Maja Stage Nielsen Retires From Triathlon
Maja Stage Nielsen, the Danish athlete who has raced professionally for more than a decade, has announced her retirement from triathlon. The 38-year-old said on Instagram that she no longer has “race mode” in her, even though she still loves training. She no longer wants to line up just to be on the start list.
Over a decade on the IRONMAN distance
Nielsen built her career on the long distance, where the racing is hardest. Her record includes a win at Apfelland Triathlon in 2023 and a string of second-place finishes at some of the biggest IRONMAN races.
- Mallorca, 2016
- Lanzarote and Cozumel, 2019
- Texas, 2023
- Hamburg, 2024
These are the course names that most amateurs treat as a lifetime goal. She raced them professionally, year after year.
This is it. Time to admit that I’m done racing triathlon. I’ve known for a while. Many of you probably suspected it too. I just didn’t have the courage to say it out loud.
Maja Stage Nielsen
Thirteen starts without a podium, despite good form
Her last podium finish was second place at IRONMAN 70.3 Westfriesland the previous season. After that came thirteen consecutive starts without a top-three result. She opened the 2026 season with a DNF at IRONMAN New Zealand, pulling out on the bike leg.
Her fitness had not left her, though. In May, after that DNF, she ran the Copenhagen Marathon, finishing 17th among women in 2:44:04.
Sport is as hard as it is rewarding. Being an athlete is the only thing I’ve known. It challenged me, shaped me and gave me more than I ever dreamed of. I learned to love swimming, I love riding my bike, I love running and I still love doing it every day, except on race day. I don’t have any “race mode” left in me, and I’m done being the athlete who shows up to the start line just to be there. I’ve done that too many times already. It was never the real me, and I don’t want it to keep being me.
Maja Stage Nielsen
What comes next, without a plan yet
Nielsen admits she has no plan yet for the next stage, even though she made the decision long ago. The new chapter unsettles her more than any professional start did, despite more than a decade of lining up at the gun.
I always loved the process more than the result. Training, the daily routine, small improvements, that’s what gave me joy.
Maja Stage Nielsen
I have no idea what comes next. I only know I still have dreams and goals to chase. I know sport will always be part of my life. I know I need to find a job, and I know it’s time to get moving. This isn’t goodbye to sport. This isn’t goodbye to you. It’s only goodbye to racing triathlon professionally.
Maja Stage Nielsen