IRONMAN Insider presented by Maurten - Episode 13 with Matthew Marquardt - Sam Laidlow - Magnus Ditlev In Kona for The VinFast IRONMAN World Championship

Most defending champions spend the year before a world championship proving they belong there. Jelle Geens spent his proving he could wait. The Belgian three-time Olympian arrives in Nice chasing something no man has done, a third straight IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title, after a season that fell apart almost immediately. A bone stress reaction in his femur not long after IRONMAN Texas cost him months of running and intensity, and forced a decision most athletes in his position wouldn't...

Most athletes chase breakthroughs with speed work and bigger numbers, but Grace Thek has built the best racing of her career by doing the opposite — running easy, staying patient, and refusing to break the chain. After years plagued by injury as a college runner turned professional triathlete, Grace spent 18 months doing nothing but consistent, unstructured running, no intensity at all, betting that durability would matter more than sharpness. That gamble has paid off: she now sits atop the E...

Belgian Marten Van Riel spent nearly a decade dominating Olympic-distance racing before deciding to find out how that speed translates to the IRONMAN. At the 2026 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid he answered the question with a course record in his first full-distance win. But the story behind that result isn't a straight line. It's crashes, missed slots, a winter that broke him down mentally, and the realization that chasing perfection was costing him the thing that made him great in the...

Most athletes stumble into the "long game" of triathlon, but Paula Findlay reveals how her two-decade journey in the sport has evolved into a masterclass in resilience, strategy, and self-awareness. After battling injuries, mental hurdles, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, she shares how her approach to racing—and her life—has shifted from seeking wins to embracing growth, balance, and longevity. Her story is a powerful reminder that the true victory in triathlon is understanding your...

In this episode of the IRONMAN Insider Podcast, host Matt Lieto sits down with pro triathlete Fenella Langridge for an open and honest conversation about resilience, setbacks, and rediscovering her love for the sport. Fenella shares the challenges of the past couple of seasons, including a long period of unexplained fatigue that ultimately led to a diagnosis and major surgery, and how that experience affected both her performance and mindset. Now one year removed from surgery, she reflects o...