Episode 127: Ironman’s 20 Metre Draft Zone! Samla 100

Jenna and Josh catch up on training, travel, and the early season triathlon buzz. Josh is rebuilding his run carefully ahead of Tokyo while stacking big swim and bike weeks. Jenna-Caer is back from Qatar and still feeling the Samla 100, a wild 100 km multi sport race that delivered five transitions, deep sand, and a finish rate that made the cutoff times feel very real. They also dig into one of the biggest pro racing updates of the year, Ironman officially moving the pro draft zone from 12 metres to 20 metres, plus a quick look ahead to Challenge Sir Bani Yas and the rest of the season’s chaos.

Highlights
 • Josh’s training update, back running after 10 to 11 days off, with short easy runs, strong swim consistency, and big bike volume
 • Tokyo mindset shift, prioritizing getting to the start healthy over chasing a risky time goal
 • Jenna’s Samla 100 recap, 3k ocean swim, 21k run, 22k mountain bike, 4k kayak, 22k mountain bike, 28k desert run
 • Why Samla felt harder than an Ironman, 49k of running with long stretches in soft sand and a day that moved slower than expected
 • Surprise pro start line in Qatar, including Rachel Klamer and Jess Learmonth, plus a stacked men’s field
 • Pre race chaos and highlights, course preview in the desert, riding camels, and getting the full “pro treatment” experience
 • Mountain bike reality, constant dismounts, pushing up sand dunes, and shoes full of sand
 • Race logistics and broadcast notes, impressive production for a first year event in the desert, including multi box coverage
 • The number that stuck, an estimated 30 percent finish rate
 • Race preview, Challenge Sir Bani Yas with a strong early season pro field and an unusual cruise ship travel setup
 • The big news, Ironman moves the pro draft zone from 12 metres to 20 metres for the 2026 season
 • What Ironman shared, testing indicated a meaningful reduction in draft benefit at 20 metres, plus a more transparent media call with Scott Derue
 • Age group note, no change for age group draft rules at this time
 • Bingo board segment, predictions on doping news, first time world champions, Paula Findlay’s full distance debut, Supertri short shoot impact, and whether Cam Wurf can win a pro series race

Quickfire Q and A
 • What was Josh’s biggest win this week? Building swim fitness fast, and returning to running without the old pain flaring
 • What surprised Jenna most about Samla 100? How much of the running was soft sand, and how quickly pace stopped mattering
 • What was the easiest leg? The kayak, unless your kayak sinks
 • What is the biggest rule change discussed? Ironman shifting the pro draft zone from 12 metres to 20 metres
 • Does this change anything for age group racing? No, it applies to pros only at this point
 • What are they most excited to see this season? How the 20 metre rule reshapes race tactics and creates more genuine come from behind stories

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Jenna @jennacaer
 Josh, @joshmvernon
 Fede, @fedemultisport