Sam Long Smashes the Bike Record at Boise 70.3

Idaho hosted the IRONMAN Pro Series for the first time and got a show out of it. Sam Long demolished the bike course record and carried it to the line without much trouble. Kirsten Kasper came off the bike five minutes down and won it in the closing kilometres of the run.

The conditions wrote the script

Rough water on Saturday 25 July forced changes before the start. The age-group swim was cancelled, the professionals went off late, and the swim course was cut to two smaller loops instead of one long one. The distances stayed standard for a half: 1.9 km / 90 km / 21.1 km.

Men: Long claws back 2:32 and rides to a record

Switzerland’s Ben Faeh led out of the water in 23:34, ahead of France’s Vincent Luis. Long surfaced 20th, 2:32 off the lead.

That gap did not survive long on the bike. Long caught Faeh after 32 kilometres and never gave the position back. He rode the leg in 1:52:37, a course record by almost 2.5 minutes. Nobody even tried to chase on the run: his lead over Luis was already 5:05 after the first 5 km.

Long finished in 3:32:25 off a 1:10:45 run, his 22nd professional win. Second went to American Ari Klau in 3:37:21 with the fastest run of the day, third to Canadian Blake Harris in 3:37:52, just ahead of Luis in 3:37:59. Faeh came in fifth.

“I called this race revenge, but really it was revenge on myself. Lately I just have not been showing what I am capable of,” Long said at the finish. “This is my 22nd professional win, so I know what I am doing.”

Women: De Vet led, Kasper reeled her in

New Zealander Rebecca Clarke won the swim in 25:41, with Kasper, Belgium’s Hanne De Vet and New Zealander Hannah Berry right behind her. De Vet attacked on the bike. She rode into T2 more than 1:30 clear of Berry, with Kasper close to 5 minutes adrift.

De Vet stretched the lead further in the opening kilometres of the run, then it began to shrink after 5 km. Kasper was running faster than anyone in the field, had taken back most of the deficit by halfway, and over the last 5 km all three were on top of each other. Kasper won the decisive exchange and finished in 4:00:50, 1:14 ahead of Berry (4:02:05). De Vet, in front for most of the day, had to settle for third in 4:03:29.

That is Kasper’s second IRONMAN 70.3 win from only three starts at the distance. The American, an Olympian, is now aiming at qualification for LA 2028 through middle-distance racing.

“My goal was a good swim and to take some time out of the girls, but they were right there with me,” Kasper said. “On the bike I was basically riding solo. I knew I would lose some time, but I tried not to lose too much. On the run I stuck to the plan and just took back metre after metre.”

What it means for the rest of the season

Long has been through a thin spell without a big win. Boise is a form signal ahead of the remaining IRONMAN Pro Series races. For Kasper it confirms that the move from the Olympic circuit to 70.3 is going unusually well: three starts, two wins.

This sits alongside IRONMAN 70.3 Happy Valley: Foley Beats Sam Long at Last. Racelify lists triathlons worldwide by date and distance.