Brad Culp has been competing in triathlon since 2002 and writing about it almost as long. He was hired as Triathlete’s first editorial intern in 2005 and served as the magazine’s editor-in-chief from 2008-2010. He’s also spent time working as a media manager for the International Triathlon Union and editor-in-chief of LAVA magazine. He’s also covered 12 of the last 13 Ironman World Championships for various media outlets.
Favorite Race: Either the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon in France (best course) or the Bilbao Triathlon in Spain (best crowds and food).
Favorite Quote: “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eiseley
Favorite Triathlete article: “Lucy Charles-Barclay is Rewriting the Rules of Ironman Racing“
The unofficial start to the North American professional triathlon season isn’t until next weekend at 70.3 Oceanside, but there was still plenty of action on the other side of the globe. Brad Culp recaps the New Plymouth World Cup, Hell of the West, and 70.3s in Geelong and Davao.
Columnist Brad Culp recaps a weekend of racing that included Anne Haug’s 1:16 run split at Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote, back-to-back wins from Lucy Byram, and a dominant performance from Team USA in paratri.
Columnist Brad Culp recaps what you couldn’t watch at Clash Miami, and what you probably didn’t watch at round two of the Super League Arena Games in Switzerland.
It's only March and already controversy reigns supreme in the world of pro triathlon with an equipment protest at WTS Abu Dhabi, an after-the-fact DQ and podium shake up at Ironman South Africa, and a relatively drama-free day of racing at Ironman New Zealand.
It finally feels like the 2023 triathlon season is officially underway, and if last weekend's races are any indication, professional tri is in a pretty good place.
Jan Frodeno is back - and we might finally see him toe the line against the Norwegians.
A short-course star shines in his first try at the 70.3 distance at home. Plus: Place your bets now for Challenge Roth and Lionel's Super League debut.
Did Ironman shoot itself in the foot by moving to a two-day, two-location format for its world championship event? Columnist Brad Culp looks at the implications of the Kona-Nice split.
Was 2022 the greatest year in the history of professional triathlon? Columnist Brad Culp recaps the highlights of the season.
From the low desert of California, to the the World Center of [car] Racing and the far-Western reaches of Australia, there was a lot going on last weekend. Columnist Brad Culp recaps.
The racing in Abu Dhabi was even more exciting than the FIFA soccer being played 300 miles away in Doha. Nearly 1,500 miles away in Israel, Patrick Lange had the entire running and triathlon world wondering if the shoes are getting too damn fast.
Sarah True and Joe Skipper burned down the course at Ironman Arizona, while the heat proved to be a formidable foe at Ironman Cozumel. Brad Culp recaps the weekend of racing.
The longest World Triathlon season in world history made its penultimate stop in Bermuda; South Africa has a new 70.3, and we take a quick race-cation to Cabo.
What the heck is a “Maurten move” anyway? And more…
A few surprises highlight the combined Hawaii Ironman World Championship 2022 Kona bike count data from days one and two, as well as pro men's bike count data—including frames, wheels, saddles, components, and more. UPDATED: Hydration.
Feast upon the bike count data behind the frames, components, aerobars, wheels, and saddles that the 2022 Hawaii Ironman World Championship day one racers are using in Kona this year.
Chugging beer out of pink plastic flamingos, Ponchoman on the ukulele, and the hallowed (drinking) grounds of the Hawaii Ironman World Championships—Huggo’s.
Speedy and dirty racing in Europe marks a weekend of non-Hawaii-related race action.
Bob Babbitt shares what happened, and Brad Culp explains why it mattered.
We take a quick look at a busy weekend of pro racing in the U.S. and a weird weekend of racing overseas.
With Kona less than 30 days away and a brief respite in the World Triathlon Championship Series, you’d think pro triathlon racing would chill for a moment. Instead, just about every corner of the globe saw some swim-bike-run action. Brad Culp recaps it all.
It’s Super League Championship season, and our columnist quickly tackles the important things like SLT teams and kits, as well as some very exciting rivalries played out in super-sprint time.
The first World Cup on Norwegian soil plays host to two exciting battles, Emma Pallant-Browne adds another win to her resume in Austria, and more.
A packed weekend of racing that included 36 of the world’s best competing in the second annual Collins Cup, while Alistair Brownlee and Lucy Charles-Barclay made triumphant returns.
Iden and Gentle cash in $100K at the first stop of the new PTO World Tour; True and Beals dominate one of the sport's most storied courses.
Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, and the up-and-coming Norwegian squad all came out of the country's second biggest city. We take a visit.
Flora Duffy and Daniela Ryf both won races last weekend. There is no more “new normal.” This is just "normal."
And races (and champions) pretty much everywhere else: from Germany to Denmark to Canada to Canada again.
The weekend of racing that wasn’t Sub7/Sub8, including a historic performance by Laura Philipp in Hamburg.
Four titans of triathlon are attempting a no-holds-barred assault on the ultimate time barriers in the sport. Will it transcend tri or fall flat?
Three-time rowing world champion Lars Wichert is hopeful his illustrious athletic background can carry him to the top of triathlon. With an 8:12:46 Ironman debut, it appears he's on his way.
Is pink the best color for Team USA kits? What exactly happened at the Pro-Am? Can you watch triathlon on regular TV now?
Cervélo dominates once again, but this Ironman World Championship bike count was unique, including more than 80 road bikes with drop bars and a field like we’ve never seen before at a world champs.
It was an action-packed weekend in pro triathlon racing from St. Anthony’s, Ironman Australia, and Challenge Riccione.
It was a weekend of fast (very fast) racing around the world.
We put dozens of drinks, gels, chews, and bars to the test and picked out best bets for every palate preference—from unflavored to “wow, that’s weird!” These were our favorites.
It was a thrilling weekend of racing, full of surprise wins, comebacks, and even a photo finish. Columnist Brad Culp recaps the action in Oceanside, Salou, and South Africa.
Kat Matthews and Sam Long turned in dominant victories as they head full speed ahead to the Ironman World Championship in St. George.
Columnist Brad Culp recaps a weekend of racing around the world.
What was weirder: A couples championship for $100K in Florida or Blummenfelt being beaten for just $15K in Dubai?
How the pandemic helped professional triathlon get out of a rut, and what it means for the future of the sport.
In a pinch, wearing a surfing wetsuit in a triathlon will keep you warm during the swim leg—but it won’t do much else.
And they could be added to the Olympic line-up.
Got a case of cabin fever? These indoor swim, bike, and run workouts will hold you over until spring (finally) arrives.
These six products pack plenty of dollar punch.
Looking for a new adventure? Here's everything you need to know about this spin on trail running.
Columnist Brad Culp recaps the tri moments that had us all talking in 2021.
A number of race organizers are making a serious commitment to bring triathlon to the mainstream. Can it actually work?
The final weekend of the 2021 race season had big names and big wins. Read columnist Brad Culp's recap of the action.
Really fast racing in Cozumel – but is Blummenfelt's performance a world record?
Remember the name Kira Gupta-Baltazar - you're going to hear it a lot over the next few years. Get to know the new NCAA Women’s Triathlon Champion and aspiring 2024 Olympian.
Columnist Brad Culp recaps a weekend of racing around the world.
Even tough-as-nails Lionel Sanders said the cancelation of Ironman California was the right call.
What happens when you put two major races on one tiny island, all on the same day? Columnist Brad Culp breaks it down.
Super League wasn't the only race over the weekend.
Here’s all you need to know about the weekend of pro tri racing.
Ryf, Haug, and Lange all won iron-distance races last weekend. That’s a great sign things are getting back to normal—at least for events that don’t take place in Hawaii.
And Cam Wurf returns to triathlon in resounding fashion.
European Ironman champions crowned, not-Super League Super League-like World Triathlon races, and Alcatraz winners bode well for their futures.
Collins Cup auto-qualification is over. Who got a spot and who made a case for Captain's Pick?
Three teams stand out as big medal favorites for the Olympic mixed relay debut. Here’s how each of those teams could win.
Why you should care about the most exciting style of triathlon, all the time.
Our expert's guide to following the action in the individual Olympic event.
Lionel Sanders’ falters in Idaho as Sam Long takes his second Ironman win; Lucy Charles-Barclay continues her dominance across every distance.
Six Aussie triathletes will head to the Tokyo Olympics. America will only send five. Here’s how an international tri chess match played out and why it matters.
Alex Yee is on fire; Lucy Charles-Barclay steals some of the spotlight from Maya Kingma, and Alistair Brownlee’s final World Triathlon race is one we’ll never forget (for all the wrong reasons).
And the final teams qualified for the relay in Tokyo.
In 2017, the pro runner tried Age Group Sprint Nationals—and won. Now Morgan Pearson is a triathlon Olympic qualifier.
The final Olympic auto-qualifying event this past weekend threw a wrench into athletes' plans.
The first major weekend of racing in North America this year—and it showed who's fit, who's not, and who to watch in 2021.
Racing's back up and some old favorites are battling for new spots in the Collins Cup.
Travel restrictions took drug testing to a virtual standstill in 2020. Will that make 2021 the dirtiest year on record?
Jodie Stimpson and Jan Frodeno kick off 2021 with convincing wins over world-class fields.
Six of the sport’s top pros share their “ah-ha” moment—the one that helped them take that big leap in their careers.
We’ve got two experts to debate the age old question: “Who would win if…” This month we look at Ironman record holders, überbikers, and pop sensations.
The Ironman World Championship, Chicago Marathon, and Boston Marathon are scheduled for back-to-back-to-back days. A few runners are planning on taking on both marathons, but is it possible to triple up for the ultimate 72 hours of endurance?
With some details about Pho3nix Sub7/Sub8 in hand, our columnist says: No.
The sport’s top pros share the first swim, bike, and run upgrades they made when they were just starting out in triathlon.
The voice of swimming for the past six Olympics was in the broadcast booth last weekend for the PTO 2020 Championship.
After five years of promising to change the sport at the professional level, the PTO 2020 Championship at Challenge Daytona came through with one of the best shows in the history of the tri.
It's the most important triathlon of the year. Get your TV fired up and ready to watch the PTO Championship this Sunday, Dec. 6 from Daytona, Florida.
From one of the most inspiring athletes ever to take on Ironman, to the male runner-up and a very fast age-grouper, we chatted with three athletes about race day in Panama City Beach.
The Olympic hopeful topped pro runners in his first try at the distance.
80 auto qualifiers and 20 wildcard selections will vie for one of the biggest prize purses in the history of the sport—and this year’s de facto long-course world championship on December 6 at Challenge Daytona.
The PTO puts dollars behind two more races, while Ironman awards some Kona slots in Australia and returns to racing in North America.
Plus Alistair Brownlee is a legend and complete psycho—and the PTO puts more money behind small pro regional events.
Davos got stormed out, the PTO keeps pros afloat, and everyone but me is mad at ITU.
A select few pro triathletes returned to racing with Super League’s Arena Games this weekend, and there’s real racing on the horizon.
For small race directors, coaches, and triathlon companies, adapting to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic has required tapping into the resilience and flexibility that make us triathletes. Now they’re trying to stay afloat and look ahead to a possible boom.
The Big Island and Kailua-Kona have kept COVID-19 at bay, but now face economic challenges without tourists. What will triathletes see when Ironman eventually returns?