Penny Slater shares her journey from off-road racing to becoming a top-tier long-distance triathlete. She shares how she navigates the challenges of injury, the importance of nutrition and the mental resilience required to excel at the highest levels.

Penny shares with us her work around Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) and hormone health and the role of education in athlete health and performance

We also chat about the changing dynamics of pro and age group racing, race course design and the crucial role coaches play in athlete health.

Shay McLeod won the free race entry to IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong. We find out how his race went.

This weekend… IRONMAN Texas and IRONMAN South Africa. We give our thoughts.

0:00.00 – Xterra Rotorua

0:04.16 – Tim's off to Cartel Coaching

0:10:47 – Shay McLeod

0:19:46 – This weekend IRONMAN South Africa and IRONMAN Texas

0:29:47 – Penny Slater

LINKS:

Follow Penny on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pen_slater

Penny's research paper on RED's 'An Exploratory Survey of Education Needs and Preferences Regarding Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport for Female Triathletes and Their Coaches' at https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/wspaj/34/1/article-wspaj.2025-0029.xml

Xterra Rotorua at https://www.xterraplanet.com/event/xterra-rotorua-festival

IRONMAN Texas at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-texas

IRONMAN South Africa at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-south-africa

IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-geelong

Cartel Coaching at https://cartelcoaching.com/

Shay McLeod at https://symmetry.physio/staff/hoppers-crossing/

Jack Moody's back in the hotseat… with a shoulder injury!

In a recent Slowtwitch article about 'fast age groupers beating pros' at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside, Ali Brauer was called out as one of those pros. Ali takes issue with this article and we chat to her about why she's absolutely right to do so.

Ali also shares her journey through health challenges, her return to professional racing, and her perspectives on recent changes in the sport, including race officiating and qualification rules.

0:00.00 – Jack's come off his bike

0:06.45 – Pro licence eligibility

0:22:14 – Ali Brauer

1:06:54 – The Open Wave and the Loan Market Half

LINKS:

Jack Moody at https://www.instagram.com/jacktmoody/

Ali Brauer at https://www.instagram.com/alibrauertri/

Slowtwitch article https://slowtwitch.com/news/some-fast-age-groupers-at-ironman-70-3-oceanside/

https://alibrauertri.substack.com/p/age-groupers-beating-pros-at-703

Loan Market Half at https://mountfestival.kiwi/events/tauranga-half/

Jack Moody's back in the hotseat and we catch up on the racing from Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside at the weekend.

We chat with multiple IRONMAN champion MATT HANSON. Matt stormed home for a podium 3rd at the recent IRONMAN New Zealand race recording the fastest run split of the day with an incredible 2:34:49. In this episode Matt breaks down his race at IMNZ and shares his training strategies and thoughts on the evolving sport of long-distance racing. Discover how he approaches performance, the impact of the new draft rules and his plans for future races including Kona.

0:00.00 – Jack's now a married man

0:05.20 – IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside

0:15:46 – T100 start list

0:18:26 – Matt Hanson intro

0:21:28 – Matt Hanson

LINKS:

Jack Moody at https://www.instagram.com/jacktmoody/

Matt Hanson at https://www.instagram.com/matthansontri/

IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-oceanside

IRONMAN Cairns at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-cairns

We catch up on the racing from IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong and T100 Gold Coast at the weekend.

At IRONMAN New Zealand this month Tamara Jewett ran into 4th place with a blistering 2:42:40 marathon – the 5th fastest overall marathon run split on the day, including the men.

In this episode, Tamara shares her journey from middle-distance running to IRONMAN racing, her experience moving from Canada to California and her approach to mental and physical training.

00:00 – IM703 Geelong and T100 Gold Coast

28:44 – Tamara Jewett intro

31:29 – Tamara Jewett

LINKS:

IM703 Geelong at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-geelong

Follow Tamara on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tamarajewett

T100 Gold Coast at https://t100triathlon.com/gold-coast/pro/live-race-data/

We review the news and racing from the weekend.

Ruth Croft is an elite ultra-trail runner from New Zealand, recognized for her remarkable achievements in the sport including winning the prestigious Tarawera 102K for the 4th consecutive year last month. Ruth's dedication and passion for running make her a credible voice in the ultra-trail running community as she chats to us about her ultra-trail running success, training innovations and race strategies.

In this episode, Ruth Croft shares her journey from high school athletics to becoming one of the most complete female ultra-trail runners globally. She discusses her training methods including weight vest workouts, altitude adaptation and race nutrition strategies, along with insights into her race experiences and future plans.

00:00 – Calling in from Wanaka

07.09 – Tri news

25:06 – Ruth Croft introduction

26:44 – Ruth Croft

1:05:14 - Muscular durability

LINKS:

Follow Ruth on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ruthcrofty/

Scott Johnston of Evoke Endurance at https://evokeendurance.com/

Paul Booth Sports Nutritionist at https://performancegainsnutrition.com/

Val Burke Exercise Physiologist at https://valburke.com/

Neversecond Nutrition at https://never2.com/

IM703 Dallas at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-dallas-little-elm

IM703 Geelong at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-geelong

The Anzco Foods IRONMAN New Zealand edition where we review the racing from the day and chat to first Kiwi home Jack Moody.

Rikki Anderson won the free race entry to IRONMAN Cairns. We find out more about her.

Kyle Smith, Kiwi Professional Triathlete, reflects on his journey as a triathlete, sharing the lessons he's learned from racing mistakes. We discuss the pressures of prize money in the Pro Series, the significance of consistency in performance and the dynamics of racing with a home crowd. Kyle also chats about his recovery from injury and his preparations for the upcoming IRONMAN New Zealand as he aims for a Kona slot.

Kevin Hunt won the free race entry to IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney. We find out more about him.

This weekend… IRONMAN New Zealand. We give our thoughts on how this race might play out.

00:00 – Racing from the weekend

06.00 – Temperatures in Taupo

09:20 – Kevin Hunt

16:40 – IRONMAN New Zealand

27:20 – Kyle Smith

LINKS:

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

Follow Kyle Smith on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kylesmithnzl/

Oceania Sprint Champs and Oceania Cup at https://trifestival.kiwi/event/oceania-sprint-distance-championships/

IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-western-sydney

We review the racing from Challenge Wanaka last weekend and what the acquisition of Challenge by the PTO might mean for racing going forward.

Regan Hollioake, the defending IRONMAN New Zealand champion, reflects on her journey as a professional triathlete. We chat about her season last year and the financial realities of being a professional athlete, plus the unique challenges of travel and race selection, particularly for athletes based in Australia and New Zealand.

Regan shares with us the issues she's faced managing hydration levels in hot races like Kona and her thoughts on the upcoming race at IMNZ and the excitement of returning as a defending champion.

00:00 – Challenge Wanaka and the acquisition of Challenge by the PTO

18:34 – IRONMAN Cairns free race entry competition

20:42 – Regan Hollioake

53:54 – The triathlon calendar 2026

LINKS:

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

Follow Regan Hollioake on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rlhollioake/

Challenge Wanaka at https://challengefamily.com/

IRONMAN Cairns at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-cairns