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Triathlon Stories. Past. Present. Future.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Detailed archival reconstruction turns past triathlons into vivid contests shaped by courses, equipment, tactics and the sport's changing professional culture.
Ross reconstructs triathlon's earlier eras with the patience of an archivist and the excitement of someone still absorbed by every move on the course.
A 1993 indoor triathlon gets the scrutiny you usually reserve for your own race splits.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Nice as a race, and as a fight over what triathlon should be.
The piece treats the 1990 Nice Triathlon as a real argument about the sport, not just a results note. Mark Allen's return to defend his course record gives it shape, and the focus on prize money and elite competition keeps the story moving.
A source-driven look at the France Iron Tour that keeps the race's biggest questions in view.
It opens on a Beach Boys clip before turning to triathlon reporting, moving through archive material, race coverage, and magazine sourcing. The France Iron Tour is presented as an ambitious undertaking, and the central questions stay clear: who would line up, where it would…
A measured seasonal rewind that treats old race reports like live evidence.
Russ spends this episode replaying Ben Bright's 1992 season, starting with the Nice blow-up and then moving through the races, reports, and memories that followed.
A rerouted Ironman told through beach starts, cold water, and the details that keep the race vivid.
The piece reads like a race account before it reads like history, which is the right order for it. It keeps the beach start, the rerouted course, the cold-water nerves, and the practical race notes in plain view, so early Ironman feels improvised without turning messy.
A detailed, low-key look at Bordeaux 1993 and the mechanics of early triathlon coverage.
The episode uses the 1993 Bordeaux Indoor Triathlon as a clean entry point into a narrow slice of sports memory. It moves from race history and live coverage to the equipment details and brand names that give the day a more lived-in feel, while still keeping the focus on the…
Archive radio, family memory, and race detail give the bonus episode a crisp, specific momentum.
Ross folds a short bonus episode around two threads: a 1989 Florida family trip and a saved cut of Running and Racing. The opening memory is concrete enough to stick, with Monarch Airlines, Bangor, Maine, and a first triathlon that already seems to be pulling him toward faster…
Old magazines become a sharp guide to how the late-1980s tri season began.
Ross uses a pile of old triathlon magazines to open a clear window onto the late-1980s season openers, where memory matters as much as results.
A wetsuit history piece that makes triathlon rules and archive material feel immediate.
This episode turns a wetsuit into a lens on triathlon's early rules, cold water pragmatism, and the sport's visual record. It has a clear archival streak without feeling stiff.
Triathlon talk from inside race week.
Triathlon news, unfiltered opinions, one weekly group ride.
Bill Simmons debates NBA tanking, MVP races, and movies with Zach Lowe and friends.
Zach Lowe and ESPN colleagues dissect NBA trades, cap rules, and roster fit.
Big Cat and PFT Commenter cover the NFL, March Madness, and NHL for laughs.
Ryen Russillo runs weekly NFL and MLB recaps with beat reporters like Jeff Passan and Mike Sando.
This episode delves into the 1993 Bordeaux Indoor Triathlon, analyzing its historical significance, format challenges, and key moments like crashes and prize disparities.
This segment discusses the strategic importance of the team time trial in the 1995 FIT, focusing on team coordination in swimming and cycling to gain an early advantage, and touches on tactical decisions during the run.
The segment discusses stage two of the 1995 France Iron Tour in Besançon, highlighting the city's history, cycling routes, and local rivalries.
Ross opens with a clip from the 1990 TV movie *Summer Dreams*, where the Beach Boys are arguing about *Pet Sounds*.
This episode explores the history of the London Marathon and the iconic Sweatshop running store in Teddington, founded by co-founder Chris Brasher.
Host Ross shares a personal story from a 1989 Florida trip where he discovered the ESPN show 'Running and Racing', then plays an audio version of an episode from July 1989.
Ross opens by saying the schedule is a bit uneven.
St.
The episode opens off Nice, with the water around 65 degrees and an old broadcast rolling in behind it.
Nice looks glamorous and mean in the same breath.
Russ picks up where the Nice blow-up left off.
The episode opens at the beach.