Results/Photos

Date: July 25, 2026 Participant: Marie Smith #3273 Race: 2026 Spudman Olympic Triathlon Event: Olympic Triathlon Weather: Hot, but otherwise a great day for a triathlon.

Age-Group Champion Caps Steady Climb Up the Podium Marie Smith closed out her 2026 Spudman Olympic Triathlon with a first-place finish in the Female 55-59 division, the best result of her five appearances at this race. Her overall time of 2:58:36 came together through a strong bike leg, where she climbed from 159th to 104th in her gender group by the final bike split, riding at an average of roughly 16.7 mph. She backed that up with a steady run, holding a consistent 9:08-9:18/mile pace through the back half of the course before closing with a strong final push. Looking at Marie's five-year history at Spudman, this finish continues a clear upward trend in competitiveness moving from 12th in her division in 2022 to 1st in 2026. While her swim split placed her mid-pack (315th among women), the gains on the bike and run more than made up for it, suggesting swim training could be a good focus for continued improvement.