This week on FITTER Radio we welcome Kelly O'Mara Head of Content and Sports Reporter for Feisty Media.

The new IRONMAN Kona qualification algorithm is significantly affecting female athletes. While early projections suggested a 30-40% representation of women at the World Championships, initial data from races shows this is not the case. In the 'performance pool' an overwhelming majority have gone to men (around 95%), with only about 5% going to women in the initial races analyzed. In some events, like IRONMAN California, only one performance slot was awarded to a woman.

In this conversation, Kelly shares her history in triathlon and sports journalism, highlighting the evolution of women's sports and the challenges faced in media representation. She shares insights from the recent Kona race, the impact of the new qualification system on female participation and the implications of IRONMAN's business model.

We review the racing from the Noosa Triathlon at the weekend plus Braden Currie announces his retirement.

(0:00:00) – Sprint finish in the NY marathon

(0:03:07) – Retirements in triathlon

(0:20:20) – Garmin Noosa Triathlon

(0:29:47) – IRONMAN qualification system

(0:36:22) – Kelly O'Mara: Feisty Media

LINKS:

Follow the Real Science of Sport podcast on X at https://x.com/sportsscipod

Kelly O' Mara at https://www.kellyomara.com/

Feisty Media at https://feisty.co/

Feisty Newsletter "Understanding the New IRONMAN Kona qualification system at https://feisty.co/p/understanding-the-new-ironman-kona-qualification-system/

Garmin Noosa Triathlon at https://noosatri.com.au/

We chat to the 2020 Olympic World Champion and 2021 IRONMAN World Champion Kristian Blummenfelt.

Kristian reflects on his recent race performance in Nice sharing his mixed emotions on his result and the importance of his relationship with Gustav and Casper.

We delve into training, nutrition and the work needed to maintain a balance between weight management and performance. The discussion also covers the dynamics of coaching and the role of science in training.

We chat about Kristian's future aspirations in the sport including his prep for IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds in Marbella and his thoughts around race plans for 2026.

Plus, we chat about the changes to the IRONMAN New Zealand bike course and how it'll enhance the race experience for 2026

(0:04:01) – The changes to the IMNZ bike course

(0:12:32) – Alex Yee

(0:17:48) – Plasmaide competition

(0:18:55) – Kristian Blummenfelt

(1:10:45) – IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs

LINKS:

Kristian Blummenfelt at https://www.instagram.com/kristianblu

Mount Festival of Sport at https://mountfestival.kiwi/

IRONMAN New Zealand at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-new-zealand

Plasmaide https://plasmaide.com/

IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-world-championship-2025

We review the racing from the T100 and WTCS in Wollongong at the weekend.

Hannah Tiedt is a PhD candidate at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) studying sports performance physiology and nutrition, with a focus on the resilience of endurance athletes to sleep restriction. She has previously completed a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation and a Master of Sport, Exercise and Health at AUT. Follow the link below to complete her survey.

(0:00:00) - Tim back from Wollongong

(0:06:07) - Racing from the weekend

(0:18:05) - T100 announcements

(0:28:50) - Racing from the weekend

(0:52:17) - Hannah Tiedt

LINKS:

Link to Hannah's survey at https://aut.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Xi3Cn9hB5PK3z0

Follow Hannah at https://x.com/HannahTee20

We review the racing at the IRONMAN World Champs 2025 in Kona.

Plus, we bring you the audio from the post-race conference with the top 5 finishers.

LINKS:

IRONMAN World Championship Kona at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-world-championship-kona

We catch up on the racing from SuperTri at the weekend

Sue Beattie won the free race entry to the Kosciuszko Ultra, we find out more about her.

It's Kona week, and we chat to Kiwi Professional Triathlete Hannah Berry. Hannah shares her experiences and insights as she prepares for the upcoming IRONMAN World Champs in Kona this weekend. She discusses her return to the Big Island, her strategies for racing in hot conditions and the surprises of her T100 season. Hannah emphasizes the importance of consistency in her training, her progress on the bike and the confidence gained from competing against top athletes. As she looks ahead to Kona, she reflects on her mindset, race strategies and future goals in the sport.

(0:00:51) – SuperTri

(0:14:22) – Sue Beattie

(0:24:57) – IRONMAN World Champs this weekend

(0:36:47) – Hannah Berry

LINKS:

SuperTri at https://supertri.com/

Sue Beattie Tri Excel at https://triexcel.com.au/about-us

IRONMAN World Championship Kona at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-world-championship-kona

Kosciuszko Ultra at https://kosciuszko.utmb.world/

Follow Hannah Berry on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dr_hannah_wells/

We review the racing from the weekend.

Luke Smithers won the free race entry to the IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney. We find out how it all went.

How much running is too much? We discuss a recent paper identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort study and the dose-response relationship between changes in single-session distance and running-related injuries

(0:07:42) – Racing from the weekend

(0:29:37) – How much running is too much? A study.

(0:38:07) – IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney

(0:41:03) – Luke Smithers

LINKS:

Training Peaks Virtual at https://www.trainingpeaks.com/virtual/

WTCS Weihai at https://triathlon.org/events/2025-world-triathlon-championship-series-weihai/event-info

IM703 Augusta at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-augusta

IM703 Chattanooga at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-chattanooga

How much running is too much? Identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort study at https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/17/1203

We review the racing from the T100 in Spain at the weekend.

Dr. John Sullivan is Head of Performance Psychology at High Performance Sport New Zealand. He is a Sport Scientist and Clinical Sport Psychologist with over twenty years of clinical and scholarly experience and has held appointments within the National Football League (NFL), English Premier League (EPL), the NCAA and the elite military and law enforcement in North America.

Dr. Sullivan is also a visiting scholar and sport scientist at the Queensland Academy of Sport and Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.

He is a frequent contributor writing on sport science and sports medicine and his latest efforts have focused on a series of books which distil the latest performance psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience, related to optimal brain performance and health entitled The Brain Always Wins.

In this episode Dr Sullivan shares insights into the intricate relationship between the brain and athletic performance and discusses the importance of understanding allostasis, the role of emotions in performance and how technology can enhance our understanding of brain function.

The conversation also delves into practical strategies for managing anxiety, improving sleep quality and utilizing mindfulness techniques to optimize performance. Dr. Sullivan emphasizes the significance of individual variation in athletes and the need for personalized approaches to training and recovery.

(0:00:00) – We're back in NZ

(0:06:05) – Racing from the T100 Spain

(0:25:00) – Dr John Sullivan HPSNZ

LINKS:

T100 Spain at https://t100triathlon.com/spain/pro/

Follow Dr John Sullivan on X at https://x.com/BrainAlwaysWins

The Brain Always Wins Book at https://www.amazon.fr/Brain-Always-Wins2-conversations-continue/dp/1916556795

The IRONMAN World Championships Nice 2025 Episode