Race Reports & Strategy Guides
Practical advice for triathletes — race reports from the course, guides built on real finish-time data, and race selection frameworks that actually work.
Race Reports
T100 Vancouver 2025: The Canyon Speedmax CF 7 Di2 Debut, a Brutal Run, and Meeting Paula and Eric
First race back after Victoria 70.3. First race on the new Canyon. A stunning June morning on English Bay, a bike split I paid for on the run, a caffeine gel mistake I won't repeat — and getting my medal from the two athletes who made me fall in love with this sport.
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Victoria 70.3 2024: My First Half-Distance Triathlon
Cold water, foggy goggles I should have fixed five minutes earlier, a wind gust that nearly took me off the bike, and a run that saved the whole day. Here's what actually happened at my first Ironman 70.3.
Read moreTraining Log
Training Week of July 20: A Deload Week, Skipped Tests, and a Hill Climb for Charity
After the deepest fatigue week of the build, the plan pulled the reins: an easy Z2 ride, short social running, a rest day actually taken, and two fitness tests skipped — then 868m up Mt. Seymour for the Cypress Challenge charity climb.
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Training Week of July 13: Cracking 100km, Caffeine in the Gels, and a Real Fatigue Hole
205km on the bike including a 105.6km Saturday, a 3 x 14 min threshold run, and race-day fueling settled at 120g of carbs with caffeine — plus a skipped swim, a short swim, and a TSB of -31.7.
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Training Week of July 6: A 96km Long Ride, a 120g-Carb Long Run, and a Big Bike Weekend
Roughly 200km on the bike across three rides, a near-century Saturday through Stanley Park, a 120g-carb long-run fueling test, two smoother swims, and a brick off the bike — the biggest bike week yet in the build toward Tri-Cities.
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Training Week of June 29: Threshold Splits, a Flat 77km Ride, and Building Toward Tri-Cities
Three swims, three rides, three runs, and a leg day watching the World Cup. A threshold run that bit back, a flat outdoor long ride where the aero upgrades paid off, and the build toward beating 15th at Tri-Cities.
Read moreStrategy Guides
70.3 Time to Ironman Time: What the Race Data Says
Double your 70.3 time and add an hour? In my race results the typical full Ironman is 2.08 times the typical 70.3, so double plus 30 minutes fits better. Ratios by age group and five host towns.
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Average Ironman Swim, Bike and Run Times at 160 Races
The typical 70.3 swim is 40 minutes, the bike 3:00 and the run 2:04. At a full Ironman it is 1:20, 6:11 and 4:38. Splits from 160 races, with the fastest and slowest courses.
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Women in Ironman: Share of Finishers at 165 Races
Women are 23% of Ironman 70.3 finishers and 16% of full Ironman finishers. See the share at 165 races and why it matters for slots.
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Average Ironman 70.3 Finish Time by Age Group, Men and Women
The typical Ironman 70.3 takes about 6 hours. Here is the median time for every age group, men and women, from 121 races and about 176,000 finishers.
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Average Ironman Finish Time by Age Group, for Men and Women
The typical Ironman takes about 12 hours 28 minutes. Here is the median time for every age group, men and women, from 41 races and about 65,000 finishers.
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Kona Performance Pool Cut Off: What 8 Races Took in 2026 (Estimate)
Estimated last Performance Pool times for eight 2026 races that carry 2027 Kona slots, men and women, and what they mean for your age group.
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70.3 Worlds Slots per Race 2027: Every Qualifier, Men and Women
All 74 qualifiers for the 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, with men's and women's slots, field sizes and how deep the slots go for each.
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70.3 Worlds Qualifying Times by Age Group: What the Top 5% Run
There's no official 70.3 Worlds qualifying time. We pulled the top-5% finish time for every age group at 113 Ironman 70.3 races, men and women, showed how each age-grades, and what equal slots for men and women mean.
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The Easiest Ironman Courses, Ranked by Real Finish Times
We ranked 41 full-distance Ironman courses by how fast the typical finisher went. Here's where first-timers have the kindest day, and why Florida isn't the fastest.
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Kona Qualifying Times by Age Group: What the Top 5% Run
There's no official Kona qualifying time. We pulled the top-5% finish time for every age group at 40 full Ironman races, men and women, and showed what each scores under IRONMAN's age-grading.
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Kona Slots per Race for 2027: Every Qualifier, With the Men and Women Split
Every 2027 Kona qualifier IRONMAN has published so far, with its slots, how many people finished, slots per 100 finishers and an estimated split between men and women.
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Ironman Cut-Off Times: Swim, Bike and Finish Limits (2026)
The standard swim, bike and finish cut-off times for Ironman 70.3 and full Ironman races in 2026, why they differ by race, and how to check yours before you register.
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Practice Your Race Nutrition: How to Train Your Gut in Every Workout
You wouldn't race on untested legs — so why race on an untested gut? Lessons from my long runs on carbs, caffeine, and rehearsing your fuel plan every week, plus the science of training your gut to 90–120g of carbs an hour.
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Am I Actually Making Progress? How to Tell When Your Training Is Working
Checking your data, comparing old race results, obsessing over the scale — it's easy to overthink your training and feel stuck. Here's how to measure progress honestly, why consistency beats any single block, and the race that reframed it all for me.
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How to Qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship
The two paths to a 2027 70.3 Worlds slot, how the 70.3 Standard age-grading works, the finish times you actually need, and how to pick the race where your odds are best — backed by cut-off data from 120+ Ironman 70.3 races.
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How to Qualify for Kona in 2027: The Complete Guide
Only full-distance races carry Kona slots — and the qualifying bar varies by 30+ minutes between them. How the age-graded Kona Standard works for the 2027 cycle and how to pick your shot at the Big Island.
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Weight Management for Triathletes: Stop Chasing the Scale, Start Chasing Performance
Calorie obsession, injury, and burnout. The weight conversation in triathlon is broken — here's what the science and the data actually say about fueling, flat-course racing, and finding your natural weight.
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Ironman 70.3 Fueling for 70.3 Worlds Qualification: Getting the Numbers Right
Most fueling advice is written for finishers. If you're racing to qualify for 70.3 Worlds, you're burning more, the margin for error is smaller, and bonking on the run is the single most common way athletes miss a slot they had in their legs.
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Best Half Ironman for Beginners: The Easiest 70.3 Races in 2026
Your first half Ironman should not be a sufferfest. Here are the beginner-friendly 70.3 races with the calmest swims, flattest courses, best weather, and most welcoming fields — backed by what the finish-time data actually shows.
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The Easiest Ironman 70.3 Races to Qualify for the World Championship in 2026
Not all 70.3 races are equal when it comes to earning a 70.3 Worlds slot. We analysed real finish-time data across the global calendar to find the races where your odds are best.
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How Ironman's New Qualification System Works — And What It Means for You
Ironman changed how athletes qualify for the World Championship. Instead of finishing in the top X of your age group, you now need to beat a percentage of the overall field. Here's what changed and how to use it to your advantage.
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The Fastest Bike Courses in Ironman 70.3 Racing (Ranked by Real Data)
Whether you're chasing a PR or want a power-friendly course to build confidence, some 70.3 bike legs are genuinely faster than others. Here's what the data says.
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How to Choose Your First Ironman 70.3 Race
The 70.3 calendar has over 100 races worldwide. Picking the right first one comes down to more than just where you live. Here's the framework we'd use — and the races we'd seriously consider.
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