Christian Blumenfeld ran a 1:06 off the bike after coming off an Ironman weeks earlier.
1. Fitter Radio Triathlon Podcast #661 centers on Kat Matthews, Christian Blumenfeld, Taylor Nibb, Hayden Wilde, and Tamara Jewett across Geelong, T100, and Ironman New Zealand.
2. Coach Bevan McKinnon and Coach Tim Brazier host the show, and Jewett appears as the guest because her New Zealand races and run strength are a major part of the discussion.
3. The episode asks what these results mean for 2025 form, bike-run balance, and how athletes like Matthews, Blumenfeld, and Jewett are positioning themselves for Texas and Kona.
4. Matthews’ Geelong and Oceania performances are described as controlled wins that banked maximum points without obvious full gas effort.
5. The hosts say she was not at peak form in Geelong, but still took the job done against fields they describe as not especially strong.
6. They note that Matthews’ schedule leaves only about 3 weeks to Texas, followed by roughly 25 weeks to Kona.
7. Bevan and Tim contrast that approach with Hannah Berry and other athletes who avoided the double because of the recovery risk.
8. They frame Matthews’ year as a strategic block that could preserve her body while keeping her in position for Texas and later world-title races.
9. Christian Blumenfeld’s Geelong performance is discussed as a heavy-favorite effort after an Ironman, with travel to Oceanside and then Texas already on his calendar.
10. The hosts highlight that Blumenfeld had done three sets of 24 hundreds before the race and still produced a 1:06 run off the bike.
11. They call that run one of the best off-the-bike performances they have seen for a long time.
12. Hayden Wilde’s Geelong result is treated cautiously because his focus is still short course and his middle-distance appearance came from a late race opportunity.
13. Bevan points to Hayden’s New Zealand summer, media obligations, and recent track times, including 14:05 for 5,000 meters, as reasons to wait for Samarkand and Yokohama before judging form.
14. The conversation also notes that Hugo Milner ran 13:51 at the Haikou World Cup in China, which underscored how fast short-course runners are becoming.
15. Taylor Nibb’s T100 win is presented as a strong start to her season, backed by the $50,000 US prize and bonuses.
16. The hosts say the women’s T100 field lacked depth after several big names did not start, while Jess Fullagar impressed on a borrowed bike from Lucy Byram’s team.
17. The tone is analytical and conversational, with Bevan and Tim trading race reads, performance comparisons, and safety concerns.
18. Jewett’s interview portion is more reflective, with questions about Toronto, San Francisco, Wanaka, and the shift from law to full-time triathlon.
19. Listeners interested in women’s long-course triathlon, bike-run development, and race strategy will get the most from this episode.
20. Listeners wanting a pure race recap without athlete background or scheduling detail may skip it.
