Who says Olympic-distance specialists can’t handle the longer stuff? Belgium’s Jelle Geens just rewrote that narrative – and the record books – with a masterclass in tactical racing at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Taupō. And this wasn’t just any win… this was a clinic in patience and pacing that would make even the most seasoned 70.3 veterans take notes.
The three-time Olympian didn’t just win, he absolutely demolished the championship record, crossing the line in 3:32:09 to slice 13 seconds off Rico Bogen’s year-old mark from Lahti. But here’s the real kicker – he did it by running down local hero Hayden Wilde in the final 4km, turning what looked like a hometown fairytale into a Belgian celebration. Talk about a plot twist that had the massive Kiwi crowd holding their collective breath.
The win didn’t come from some lucky break or tactical error by others. Geens methodically built his day: a solid 22:23 swim (hanging tough with the proper fish), a calculated 1:59:08 bike (staying cool while others were burning matches), and then… well, then he dropped a casual 1:07:34 half marathon. As you do when you’re hunting down an Olympic silver medalist on his home turf.
Remember, this is the same bloke who’s been battling it out in the rough-and-tumble world of World Triathlon racing, where a 10k run feels like a sprint. “The last year and a half in short course racing has been really tough mentally,” Geens shared at the finish, looking remarkably fresh for someone who’d just made history. “To step up now to middle distance racing and in my first try become World Champion, it’s incredible.” Understatement of the year.
What makes this even spicier? Geens had never won at this distance before. Las Vegas 70.3 was his best result coming in, but today he didn’t just win – he joined the likes of Frodeno, Gomez and Lange in the exclusive club of athletes who’ve managed to master both Olympic and middle-distance racing. Not bad for a “rookie,” eh?
Home Field Advantage… Almost
Ever seen a hometown crowd absolutely lose their minds? That’s what happened when Taupō’s own Hayden Wilde hit T2 first. The local boy, born and raised right here on these volcanic shores, had just dropped a blistering 1:58:51 bike split and was about to give the packed streets something to really scream about.
And mate, did he ever deliver… at first. Wilde came flying out of transition in a ridiculous 57 seconds (only beaten by Kyle Smith’s 50-second ripper), looking every bit like the Olympic silver medalist we saw in Paris. The crowd? Absolute scenes. We’re talking five-deep along Tongariro Street, with every cyclist in the region seemingly forming a mobile cheering squad behind their man.
Remember when Wilde said pre-race he was targeting a 65-minute half marathon? Everyone thought he was dreaming. But there he was, clicking off 3:02 kilometers like it was parkrun Saturday. The gap kept growing: 20 seconds… 40 seconds… eventually pushing out to nearly a minute over Geens.
Here’s where it gets interesting though. While we were all busy watching Wilde living up to his name out front, the Belgian was playing the long game. “I knew it was a long race,” Geens revealed later, in what might be the understatement of the weekend. “I had to do my own pace… I knew I was only going to catch him if he would really crack.”
And crack he did. But let’s be clear – this wasn’t some epic blow-up. This was the difference between a bloke who’s mastered the Olympic distance trying to hold off someone who’d perfectly measured his effort over the longer course. When Geens made the pass with 4k to go, Wilde had nothing left to respond with. Sometimes the fairy tales don’t quite pan out, eh?
Early Race Moves
If you thought the swim was going to be a casual paddle around Lake Taupō, you clearly haven’t met Greg Harper. The ex-Cal Berkeley swimmer decided to turn the swim course into his personal time trial.
Harper blasted out a 21:48 opener – proper fish territory – with a trio of hunters in Josh Amberger, Leo Bergère and Marc Dubrick all within two ticks of his heels. Not bad for a morning splash in water that was giving everyone a decent chop to deal with.
But here’s where it gets spicy. Remember all that pre-race chat about trying to drop Hayden Wild in the swim? Yeah, nah. The Olympic silver medalist wasn’t having a bar of it, positioning himself perfectly in that lead group along with Kyle Smith. Talk about best-laid plans going sideways.
The real drama kicked off once they hit the bike course. Eight blokes decided they fancied a bit of a breakaway – you know, just your casual collection of Olympic medalists and 70.3 specialists casually putting together a sub-2-hour bike split. No biggie.
What’s that old saying about keeping your mates close and your competitors closer? The front group was tighter than a wetsuit in summer, with Bergère (still undefeated in 70.3 racing, mind you), Wild, Smith, Geens and defending champ Rico Bogen all playing a high-speed game of chess at 40k’s an hour.
Bike Battleground
The bike leg turned into a masterclass in tactical racing with eight athletes hitting sub-2 hour splits on the challenging Taupō course. Wilde clocked the day’s fastest ride at 1:58:51, with Kyle Smith, Geens, and Leo Bergere all within seconds. The front pack was threading the needle perfectly on these chip-sealed Kiwi roads – quick enough to break away, controlled enough to keep the draft marshals happy.
Defending champ Rico Bogen started showing cracks early. The young German’s facial expressions told the story – this wasn’t going to be a repeat of his Lahti victory. Meanwhile, French powerhouse Mathis Margirier’s aggressive move backfired spectacularly, earning him a costly penalty that would reshape the entire race dynamics.
Race Ranger lights kept everyone honest, with the front pack maintaining those crucial 12-meter gaps while still working together to build their advantage. The result? A two-minute cushion over the chase group by T2, where Khristian Hogenhaug was doing the heavy lifting but making no real inroads.
Geens played it perfectly, conserving energy while others took turns pushing the pace. “I didn’t want to tire my legs out too much at the end of that bike ride,” he explained post-race. Smart racing from a bloke who clearly had bigger plans for the run.
By the numbers, the bike split was brutal: Eight men under 2 hours, all within a 13-second spread after 90km of racing. For context, that’s tighter than last year’s gap in Lahti where the lead group splintered to over a minute. But the real story wasn’t just in the time – it was in the energy conservation. While some were burning matches to make statements, others were quietly building their arsenals for the decisive run battles to come.
The Wild(E) Card
Watching Hayden Wilde tear out of T2 was like seeing someone late for their morning flight. The Kiwi legend clocked a ridiculous 57-second transition (only Kyle Smith was quicker at 50 seconds) and immediately started laying down 3:02 kilometres. This wasn’t just running – this was a statement.
By 2.2km, Wilde had stretched his lead to 20 seconds. At halfway, he’d pushed it to nearly a minute over Geens. The crowd was going mental, bikes were forming an impromptu peloton behind their local hero, and it looked like we were watching history in the making. Remember Wilde’s pre-race chat about targeting a 65-minute half marathon? Suddenly it didn’t seem so crazy.
But here’s where experience at the longer stuff counts. While Wild was putting on a show up front, Geens was running his own race at a steady 3:05 per kilometer. The Belgian kept checking his watch – not looking at the competition, but sticking to his numbers. “I knew I was only going to catch him if he would really crack,” Geens revealed post-race.
The crack came at 17km. Wild’s form started to shorten, those smooth kilometers became a grind, and suddenly Geens was closing fast. The pass at 4km to go wasn’t just a pass – it was a changing of the guard. Wild had no response, his early fireworks now just smoke in the Taupō breeze.
The numbers tell the story: Geens dropped a 1:07:34 half marathon – fastest of the day – while Wild’s early heroics resulted in a still-impressive 1:09:05. But in a world championship race, those 90 seconds might as well be 90 minutes.
The Championship Moment
If you wanted to script the perfect championship finish, this wasn’t it – unless you’re Belgian. Geens hit the final kilometre with a 50-second lead, enough time to actually enjoy his coronation on Tongariro Street. The record books will show 3:32:09, but they won’t show the masterclass in pacing that got him there.
The numbers are proper mind-bending: Geens took 13 seconds off Rico Bogen’s year-old world championship record from Lahti. Wilde hung tough for second in 3:33:22, while the ever-consistent Leo Bergere rounded out the podium in 3:35:08. But here’s a stat for the trivia night: Geens became the first Belgian to claim a 70.3 world title. Not bad for a bloke known primarily for draft-legal racing.
Speaking of stats that’ll make your head spin, Kyle Smith’s fourth place (3:37:51) and Germany’s Justus Nieschlag locked up fifth in 3:38:06, proving that consistent racing beats sporadic brilliance every time.
The crowd? Five deep along the finish chute, probably wondering what happened to their fairy tale ending. But even the most parochial Kiwi had to appreciate what they’d just witnessed. Geens summed it up perfectly: “I’ve been in this sport a long time… but in my first try to become World Champion at this distance, it’s incredible.”
Behind the champagne and medals, there was another battle playing out. Gregory Barnaby’s ninth-place finish might not make many headlines, but it locked up the inaugural Ironman Pro Series title and a cool $200,000 bonus. Not a bad day at the office, that.
Ironman Pro Series Climax
While everyone was watching the world title drama unfold, Italy’s Gregory Barnaby was quietly writing his own bit of history. Ninth place might not sound flash but it was worth $200,000.
The inaugural Ironman Pro Series title came down to the wire in Taupō. Barnaby started the day in pole position, while American Matthew Marquart had a mathematical shot at glory. But when Marquart’s quads decided to have a proper chat with him early in the race (read: full-on cramping), Barnaby’s path to the bank became a lot clearer.
The numbers tell the story: Barnaby’s 2,515 points today pushed his season total to 19,059. For context, that’s like winning three or four big races, then backing it up with consistent podiums all year. Not exactly a walk in the park, that.
The battle for the remaining Pro Series podium spots was tasty. Patrick Lange locked up second without even racing today, while Khristian Hogenhaug’s gutsy performance was enough to snag third. Marquart? He’ll have to settle for fourth – still decent money but not quite the payday he was hoping for.
New King Of Middle Distance
Looking for a blueprint on how to nail your first world title? Grab a coffee and study what Jelle Geens just did in Taupō.
This wasn’t just another ex-ITU athlete dipping their toes in longer racing. This was a proper masterclass in race management from a bloke who’s spent the last year and a half getting his head kicked in on the World Triathlon circuit.
Let’s break down this Belgian waffle of perfection: Swim with the fish but don’t try to be one (22:23). Ride like you’ve got another race tomorrow (1:59:08). Then run like you’re the only one who knows how far 21.1km actually is (1:07:34). Sounds simple when you put it like that, doesn’t it?
The scary part? This was Geens’ first crack at a 70.3 world title. No warm-up years, no “learning experiences,” just straight to the top step. When was the last time we saw that kind of debut? Even the great Jan Frodeno had to pay his dues before claiming a middle-distance crown.
But here’s what should really keep his competitors up at night: Geens has figured out how to race this distance while others are still trying to survive it. That patient, calculated dismantling of Wilde’s lead wasn’t just good racing – it was a warning shot to everyone eyeing next year’s title.
The big question now? Whether this Belgian powerhouse sticks around in 70.3 or uses this as a stepping stone to full Ironman racing. Either way, after today’s performance, you’d be brave to bet against him.
Sometimes evolution in our sport comes from innovation. Other times, it comes from someone simply showing us a better way to do things we’ve been doing for years. Today in Taupō, Jelle Geens did both.