The 2026 IRONMAN® 70.3® Boise triathlon delivered thrilling professional racing with memorable performances from many of triathlon’s top talent as American Sam Long powered to a commanding victory in the men's race. Fellow American Kirsten Kasper mounted a spectacular late-race comeback to capture the women's title and maximum Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series points on a warm and windy day in Idaho's capital city. The event showcased a deep international professional field and welcomed thousands of athletes to one of the newest stops on the IRONMAN Pro Series circuit.
Women’s Race
The women's professional race produced one of the day's most exciting storylines as American Olympian Kirsten Kasper battled back from a deficit after the bike leg, to earn victory in dramatic fashion. The race began with New Zealand's Rebecca Clarke leading the swim in 25:41, with Kasper, Belgium's Hanne de Vet, American Jenna Campbell, and fellow Kiwi Hannah Berry all exiting the water among the lead group.
On the bike, De Vet delivered an aggressive performance and steadily built her advantage throughout the 90-kilometer course. The Belgian entered T2 with a lead of more than two minutes over Berry, while Kasper started the run in third position, facing a deficit of just over five minutes to the race leader. With De Vet looking increasingly in control, the race appeared destined to belong to the Belgian.
However, Kasper unleashed the fastest run of the day, methodically closing the gap. By the halfway point of the run course, De Vet's lead had shrunk dramatically as both Berry and Kasper surged forward. With approximately six kilometers remaining, the leading trio converged, setting the stage for a thrilling finish. Kasper's momentum proved unstoppable as she powered past her rivals and crossed the finish line first in 4:00:50. Berry claimed second in 4:02:05, while De Vet held on for third place in 4:03:29 after leading much of the race.
“My goal was to have a good swim and hopefully get some time on the girls, but they were right there with me,” said Kasper after her victory. Then on the bike, it was a solo ride most of the day. I knew I was going to give up some time, but just tried to not give up too much time. And on the run, I just went to my race plan and chipped away at it. I’m just ecstatic to come away with the win.”
When asked if she felt suited for middle distance racing after only her third IRONMAN 70.3 race, Kasper added, “Yeah, it still feels long. About 80K into the bike I was ready to get off. But I come from a run background so I actually love being able to race the half marathon and see how fast I can go.”
Men’s Race
On the men's side, Sam Long delivered another trademark performance, overcoming a sizeable swim deficit before taking complete control of the race. Switzerland's Ben Faeh exited the water first in 23:34, with France's Vincent Luis close behind. Long, known for his bike-run strength, began the day in 20th position, trailing the leaders by 2 minutes and 32 seconds after the swim.
Long quickly set about erasing the deficit once on the bike. Within the opening 17 kilometers, he had already moved into fourth place and cut the gap to little more than a minute. Continuing his relentless charge through the field, Long surged into the lead and steadily increased his advantage. By the second transition, he had opened more than three minutes on Faeh, while Luis began the run over four minutes behind.
The American remained untouchable over the final 13.1 miles, extending his lead throughout the run and never giving his challengers an opportunity to respond. Long stopped the clock in an impressive 3:32:25 to secure victory. Behind him, Ari Klau produced a strong all-around performance to take second place in 3:37:21, while Blake Harris rounded out the podium in 3:37:52. Early contenders Vincent Luis and Ben Faeh ultimately slipped to a very close fourth and fifth, as Long's dominant display reinforced his position as one of the sport's premier middle-distance athletes.
“I called (today’s race) the game of revenge, but it was truthfully revenge for myself. I just haven’t shown what I am truly capable of lately,” said Long who was asked how he performed so well without a bike computer during the race. “IRONMAN’s tag line is Anything is Possible, and sometimes I feel like we put our own limits on ourselves. This is win number 22 of my professional career so I have confidence when I say to myself, I know what I am doing. Today’s race was a bit about trusting myself, trusting my body, and knowing I had what it takes to get it down. Hats off to all the other guys out there. I’m really proud to race such tough field.”
Top Five Male Professional Results
| Pos |
Name |
Swim |
Bike |
Run |
Total Time |
Pro Series Points (unofficial) |
Prize Money |
| 1 |
Sam Long (USA) |
26:06 |
1:52:37 |
1:10:45 |
3:32:25 |
2,500 |
$7,500 |
| 2 |
Ari Klau (USA) |
27:50 |
1:57:09 |
1:08:32 |
3:37:21 |
2,204 |
$5,000 |
| 3 |
Blake Harris (CAN) |
25:21 |
1:58:22 |
1:10:36 |
3:37:52 |
2,173 |
$3,750 |
| 4 |
Vincent Luis (FRA) |
23:36 |
1:59:08 |
1:11:42 |
3:37:59 |
2,166 |
$3,000 |
| 5 |
Ben Faeh (CHE) |
23:34 |
1:57:55 |
1:14:05 |
3:38:50 |
2,115 |
$2,000 |
Top Five Female Professional Results
| Pos |
Name |
Swim |
Bike |
Run |
Total Time |
Pro Series Points (unofficial) |
Prize Money |
| 1 |
Kirsten Kasper (USA) |
25:41 |
2:12:13 |
1:19:33 |
4:00:50 |
2,500 |
$7,500 |
| 2 |
Hannah Berry (NZL) |
25:56 |
2:08:13 |
1:23:51 |
4:02:05 |
2,425 |
$5,000 |
| 3 |
Hanne De Vet (BEL) |
25:54 |
2:06:48 |
1:27:16 |
4:03:29 |
2,341 |
$3,750 |
| 4 |
Lydia Russell (USA) |
29:09 |
2:13:22 |
1:20:36 |
4:07:18 |
2,112 |
$3,000 |
| 5 |
Rebecca Clarke (NZL) |
25:41 |
2:15:50 |
1:28:27 |
4:14:00 |
1,710 |
$2,000 |
Full results for the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Boise triathlon can be found at www.ironman.com/races/im703-boise/results.
IRONMAN Pro Series Standings
The Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series is a year-long performance-based triathlon race series with professional triathletes being able to earn points at 16 races globally. Open to approximately 1,000 eligible professional triathletes worldwide, the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series ushers in a new era of IRONMAN racing where Every Second Matters with every second behind the race winner equating to a point earned or lost. For any athlete, only their top five event results count towards their overall Pro Series points and standing, of which a maximum of three IRONMAN results can be counted. How it works can be found here: www.ironman.com/proseries/about-ironman-pro-series
Following today’s race, the biggest movers in the men’s standings are Matt Hanson, who moved up seven spots into second in the standings, while Vincent Luis jumps seven spots to seventh in the Series. Race champion Sam Long takes a nine-point jump, putting him into the top 10. In the women’s standings, while Grace Thek remains in the top position, Hannah Berry’s second-place result sees her move four places into fifth place in the standings.
Overall IRONMAN Pro Series Standings – Top Five Male (After 12 Events)
| Rank???? |
Name (Country)? |
Total IRONMAN Pro Series Points (Max Top 5 events) |
Total Eligible Races Scored |
Eligible IRONMAN Races Scored |
Eligible IRONMAN 70.3 Races Scored |
| 1???? |
Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) |
14,142 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
| 2??? |
Matt Hanson (USA) |
12,912 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
| 3 |
Marten Van Riel (BEL) |
12,408 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| 4 |
Rudy Von Berg (USA) |
12,278 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
| 5 |
Casper Stornes (NOR) |
12,244 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Overall IRONMAN Pro Series Standings – Top Five Female (After 12 Events)
| Rank???? |
Name (Country)? |
Total IRONMAN Pro Series Points (Max Top 5 events) |
Total Eligible Races Scored |
Eligible IRONMAN Races Scored |
Eligible IRONMAN 70.3 Races Scored |
| 1???? |
Grace Thek (USA) |
12,996 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
| 2??? |
Marta Sanchez (ESP) |
12,444 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
| 3 |
Solveig Løvseth (NOR) |
12,385 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| 4 |
Tamara Jewett (CAN) |
12,196 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
| 5 |
Hannah Berry (NZL) |
12,159 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
Next Events Coming Up
Up next, the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series heads to the Swedish shores of the Baltic Sea for the first time with the IRONMAN Kalmar-Sweden on August 15.
A free replay of the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Boise triathlon is available to international audiences via www.ironman.com/proseries or IRONMAN’s YouTube Page, and on Outside+ for those watching from the United States and Canada.
For more information on the IRONMAN Pro Series, visit www.ironman.com/proseries