British professional triathlete Harry Palmer recently took the title for the third year in a row at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea, an accomplishment that is not often achieved in sport.
A home race, a stacked field and a run battle right to the finish line, Harry held his nerve, held the gap and took the tape in style in front of a spectacular crowd in South Wales. In this episode Harry shares how patience, confidence and a mid-run mental reset helped him manage the race pressure to hold off his chasers to secure his third straight victory in Swansea.
Following a decorated age group career he switched to the pro ranks in 2019 and has had lots of success in the sport in recent years. From his three-peat in Swansea, to winning the Challenge “The Championship” Samorin this year, which he backed up with a third place at the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping European Championship after a 4th place last year. He also took third at the 2025 edition of IRONMAN Leeds and finished in eighth place at the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
Just like all journeys in sport and life, the road hasn’t been smooth along the way, gut issues derailed multiple races, before a deep dive with a sports doctor and his team at Precision Fuel and Hydration uncovered the fix, lowering carb intake and refining fuelling.
He also endured a rough 2025 that left him stretched thin, but 2026 has been good to him so far and with his 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship slot secured, Harry heads to IRONMAN Wales – the race that broke him on his first attempt at the full distance – chasing redemption, a slot for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona and the ultimate quest to take the tape in Tenby and do the double in Wales in 2026.
In the world of triathlon, where endurance meets mental fortitude, Harry Palmer stands out as a beacon of perseverance and triumph. His journey has not been without challenges, but with dedication, patience and his own self-confessed delusional self-belief he has conquered and overcome many obstacles on his way to sporting success. This is a great chat with Harry, if you’d like to hear more from him, give his podcast Uncomfortable Triathlon with fellow pro Andrew Horsfall-Turner a follow and a listen.
