Results/Photos

Date: July 25, 2026 Participant: Sam Nelson #6194 Race: 2026 Spudman Olympic Triathlon Event: Olympic Triathlon Weather: Hot, but otherwise a great day for a triathlon.

Steady Bike Power Anchors a Hard-Fought Olympic Finish Sam Nelson completed the 2026 Spudman Olympic Triathlon in 3:00:29, finishing 499th overall out of 1,987 participants and 412th among men. He was fastest for stretches of the bike course, notably averaging over 21 mph through one five-and-a-half-mile segment where he moved up to 146th overall a clear high point in his race. His overall bike leg speed settled around 17.4 mph, a solid, consistent effort across the 23-plus mile ride. Compared to his three prior Spudman finishes 2:59:03 in 2023, a personal best 2:43:32 in 2024, and 2:48:11 in 2025 this year's result was his slowest at this race. The swim (22:47) and T1 (6:51) took a bit longer than in previous efforts, and the 10K run closed out in just under 65 minutes. With his bike strength clearly on display, tightening up transition times and building more consistent run pacing could help him move back toward his 2024 form.