Search
shop

‘Weather is affecting our sport’ – Mark Allen on triathlon and climate change

Mark Allen says "weather is affecting our sport" and believes climate change is "probably" to blame.
Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Triathlon great Mark Allen says “weather is affecting our sport” and that climate change is “probably” to blame.

The future of the planet, quite rightly, has been firmly front and centre in recent days due to the COP26 conference held in Glasgow, Scotland.

Advertisement

Ironman races hit by climate

While Allen admits that the impact on major triathlon events is well down the priority list of issues likely caused by climate change, he says recent high-profile examples do highlight it.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, six-times IRONMAN World Champion Allen tackled the topic, using those two recent U.S. races to make his point.

“Weather is affecting races, weather is affecting outdoor events in ways that seem to be more on a consistent basis. And it’s not just this year or this weekend, it’s really been going on for a while.

“Think about the history of IRONMAN California. The very first year it was in Lake Tahoe, granted up in the mountains, but it was in September which is usually a nice month. They had snow the night before the race – they were able to hold the event, but still, really really cold. The following year they had to cancel it because of smoke from fires.

Fast forward to the next time they have IRONMAN California in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago, in state that probably has the worst combination of drought and fires put together, the race is cancelled because of torrential rains – how crazy is that?

“IRONMAN Florida last weekend, the swim was horrendous – horrendous. Winds and chop making it difficult.

“One of the Age-Group women was commenting that her absolute slowest time in a swim in an Ironman was 1:38 – she swam 2:45. Obviously didn’t make the cutoff, over an hour slower. She said at one point she was swimming next to a buoy for over 15 minutes without making one inch of progress.”

Climate change the cause?

Allen believes the evidence of the change is clear, and he is pretty sure what the reason is. The 63-year-old does retain hope though that things can be done to stem the tide.

“Weather is affecting our sport, weather is affecting all outdoor activity – it’s not as predictable as maybe it was 20 or 30 years ago. It’s a reality that we’re having to deal with.

“Climate change? Probably. Is there anything we can do about it? I hope so. Is it the most important aspect of saving the planet’s climate? No, racing is not the most important thing. But it’s a window into showing us how things are changing.

“I have faith in humanity though, I have faith in all of you.”

Graham Shaw
Written by
Graham Shaw
Graham has been involved with TRI247 & RUN247 since the summer of 2021. Since then he has provided strategic direction for all news and is passionate about the growth of triathlon as a fan sport.
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
Triathlon superstar Lionel Sanders says he went to a “dark place” to fuel his latest IRONMAN win
The PTO's CEO Sam Renouf
PTO reveal ambitions of matching Roth and Kona as French Riviera T100 triathlon course details unveiled
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘No No No’ – Sam Long says he felt ROBBED by swim cancellation at ‘69.1 Chattanooga’
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
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

Share to...