Morning endurance fans…

Triathlon’s greatest rivalry is ready for its latest chapter – only this time there is a new world champion crashing the party.

Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde will renew hostilities at Sunday’s Supertri Pro Series Final in Jersey, with Matt Hauser completing a mouthwatering three-way showdown on one of the sport’s richest days of racing.

Before looking ahead, however, there is a breathless weekend to unpack.

Max Studer and Cassandre Beaugrand delivered at WTCS Weihai; Laura Philipp and Lasse Nygaard Priester led the way at IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See, while Ben Dhiman and Blandine L’Hirondel conquered a dramatic UTMB – and that barely scratches the surface…

Here’s what we have lined up for you today…

📝 PLANNING: German superstar Laura Philipp is ripping up her Kona plans in a bid to finally feel more comfortable when racing on the Big Island. Read HERE.

🤔 CHANGES: Rasmus Svenningsson is looking to avoid any repeat of his previous mistakes when taking on the World Championships. Read HERE.

4️⃣ QUADRUPLE: Hayden Wilde is planning to race in four major events across as many weeks this month as he bids for more glory. Read HERE.

🥳 BREAKTHROUGH: British triathlete Ruth Astle has finally been given a diagnosis after years of struggling with ill health and injury. Read HERE.

UTMB - ELITE WOMEN: Blandine L’Hirondel produced a historic performance at UTMB 2026 as the French superstar became the first woman ever to break the 22-hour barrier on her way to a spectacular victory in Chamonix.

L’Hirondel crossed the line in 21:54:49, completing a remarkable progression through the UTMB Mont-Blanc races and adding the biggest victory of her career to her previous wins at OCC and CCC.

It means the 35-year-old becomes only the second woman in history to win OCC, CCC and UTMB, following Ruth Croft, who completed the treble when she won UTMB 12 months ago.

UTMB results - Elite women (174km)
🥇 Blandine L’Hirondel (FRA) 21:54:49
🥈 Rachel Entrekin (USA) 22:15:54 (+21:05)
🥉 Emily Schmitz (USA) 22:17:28 (+22:39)

UTMB - ELITE MEN: Ben Dhiman produced one of the most dominant performances in UTMB history as the American stormed to victory in Chamonix in the fastest-ever time recorded at the iconic 100-mile race.

Runner-up 12 months ago, Dhiman crossed the finish line in 18:16:29, the first person to go under 19 hours and more than an hour quicker than Tom Evans’ winning time of 19:18:58 last year.

It cannot officially be classed as a course record because weather-enforced changes were made to the route, including the removal of the Pyramides Calcaires section.

But the 2025 race was also altered because of the weather and run over a roughly similar course, underlining the scale of Dhiman’s performance.

UTMB results - Elite men (174km)
🥇 Ben Dhiman (USA) 18:16:29
🥈 Baptiste Chassagne (FRA) 18:47:38 (+31:09)
🥉 Caleb Olson (USA) 18:48:24 (+31:55)

CCC: Yngvild Kaspersen produced a superbly judged late charge to claim a historic second CCC title at UTMB Mont-Blanc, while Cristian Minoggio delivered an emphatic victory in the men’s race.

Norwegian Kaspersen came from behind to overhaul former winners Toni McCann and Miao Yao inside the closing stages before winning in 12:01:14, exactly five minutes ahead of McCann. Yao completed the podium in 12:15:41.

Minoggio had earlier made his decisive move on the climb towards Trient before powering on to Chamonix in 10:21:48. Portugal’s Miguel Arsenio came through strongly to take second in 10:27:25, with American Hans Troyer third in 10:33:29.

OCC: American Lauren Gregory and Scotland’s Naomi Lang fought out the most thrilling finish in UTMB history, with Gregory crossing the line just three seconds ahead of her rival to take the women’s OCC title after over six hours of racing across a distance of 61km.

Gregory only moved to the front with 1km remaining, but Lang refused to let her go clear as she set up the frantic finale, with Sara Alonso (ESP) only a minute further back in third.

It was all in stark contrast to the men’s race, which saw a dominant victory for reigning short-trail world champion Frédéric Tranchand of France.

ELITE WOMEN: Cassandre Beaugrand took a huge step towards a second world title when she won at WTCS Weihai in China on Saturday.

The 2024 Olympic champion made it four victories in four races this season, taking a perfect score of 4,000 points into the Grand Final in Pontevedra later this month.

Beth Potter (GBR) was second, and Lisa Tertsch (GER) was third as the last three world champions filled the top spots on the podium.

WTCS results - Elite women
(Swim: 1.5km - Bike: 40km - Run: 10km)
🥇 Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) 19:14 - 56:14 - 32:12 = 1:49:20
🥈 Beth Potter (GBR) 19:48 - 55:40 - 32:17 = 1:49:26
🥉 Lisa Tertsch (GER) 19:38 - 55:51 - 32:40 = 1:49:44

ELITE MEN: Switzerland’s Max Studer repeated last year’s shock victory at WTCS Weihai in brilliant style – but it was a day to forget for reigning world champion Matt Hauser, as the big Aussie faded into 10th on the run after an earlier crash on the bike.

Studer took control from a three-man front group just before the final 2.5km run lap after David Cantero (ESP) slipped on the rain-soaked roads.

The Swiss star crossed the line in 1:41:08, 10 seconds ahead of Cantero, with Canadian veteran Tyler Mislawchuk a fine third.

WTCS results - Elite men
(Swim: 1.5km - Bike: 40km - Run: 10km)
🥇 Max Studer (SUI) 18:25 - 51:50 - 29:24 = 1:41:08
🥈 David Cantero Del Campo (ESP) 18:32 - 51:49 - 29:29 = 1:41:18
🥉 Tyler Mislawchuk (CAN) 18:26 - 51:53 - 29:35 = 1:41:25

PRO WOMEN: Laura Philipp made it two wins in quick succession with a dominant success at IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See in the scenic Austrian Alps.

The German star endured an injury-hit first half of the season but has more than made up for it since, though her appearance on the start list for this race did raise eyebrows given it came just 15 days after her victory at IRONMAN Kalmar.

That event had been something of a one-woman show, and it was much the same here, especially after Lisa Perterer – the one athlete who was able to challenge Philipp – was hit with a two-minute penalty on the bike.

IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See – Pro women
(Swim: 1.9km - Bike: 90km - Run: 21.1km)
🥇 Laura Philipp (GER) 26:34 - 2:21:32 - 1:20:48 = 4:13:22
🥈 Lisa Perterer (AUT) 26:30 - 2:23:41 - 1:23:58 = 4:18:38
🥉 India Lee (GBR) 26:54 - 2:31:38 - 1:23:41 = 4:26:52

PRO MEN: Germany’s Lasse Nygaard Priester showed he is a real contender for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in a fortnight by blazing to an impressive victory over Jelle Geens at 70.3 Zell am See in the stunning Austrian Alps.

Priester was right in the mix in the swim before breaking clear alongside Geens on the bike. The two of them looked set to duke it out on the run, but such was Priester’s early pace that he was soon well clear and went on to win by over two minutes in a new course-record time.

IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See – Pro men
(Swim: 1.9km - Bike: 90km - Run: 21.1km)
🥇 Lasse Nygaard Priester (GER) 23:22 - 2:05:28 - 1:10:58 = 3:43:29
🥈 Jelle Geens (BEL) 23:26 - 2:05:30 - 1:13:27 = 3:45:59
🥉 Tjebbe Kaindl (AUT) 23:07 - 2:08:59 - 1:12:26 = 3:48:22

Fernando Toldi (BRA) and Mikelle Coelho (BRA) took wins at Challenge Fortaleza in 3:52:58 and 4:36:38, respectively, overcoming tough conditions with strong winds and rising heat.

In the men’s race, Diogo Andrade Villarinho (BRA) was first out of the water, opening a 1:30 lead over the chasing group, which included local favourite Toldi and Alexandre Nobre (POR).

Villarinho held his lead through the 90km coastal bike course and entered T2 with a two-minute advantage, with Toldi second into transition, just seconds ahead of Nobre.

The race changed quickly on the run as temperatures rose. Toldi caught Villarinho in the opening kilometres to take the lead, and by 14km, he had built a two-minute gap over Nobre in second.

Toldi went for the win in 3:52:58, with Nobre finishing second in 3:57:54. Villarinho recovered in the final stages to secure third in 4:02:26.

In the women’s race, Spain’s Ana Maria Santiso Prado (ESP) led out of the water, with a four-minute advantage over Coelho (BRA) in second and an eight-minute lead over Elizabeth Nyitray (USA).

Coelho worked to close the gap on the 90km bike course and entered T2 with almost a 10-minute lead over Prado, which proved enough as she closed out the run in 4:36:38. Prado was second in 4:42:05. Nyitray completed the podium in 5:16:54.

Triathlon’s biggest single-day payday of 2026 is almost here as some of the sport’s biggest names head to Jersey for the Supertri Pro Series Final showdown.

A remarkable $800,000 prize purse is on offer this Sunday, with $400,000 split between each gender and a huge $100,000 going to both race winners.

And Supertri has assembled a field worthy of the money, with the men’s race set to feature the long-awaited first meeting this year between Olympic champion Alex Yee and great rival Hayden Wilde – with reigning world champion Matt Hauser thrown into the mix for good measure.

On the women’s side, Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand headlines an already stellar line-up which also includes Supertri great Georgia Taylor-Brown and defending champion Jeanne Lehair.

📆 DATE: Supertri Jersey takes place on Sunday, September 6, 2026, with the professional women racing first at 14:00 local time. The men’s race follows at 15:15.

⏰ TIME: Jersey is on the same time as the UK, so the start times around the world are as follows:

📺 HOW TO WATCH: The Supertri Pro Series Final will receive a full live broadcast as the brand showcases its flagship professional race of the season. You can watch all the action via the Supertri Watch portal and Supertri’s YouTube channel.

💵 PRIZE PURSE: With the $800,000 prize purse split equally between the men’s and women’s races, it means each winner will secure $100,000. Second place will earn $75,000 and third $60,000, with the prize money extending down to 10th position.

For comparison, the total purse is even greater than the $750,000 available at the IRONMAN World Championships – although the winners at Kona receive a larger individual first prize of $125,000.

🤩 YEE vs WILDE vs HAUSER: The men’s race could hardly have a more compelling headline act, with Alex Yee, Hayden Wilde and Matt Hauser all confirmed for Jersey – bringing together the reigning Olympic champion, his great Kiwi rival and the reigning world champion.

Remarkably, it will be the first time Yee and Wilde have raced one another in 2026. Their rivalry produced some unforgettable moments during 2024, most notably when Yee somehow overturned a 14-second deficit late in the Olympic run in Paris to snatch gold from Wilde.

They then produced another thriller at the Supertri Grand Final in NEOM, where Yee outsprinted Wilde by a single second, although the New Zealander had the consolation of taking the overall Supertri crown.

Wilde has spent much of the last two seasons establishing himself as a dominant force over longer distances, while Yee stepped away from triathlon for much of 2025 to pursue his running ambitions before returning to short-course racing this season.

Neither has had the short-course campaign they might have envisaged in 2026, and Hauser could yet be the man to take full advantage.

The Australian has won three of his five WTCS races this season but didn't have the perfect preparation at WTCS Weihai last weekend when a second bike crash of the season ruined his chances.

He has opted to skip the final regular-season WTCS race in Karlovy Vary to prioritise his preparation for the Grand Final in Pontevedra, and it seems that Jersey fits perfectly into that plan.

Hauser says he will use Supertri to fine-tune his speed before Pontevedra – and with $100,000 available to the winner, it promises to be rather more than just a training exercise.

Back in 2022, these three titans of triathlon finished on the podium together at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with Yee taking gold, Wilde settling for silver and Hauser coming in third for bronze.

While it wouldn’t be much of a surprise for all three to feature among the medals again on Sunday, the question of who takes gold remains thrillingly uncertain… let the battle commence!!!

🇫🇷 BEAUGRAND LOOKS UNSTOPPABLE: There is every bit as much star power on the women’s side. Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand arrives in sensational form after winning each of her four WTCS starts this season and is very much favourite to add another win to her CV.

However, she will face athletes with outstanding Supertri pedigrees.

Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) is the most successful female athlete in Supertri history and has repeatedly shown how well suited she is to the frantic, tactical nature of the format.

And reigning Supertri champion Jeanne Lehair (LUX) is also set to return to defend her crown, while Belgium’s Jolien Vermeylen is another threat.

After finishing ninth overall at the Tour de France in July, Tom Pidcock returned to mountain biking at the World Championships in Val di Sole to win the men’s elite XCO title for the second time in his career.

Despite only having ridden one World Cup event so far this year, which he won at Nové Město in May, the British rider once again proved to be too strong for his competition, beating many of the world’s best riders to reclaim the rainbow jersey that he last won on home soil at Glentress Forest in 2023.

Read more on this story at Cycling Weekly HERE.

Shin splints are one of the most common overuse injuries affecting triathletes, particularly those increasing their running volume or preparing for longer races. While they may begin as mild discomfort, ignoring the problem can lead to much more serious issues later on.

❓ WHAT ARE SHIN SPLINTS? Shin splints, often referred to as medial tibial stress syndrome, involve irritation of the tissues around the tibia. This could be the major cause of constant knee pain even while resting.

Symptoms commonly include tenderness along the shin, aching pain during runs, discomfort after exercise, mild swelling and pain that worsens with increased training.

📝 KEY STEPS TO RECOVERY:

We end this week with a show of appreciation for triathlon legend Jan Frodeno, who proved that his extraordinary endurance engine remains very much intact as he produced a superb performance at OCC by UTMB.

The 2008 Olympic gold medallist and three-time IRONMAN World Champion was venturing well outside his comfort zone on the trails around Mont Blanc, with the 61.4km race representing the longest run of his life.

But Frodeno didn’t just make it to the finish in Chamonix – he was remarkably competitive.

The 45-year-old stopped the clock in 6:31:55, winning the men’s 45-49 age category by nearly 25 minutes and finishing an impressive 58th overall in a field of around 2,000 runners. 👏👏👏

Together, we go the distance. — @247_endurance 🏃‍♂️🚴‍♀️🏊‍♂️