Luke McCarron has gotten Ireland’s international racing season underway for 2026.
McCarron was in action at the 2026 Asia Triathlon Cup and Southeast Asia Championships Putrajaya earlier this month in Malaysia, where conditions were hot and humid.
He completed the 750m swim in just under 10minutes to exit the water in the middle of the main pack, before blasting through two laps of a technical 20km bike course in 28:30. He ran the 5km of the final leg of the sprint triathlon in 16:37 to finish in 25th position overall.
McCarron was back in action at the 2026 Africa Triathlon Cup El Galala, Egypt, a week later. Conditions here were milder and slightly more forgiving, however the racing was still full gas.
McCarron swam an 8:42, improving his split on the week previous, although no two swim courses are truely comparable. Water temperatures in Egypt were 19°C in contrast the 29°C in Malaysia. Despite the faster split, McCarron was still mid-pack leaving the water. However, a strong bike split over the five lap course saw him work through the field somewhat before producing a 16:12 5km to finish in 16th place overall.
Ireland will next be represented internationally at the 2026 Africa Triathlon Cup Ebotse which will take place on the 8th of March. The current men’s startlist sees McCarron joined by Senan McDonnell, while Elizabeth Carr will be in action in the women’s race.
