Hayden Wilde Wins First World Triathlon Title

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New Zealand Triathlete Hayden Wilde stormed to his first Ironman 70.3 World Championship title in Nice, France, on 13 September 2026, holding off a fast-finishing rival for a thrilling win.

Wilde swam, biked and ran his way to victory in a total time of 3 hours, 50 minutes and 51 seconds. That covered a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride, and a 21.1km run, all one after the other.

It wasn’t easy. Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt started the run more than two and a half minutes behind Wilde, in 16th place, but produced a course-record run to close the gap. In the end, Wilde crossed the line just 18 seconds ahead of him.

Belgium’s Jelle Geens, who had won the world title the previous two years, finished third.

To make things even trickier, Wilde lost his watch during the transition between the bike and run legs of the race. He had to complete the run without it, relying on fellow competitor Lasse Nygaard Priester, who finished fifth, to help pace him.

Wilde’s win caps off a big year for New Zealand triathlon and shows the Kiwi is one of the best all-round endurance athletes in the world.

He’ll now turn his attention to future races, with plenty more competition still to come this season.


Te Reo Māori

Ka Riro I A Hayden Wilde Tana Karauna Ao Tuatahi Mō Te Triathlon
I wikitoria a Hayden Wilde, te kaitākaro triathlon nō Aotearoa, i tōna Whakataetae Ao Ironman 70.3 tuatahi i Nice, i Wīwī, i te 13 o Hepetema 2026, ā, he wikitoria whakaongaonga i muri i te whai tata mai a tētahi kaiwhakataetae tere.

I kau, i eke paihikara, ā, i oma a Wilde ki te wikitoria i roto i te 3 haora, 50 meneti, me te 51 hēkona. I roto i tērā ko te 1.9km te kaukau, te 90km te eke paihikara, me te 21.1km te oma, kotahi i muri i tētahi.

Ehara i te mea māmā. I tīmata a Kristian Blummenfelt nō Norway i te oma neke atu i te rua meneti me te haurua i muri i a Wilde, i te tūranga 16, engari i oma ia i te tere rekoata mō te ara, hei whakapoto i te āputa. I te mutunga, e 18 hēkona noa iho i mua i a ia a Wilde i te whitinga i te raina.

Ko Jelle Geens nō Belgium, nāna nei i riro ai te karauna ao i ngā tau e rua kua pahure ake, i mutu tuatoru.

Hei whakauaua ake anō, i ngaro tana wati i a Wilde i te wā whakawhiti i waenganui i te waahanga eke paihikara me te waahanga oma. I takoto māna ki te oma me te kore wati, ā, i whakawhirinaki ia ki a Lasse Nygaard Priester, tētahi atu kaiwhakataetae i mutu tuarima, hei āwhina i a ia ki te whakarite i tōna tere.

Ko tēnei wikitoria a Wilde te whakamutunga o tētahi tau nui mō te triathlon o Aotearoa, ā, e whakaatu ana he kaitākaro manawaroa tino pai ia o te ao.

Ka aro ake ia ki ngā whakataetae kei mua i te aroaro, he maha tonu ngā whakataetae kei te haere mai i tēnei wā tākaro.

How did this story make you feel?

SMART Prep | Quick Question 211159

At Hauraki Intermediate, students use tablets in some lessons and notebooks in others. In science, they research facts quickly and record results in digital tables. In English, however, many still prefer to plan ideas by hand before typing them up. Teachers say technology is useful when it helps students learn more clearly, but it should not replace thinking or discussion. The school has found that the best lessons are those where students use the right tool for the task. In other words, tablets are helpful, but learning works best when they are part of a balanced approach.

What is the main idea of this passage?

  

Did You Know?

How long did Hayden Wilde take to complete the race?
Hayden Wilde completed the race in 3 hours, 50 minutes, and 51 seconds!

Vocabulary

Click on the words in the article. See if you can find them all.
  • triathlon A race with three sports: swimming, biking, and running. In a triathlon, athletes compete in swimming, biking, and running.
  • endurance The ability to keep going for a long time. Endurance is important for athletes in long races.
  • transition The time between different parts of a race. The transition is when athletes switch from biking to running.
  • Thinking Question

    What challenges do you think athletes face during long races like this?

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