Search
shop

‘My best result to date’ – new Dad Andrew Horsfall-Turner on 70.3 Swansea

Deciding to 'send it' on the bike, Andrew Horsfall-Turner secured his best result to date on his home roads at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

He didn’t quite make the podium, but Swansea-based Andrew Horsfall-Turner certainly had the home crowd excited for much of the morning at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea on Sunday.

We are used to seeing Andrew leading the way in the water, but for a change it was Germany’s Justus Nieschlag alone at the front of the 1.9km opening discipline in the Prince of Wales Dock at the SA1 Waterside.

Only deciding to start during race week, Horsfall-Turner pulled well clear of everyone except the former WTCS athlete on the bike, and when Nieschlag suffered with a mechanical, the local athlete was in prime position.

Send it!

Speaking to Andrew shortly after crossing the line, I asked him if having raced at IRONMAN Switzerland seven days earlier, he could possibly have imagined starting the run in his home city with a lead of well over five minutes?

“I was quite lucky; last week in Switzerland I had a mechanical at 150km, when I snapped my chain.

“I entered this race because I’m a local from Swansea and I said to my coach, we are not definitely going to race but I’ll see how my legs turn up after IRONMAN Switzerland. As I didn’t run the marathon, I didn’t feel too bad come Tuesday or Wednesday.

“I knew that my best bet today was to really go hard on the bike. I know the roads really well and I know that I’ve never really sort of ridden to my ability in a 70.3. So I thought I’d ‘send it’ and really hope for the best. I could tell after about 75km that I was in for a long one on the run, but I held strong and tried to hold the boys off as long as I could.

“Fourth place in an IRONMAN race is still my best result to date as a Pro. I’d have loved to have that first podium, but hopefully that is to come.”

Andrew Horsfall-Turner about to be caught at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea 2023
Eventual winner, Antonio Benito Lopez, about tho make the pass at the 11km point – Photo Credit: John Levison / TRI247

Chasing Justus

Did he see what had happened to Justus out on the course?

“Unusually I didn’t lead out of the water. Justus had a little gap, phenomenal swimmer that he is, and I kind of held that 20 to 30 seconds gap for a long time. It kind of yo-yo’d out, went up to 50 seconds, back down to 30, and then I was coming down one of the descents on probably the most technical part of the course and I saw him pulled off to the side of the road and fixing a puncture.

“I think the roads in Swansea are very different to what they get on the continent. I was running tubeless and pretty robust tyres, so maybe he took a risk with some thinner tyres, I don’t know. It’s a shame for him because I know how much power I was riding and he was holding me, so he must have been riding hard as well.”

Andrew Horsfall-Turner on the bike at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea
Photo Credit: Huw Fairclough for IRONMAN

Parenthood

As well as a home race, it was also a family affair at the finish, with his wife and child there to greet him.

“It’s been an incredible six weeks since having my first child. It’s been pretty hard in terms of balancing training and trying to do what I need to do in terms of being a Pro athlete, but also being a good father, and I feel like I’ve started to get that balance right. Hopefully things are turning good.

“I’m going to back-end the year with a lot of IRONMAN racing. I still think I am better at those longer ones, so at the moment the eyes are on IRONMAN Italy and IRONMAN Florida, to try and do a double.”

Andrew Horsfall-Turner IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea
Photo Credit: Huw Fairclough for IRONMAN
John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Georgia Taylor Brown Santa Vall gravel race 2025 photo credit Santa Vall and Gravel Earth Series
Kate Waugh and Georgia Taylor-Brown among strong British line-up at T100 London
Triathlon superstar Hayden Wilde to make shock comeback at London T100
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘Intimidating’ to go into Worlds after four months off – but Lionel Sanders up for the challenge
Georgia Taylor-Brown Alex Yee Super League Triathlon Malibu 2021
Triathlon’s most decorated Olympic duo now honoured by their former University
Olav Aleksander Bu Photo credit: Roj Ferman | Surpas
Top triathlon coach Olav Aleksander Bu says it’s all about the team after Uno-X bag first Tour de France win
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...