IRONMAN 70.3 World Champ heads to Geelong to kickstart 2025 season before T100 focus

After the best year of his career in 2024, Jelle Geens will start his 2025 season at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong on 23 March.

The Belgian triathlete capped a brilliant campaign with his IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship win in New Zealand, and will be looking to defend that title in Marbella a year on.

But first up is Geelong, which lies just outside Melbourne, in what is set to be a fiercer challenge than usual after it was named the opening event of the IRONMAN Pro Series for 2025.

Great practice for T100 schedule

Three-time Olympian Geens spoke about his preparation for the race on his podcast ‘All in Triathlon‘, co-hosted by his friend and fellow pro triathlete Aaron Royle, who will also be competing at Geelong.

“I need some more training,” Geens admitted. “You’ve [Royle] for sure had more training than me.

“I raced very late in the season, so I only started training around four weeks ago.”

For Geens, who is currently living in Australia, the Geelong race is more about setting up the rest of his season after it was announced he would compete in the PTO’s T100 tour this year.

“It’s like a two-hour flight from here, it’s easy to get there and I think it’s good to get a race done before my main goal, Singapore and all the other T00 races,” Geens said.

“With T100 we’re going to have a lot of races two weeks after other races, so with Geelong and Singapore two weeks apart it’s a good chance to see how to manage those two weeks in between.”

Podcast rivalry

With Australian Olympian Royle also competing in Geelong, the two joked about what will be their first head-to-head since starting the podcast.

“We’re going to have to have some sort of prize on the line or something I think,” Royle joked.

“I believe in myself but I’m coming off maybe not my best year and you’re coming off your best year. I’m up against it, but i’m up for the fight!

“It’s the first Pro series race and two weeks before T100 Singapore so there might be some other people planning to do something like you [Geens].”

“There’s going to be a few good guys,” Geens added.

“They probably want to announce it themselves maybe, but some good Aussies that live on the Gold Coast are doing it…”

“I’m looking forward to see who’s on the start line and who actually shows up. But it will be a fun first outing of the year.”