeping your core engaged. If that helps, maybe these five other tips will also make a difference! [GTN]
🏆 Glorious Grace: An NCAA Champion runner-turned triathlete? Sounds like a recipe for success! And it seems to be working for Australian pro triathlete Grace Thek. Read her interview and learn how this incredible athlete went from full-time Physiotherapist to podium pro! [Slowtwitch]
REEL TIME
But if health is wealth then surely multiple bikes is a worthy investment? 🤔💸🤣
QUICK NEWS
Night of the Year: Patrick Lange and Laura Phillip were the big winners at the Sailfish Night of the Year! Daniela Ryf won a lifetime achievement award. [Tri Today]
Philippine triathlon: The Damosa Land 5150 will be a bright light in the 2025 Philippine triathlon calendar! [Sunstar]
Support Wanaka race: If you’re thinking of signing up for Challenge Wanaka - don’t wait - early registrations will help the organization plan as best they can for the iconic February event! [Otago Daily Times]
Inspiring athlete: An eight-year-old is raising money ahead of her next triathlon, all in support of Cancer research that will help her father. [CBC News]
RACE WEEKEND
IRONMAN 70.3 Bahrain
It was a couples dream day as short course superstars Vincent Luis (FRA) and Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) took the men’s and women’s races in Bahrain. Expect to see both these athletes on plenty of podiums next season!
Ultraman Hawaii
Jen Annett (CAN) took the tape (and beat her male competitors!) at the grueling 321 mile Ultraman World Championships.
TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE
How did Blueseventy improve its iconic Helix wetsuit? Backwards shorts!
An athlete’s harrowing account of the IRONMAN Ireland tragedy.
How to nail this winter’s IRONMAN training nutrition!
LATEST EDITIONS
Stacked 70.3 Worlds start lists. And how should you fuel for indoor training?
Even with massive T100 contracts, athletes may still skip series. Plus: is the treadmill worth the risk?
After illustrious career, Ali Brownlee retires. Plus: when should you replace your shoes?
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