Christian Blumenfelt erased a 90-second bike deficit with a 1:06 half marathon lap to beat 70.3 world champion Jilly Janes while Kat Matthews edged out Grace Thicke by just 36 seconds to secure maximum Pro Series points.
Updated on March 21, 2026 at 08:59 PM
It was a perfect morning for speed racing in Geelong – still winds, cool temperatures and a stacked men’s field featuring Christian Blumenfelt (NOR), Gilly Janes (BEL) and Hayden Wilde (NZL) lining up over 70.3 against each other for the first time.
On the women’s side, all eyes were on Kat Matthews (GBR) who made a quick comeback after winning the New Zealand Ironman, along with Tamara Jewett (CAN), while local favorite Grace Thicke (AUS) – who has been on the podium eight times here – looked to benefit from fresher legs.
The strong start list for this race once again underscored the influence of the Pro Series, bringing notable names together repeatedly, even early in the season.
On the men’s level, New Zealand’s Trent Thorpe set the pace for the swim, edging Paris Olympics fourth-placed Pierre Le Curie (France) to create a nearly one-minute gap over the main contenders. However, this advantage was short-lived, as a quick shift from Wild and Jens immediately cut it off, and Wild soon took control of the lap two bike at the front with only Jens and Jake Birtwistle (AUS) at the wheel.
Meanwhile, Blumenfelt began to slide, sitting in the middle of the road for 34 seconds. Thorpe and Le Corre, who had a positive start to the day, will abandon the race before T2, leaving the race to the main contenders at the front of the bike.
On a busy second lap through age-group traffic, Wilde led the way and started to open things up. Janes responded, with Birtwistle and Kurt MacDonald (AUS) staying in touch, while Blumenfelt drifted further back – eventually more than 90 seconds back heading into T2.
After his new bike course record and with Blumenfelt in his rearview, Wilde was hoping the momentum would continue during the run, but Jeans and Blumenfelt responded immediately with a fast start, and by the 5km mark, it was inevitable that the three would soon be side by side.
In the end, Blummenfelt never gave up his strong early pace and produced a 1:06:39 half marathon to edge out both Geens and Wilde and go clear without much retaliation.
Janes went on to finish second, also below his previous course record, while Wild finished 1:27 behind. He was gracious in defeat despite not initially planning to run this race, and said that after the race there were “no excuses” and he was not yet ready to compete with “these two best in the world.” (It was intended instead to WTCS Abu Dhabi, which has been postponed).
2026 IRONMAN 70.3 GEELONG MEN’S RESULTS
On the women’s side, a relative newcomer to middle-distance racing, Britain’s Sophia Green, made an early solo break in the swim to lead the bike. Steve Clutterbuck (GBR) followed by 43 seconds, while Matthews was out in the chasing pack almost 90 seconds behind with a large group of nine, including Grace Thicke and Milano Agnew (AUS). Jewett narrowly missed that group early in the swim and started on the bike with about three minutes to spare.
Unsurprisingly, Matthews moved quickly into the competition, getting to Green early on the bike before riding most of the course with her. About two-thirds later, Matthews made her move, opening a crucial gap and removing any doubts of fatigue from New Zealand.
By T2, she held more than two minutes on Green and almost four minutes in a chasing group led by Thek, Clutterbuck, Agnew and Penny Slater (AUS), while Jewett had a deficit of almost 12 minutes to overcome – meaning a podium finish would be a huge challenge.
Thek was the standout early in the race, moving into second place and closing steadily as Matthews appeared to be starting to feel the effects of the previous two weeks. With the gap narrowing to just under a minute with a few miles to go, it looked like it could come down to the wire. But in the end, Matthews had enough power to hold off Thicke by just 36 seconds.
As for Thek, she achieved an impressive ninth podium finish in Geelong, continuing her consistency in the event before the next Pro Series stop in Texas, where she is set to face Matthews again.
Incredibly, Jewett was able to overturn this huge bike deficit to secure the podium once again in the Pro Series. You’ll now have a long break before returning to racing at 70.3 Happy Valley and Ironman Lake Placid.
With competition already heating up in the Pro Series – and records falling in both New Zealand and Geelong – all eyes are now on Oceanside and Texas. Stacked start lists are set for battle, including several podium contenders from this race making the trip. Stay tuned to Triathlete’s field coverage.
