IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea 2024 results: Nikki Bartlett, Harry Palmer strike gold in Wales

Sunday’s IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea, the third edition of the event, saw British athletes top the podium in both Pro races.

Second last year, Nikki Bartlett stepped up to the top step of the podium in 2024. Having also won at Challenge Wales recently, Harry Palmer continued his progression by moving up four places from his fifth position 12 months ago.

Pro Men – Complete performance from Palmer

No surprise at all to find that Welshman – and uber swimmer – Andrew Horsfall-Turner, was solo and leading the way through the opening discipline at the SA1 Waterside. He exited the Prince of Wales Dock just over a minute clear of the next four, lead by eventual winner Palmer, plus Jack Hutchens (GBR), Gabriel Sandör (SWE) and Matthew Collins (GBR).

Horsfall-Turner initially extended his advantage on the bike before the time gaps went the other way. With the fastest split of the day, Palmer would eventually bridge back to the front by T2, leaving the leading duo together at T2. Sandör was around 90 seconds back, while the chasing group by then included Joe Skipper, who had joined Hutchens and Collins, though they would start the run with almost four minutes to make up.

Palmer completed an all round performance, with the fastest run split (1:12:08) to add to similar on the bike, taking the win with a 2:41 margin over the Swedish athlete, Sandör. Swim leader and local favourite, Horsfall-Turner went one better than his performance last year, and in the process secured his first IRONMAN 70.3 podium finish.

IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea 2024 - Harry Palmer wins — Photo by Huw Fairclough | Ironman UK

Pro Women – Bartlett runs clear

Twice an IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship top-10 finisher, Nikki Bartlett was the pre-race favourite, though a long term injury meant that this was only her second race start of 2024.

Bartlett’s strengths are on the bike and run, and so it wasn’t a surprise that she would exit the water in sixth place, 1:42 down on a leading quarter of Bianca Bogen (GER), Megan McDonald (GBR), Lizzie Rayner (GBR) and Laura Addie (GBR). Bartlett meanwhile, had Susie Cheetham for company, as they headed into T1.

Midway through the ride and there was little to separate a leading trio of Rayner, McDonald and Bogen, but Bartlett was now clear in fourth, just over a minute back and trying to work her way to the front. At the completion of the challenging 90km ride, Rayner reached T2 alone, but Bartlett was now just 27 behind, with McDonald also in contention, 1:09 down on the leader. Those final 40km had been tougher for Bogen however, who lost contact with that group and would start the half marathon close to three minutes back of Rayner.

Nikki was soon into her stride on the final discipline, and took the lead inside the first 5km. She would go on to a 1:20:00 run split, which gave her a winning margin just three seconds shy of four minutes, over Megan McDonald, who also passed Rayner on the run.

The fastest run of the day however was taken by Rhianne Hughes (1:19:00), but it still wasn’t enough to prevent Rayner from taking the final spot on the podium, improving on her fourth here last year.