Search
shop

A day of firsts for Cam Wurf as he’s hit with a drafting penalty at IRONMAN Cozumel – and then finds out he’s NOT immune to fatigue

"It’s the tuff days that make the good ones all the more special to me," says Aussie legend as he signs off 2024 campaign.
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Cam Wurf was hit with his first ever drafting penalty as he endured a rollercoaster of emotions at IRONMAN Cozumel.

But the popular Aussie star battled to the finish to sign off his 2024 triathlon season in typically gutsy style, dipping under eight hours despite all the trials and tribulations.

This year has seen the 41-year-old again combine his role as a pro cyclist with the INEOS Grenadiers with no fewer than four full-distance IRONMANs (and two 70.3s).

The highlight was his seventh place at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in late October when he ran through the field on the run – and vowed to come back for more in the future.

Not content with that, just a week later he clocked a superb time of 2:36 at the New York Marathon.

Advertisement

‘My legs had nothing left’

You never underestimate Wurf in whatever task he sets himself, but even he admitted that Cozumel might have been a race too far this season.

In an entertaining race debrief on his Instagram account, he said: “Well, I had a first today just not the one I envisioned having🤦‍♂️

“In a Nutshell, I received my first career drafting penalty. To add insult into embarrassment, it happened just as we’d finally got to the front of the race. From the absolute perfect scenario, to a worst case race nightmare. In the blink of an eye there I was standing in the bright yellow Sin Bin Tent for 5 eternal minutes😩

“Gotta say, it really sucks standing there. I certainly don’t ever want to do that again!! At a time of the year when I’m already running on fumes, this totally sucked whatever adrenaline that was keeping me going, well & truly out to me. My legs had nothing left in when I finally climbed aboard my bike again, I was totally out of gas. I simply wanted to be anywhere but on that race course.”

‘Today it finally caught up with me’

Wurf is the opposite of a quitter but he had to dig deep – very deep – to get to the finish line, especially after starting the run at New York Marathon pace!

He added: “I’ve tried to fit in a lot of different things these past few weeks bouncing about the place. I think it’s safe to say that today it finally caught up with me. I honestly believed I was immune to fatigue, sadly it turns out I’m not🤣

Cam Wurf Lionel Sanders Utah (Photo Credit: Eric Wynn / IRONMAN)
Cam Wurf and Lionel Sanders (Photo Credit: Eric Wynn / IRONMAN)

“Anyways, try as I might to abandon, the roaring lungs of my little man, & the knowledge of how horrible it feels to quit, dragged me out onto the run course. The competitor in me tried in vane for a miracle fight back. Thanks to my new found delusional belief in my running legs, I started the run at my NY marathon pace🤷‍♂️

“Alas, it didn’t take long for reality to hit hard & I imploded yet again, now resigned to simply groveling to the finish line for a 2:51 marathon & 8th place. To me, it seems easy when everything goes to plan, i feel like I learn the most about myself when the 💩 hits the fan.

“Huge congratulations to @bartaernouts for a huge win. 40 years young & what a warhorse you are, as strong as an ox all day long💪💪💪 So pleased for you after the difficult few years you’ve had in the sport, way to grit it out👊

“It’s the tuff days that make the good ones all the more special to me. I’ll see you all on a race track somewhere, sometime soon, but not too soon😴”

Enjoy the ‘rest’ Cam – probably a tough pre-season block with the INEOS Grenadiers – and we look forward to seeing you back on triathlon start lines in 2025.

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumHow to pace a triathlon to leave it all out there WITHOUT blowing up
FORM Smart Swim 2 PRO lens close up
FORM Smart Swim Pro 2 Goggles review: can these high tech goggles actually help you to train smarter and swim faster?
Premium‘The difference from triathlon is so big – there’s no comparison’: Maya Kingma on life in the Women’s WorldTour peloton
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
TRIFIT VORTEX tri suit
The small but mighty tri brand you NEED to know about: Why TRI-FIT are on a mission to disrupt the triathlon apparel scene
latest News
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘Yo Yo Yo – London is calling’ – Sam Long the latest big name added to stellar T100 start lists
Kristian Grue wins Norseman 2025
Norseman 2025: Grue and Skala conquer ‘Zombie Hill’ and the world’s TOUGHEST triathlon
Hayden Wilde happy T100 Singapore 2025
Hayden Wilde – is he BACK for T100 London after injury nightmare?
Sam Laidlow run Roundhay Park IRONMAN Leeds 2025
‘I’m ready for it’ – Sam Laidlow on why triathlon is hitting new heights in 2025 ahead of IRONMAN World Champs
Alistair Brownlee Olympics Triathlon London 2012 Podium Gold
Olympic icon Alistair Brownlee reveals most British thing ever when it comes to fuelling recovery
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...