Sweet Triathlon

RACE REPORT - IRONMAN TALLINN 2026 — SUB10 ATTEMPT WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️

10 hours and 3 minutes.

Three minutes away from my goal — but this race was about so much more than the final time.

🌊 SWIM — 1:14
The morning started with heavy fog and almost no visibility. The start was delayed by nearly an hour, and for a while we didn’t know if we would even swim the full distance. I started early, hoping to find some drafting, and trusted the swimmers ahead of me to keep us going in the right direction.

Once I found my rhythm after 500m, I really enjoyed the swim. 1:14 — a new PB for me.

🚴‍♂️ BIKE — just over 5 hours
My plan was 180–185W, but managing my glucose made things complicated from the beginning. My sugars dropped, then unexpectedly climbed high, forcing me to stop three times for insulin.

I was also fighting pain in my hips, glutes and back, but I kept pushing. The final 30km brought strong headwinds, but I stayed in the aero position and finished close to my planned bike time.

🏃‍♂️ RUN — 3:34
My legs felt great at the start and I had to slow myself down from 4:45/km to stay on target. For most of the marathon, I was right where I needed to be for Sub10.

Then came the final 4km.

My legs became incredibly stiff and painful, and eventually every step became a battle. At 38km I had to stop running and start walking. At that moment, I knew Sub10 was gone.

My new goal was simple: finish the Ironman safely.

I crossed the finish line in 10:03 — disappointed to miss my goal by just 3 minutes, but incredibly proud.

New PB on the swim.
New PB on the bike.
New PB on the run.
New PB for the full Ironman.

I didn’t break 10 hours, but I gave everything I had.

Tackling Sub10 wouldn’t be possible without training session prepared to the smallest details by Neil from Neil Campbell

And I couldn’t have done it without my incredible support crew — my wife Anna and the girls, and Mark and Sandra, who stood on the course in heavy rain and gave me the loudest support I could have asked for.

Sub10 didn’t happen this time. But the journey isn’t over.

I missed the Sub10 goal — but I finished my Ironman with my new PB. 💙

10:03:00.

Just 3 minutes outside the goal I had been chasing for more than a year.

I’m disappointed that I didn’t break 10 hours, but I’m incredibly proud of what I achieved. I gave everything I had on the day, while managing Type 1 Diabetes through 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of cycling and 42.2 km of running.

The goal was Sub10. The result was 10:03.

But this journey was never only about a number on the clock. It was about proving that Type 1 Diabetes doesn’t have to define what we can achieve.

Thank you to my family, my coach, my friends, everyone who supported me, followed my journey and believed in me. ❤️

The goal was missed. The dream is not over.

Over one year of preparation. Three days to go. 🔥

In 3 days, I’ll take on the biggest challenge of my journey — Ironman Tallinn, with one goal in mind: break 10 hours while living with Type 1 Diabetes. 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️

The training is done, thank you to Neil from Neil Campbell . The hard work is done. The sacrifices have been made.

Now it’s time to execute. 💪

It’s a hugely challenging goal, but I believe that if I can put everything together on race day — pacing, nutrition, blood glucose management and, most importantly, the right mindset — 9:59:59 is possible.

Whatever happens, I’ll give everything I have.

If you want to follow my race, you can track me in the Ironman app by selecting Ironman Tallinn and looking for bib #443.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. Special thanks to my love Anna and girls❤️

Three days. One goal. One Ironman. Let’s go. 🔥

One year ago, I started my journey towards one goal: Sub-10 Ironman with Type 1 Diabetes.

The last 15 days have been the longest and most demanding training block I’ve ever completed.

🚴 Cycling: 787.65 km in 23h 55m 29s
🏃 Running: 95.05 km in 7h 41m 31s
🏊 Swimming: 17,998 m in 6h 34m 39s

Every kilometre, every session, and every minute was completed while keeping my blood glucose in a good range. Managing Type 1 Diabetes alongside this training is a challenge in itself, but it’s one I’m committed to every single day.

Sometimes people say I’m talented. The truth is, the only talent I have is the willingness to work hard. Results don’t come from talent alone—they come from consistency, discipline, and showing up day after day, even when it’s difficult.

The journey to Ironman Tallinn continues. One session at a time. One step closer to the dream.

A lovely morning in Ballina and another great day of racing!
It was a pleasure to be part of a relay team with my coach, Neil, taking on the bike leg. I felt strong throughout the race, and together we came away with 🥇 1st place in a very competitive field.
A huge thank you to my girls for coming along to support me. Having you there means everything and makes every race even more special. ❤️
On to the next challenge!

Mondello24 done and dusted! 🚴‍♂️🔥

A fantastic 24 hours of racing with the DNA Draft Dodgers ( #435). I’m really happy with how the race unfolded and especially with the pace I was able to maintain throughout my stints.

In a very strong field, we battled hard and came away with 10th place, something we can all be proud of. Personally, I covered 235 km, climbed over 1,000 m, and spent over 6 hours in the saddle, making it my longest ride ever. It was a great test of endurance, pacing, teamwork and recovery.

Most importantly, the body is feeling surprisingly good and recovering well, which is always a positive sign with bigger goals still ahead. Huge thanks to my teammates, supporters and everyone who cheered us on over the last 24 hours.

235.21 km • 1,063 m elevation • 6h 18m riding time • 37.2 km/h average speed

On to the next challenge. 💪

Well done to our fantastic fellas who came 10th in the highly competitive 4-man race and 4th in the 8-man race 👏
Serious power and pace for the full 24 hours with the 4 man team covering 850km at an average of over 35 km/h (including handovers) and the 8 man team covering well over 800km 🚀
Great camaraderie with the 12 lads supporting each other throughout the 24 hours to cover 1,000 miles between them!

🚴‍♂️🔥 The challenge has begun! 🔥🚴‍♂️

At 12:00 PM today, our 4-man team DNA Draft Dodgers ( #435) rolled onto the track for the Mindello24 challenge. Twenty-four hours of racing, teamwork, strategy, and digging deep when the legs start to complain.

Time to embrace the suffering, enjoy the atmosphere, and see what we can achieve together over the next 24 hours. Thanks to everyone following and supporting us along the way – every message gives us an extra push! 💪

Track our progress and cheer us on! 🚴‍♂️⚡https://www.popupraces.ie/race/mondello-24-2026/

EnduranceCycling TriathlonDNA RideTogether

Round 5 of the Tri Lakes TT Series completed! 🚴‍♂️

The legs were still feeling Saturday’s race, and I just couldn’t find any extra power when it mattered most. Despite that, I’m happy with the result and pleased to keep the consistency going. Every race is another step forward and another opportunity to learn.

Looking forward to the final round next week and giving it everything I’ve got! 💪

Another solid week of training in the books. The body is carrying a bit of fatigue, but that’s part of the process. Every session, every early morning and every tough mile is another step closer to my Sub10 Ironman project while racing with Type 1 Diabetes. Progress is built in the hard weeks. 💪🏊🚴🏃