Buck the Trend Pod

Forget the race recap. You’ve seen it. This week we’re talking about the Kona moments that got us: Kat stopping to lift Paula on Palani, Solveig’s collapse and who’s actually allowed to help, Gustav racing in pink for his mum, and Vincent bowing out on top. Plus, all eight of our Stories Behind the Start Line athletes finished. Eight from eight! Steph also shares a big health update and why she’s itching to race again. Grab a coffee and come hang out.

Kona 2026? The biggest question after a brutal Ironman World Championship weekend is not who won - it's whether the island, the rules, and the athletes are still set up to thrive on race day.
Steph and Matt go beyond the usual race recap to unpack the moments everyone is talking about: the shocking DNF rate, the heat and humidity that turned the Queen K into a battlefield, and the safety questions raised when athletes hit the floor and could not get immediate help. If you care about Kona, athlete safety, or what elite racing looks like when conditions turn savage, this conversation is the one you need. They also break down the clips and storylines that made this race feel bigger than results alone.
You’ll hear the human side of the day too: Kat Matthews slowing to encourage Paula, Gustav Iden racing with deep personal meaning after losing his mum to cancer, Matthew Marquardt’s remarkable consistency while balancing medical school and elite triathlon, and the emotional return of Magnus Ditlev after a difficult stretch. The episode also covers Vincent Luis’ Kona win and his retirement call, plus the tactical lessons hidden inside the penalties, pacing choices, and smart decisions that decided the race.
Essential listening if you want the real story behind Kona, not just the podium.

Kona is shaping up to be a test of grit, strategy, and survival.
Steph and Matt breaks down how choppy water, fierce winds, and brutal heat could shake up the Ironman World Championship, and who might come out on top.
From Lucy Charles-Barclay’s position as the woman to beat to the contenders chasing the men’s title, this is your informal preview of a race where quite literally anything can happen!

If you're a triathlon fan, you've probably come across Kellie on Instagram. She has created her brand making inspirational and SUPER engaging content on her journey through triathlon and today we dig a little more into who she is and how on earth she found herself in the world of swim, bike and run.
Kellie went from a non-sporty drama kid to Kona first-timer in just a few years, and the path here is messier, funnier, and more inspiring than you’d expect. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re "too late" to start triathlon, this one will change your mind. From running as a lockdown coping mechanism to entering Ironman with zero clue what a DNF was, Kellie tells the story of learning the sport the hard way - then turning that late start into momentum, confidence, and qualifying for Kona.
Then the conversation goes deeper into something bigger than racing. Kelly shares how she and her friend Pippa built For The Girls, a women’s triathlon community designed to remove the barriers that stop women from showing up, signing up, and staying in the sport. They talk about group rides, beginner training plans, race recce rides, bike maintenance sessions, and why support matters just as much as the event itself. If you’re heading to Kona, chasing an Ironman slot, or trying to find your place in triathlon, there’s a lot here to take with you.

The second episode of your Daily Kona Digest for World Champs race week! A roll call of the 57 men on the start list, where they qualified, their strengths and where else we've seen them race this year.
We're counting down the days, are you?!