Search
shop

Marten Van Riel opens up on journey from Olympics triathlon agony at Paris 2024 to T100 WORLD CHAMPION

In the space of a few months the Belgian star has become the T100 World Champion and tops the PTO middle and long distance rankings.
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

An extended spell on the sidelines and then a crushing disappointment at the Olympics this summer would have tripped up many an elite triathlete. But not Marten Van Riel.

Instead he saw an opportunity at the T100 Triathlon World Tour and on Sunday he became the first-ever men’s World Champion in that sphere.

He’d already shown he could be a force to be reckoned with at middle distance before his T100 exploits with wins in all of his first four 70.3 races.

But the T100 has been next level and he triumphed in San Francisco before the Olympics, followed that at Ibiza less than a month after Paris and then rounded it off in the grand manner in Dubai to net not just the win on the day but also the overall crown and an end-of-season $210,000 bonus.

All about looking ahead

Speaking about the importance of the T100 to him this year, the 31-year-old Belgian explained: “I think it was very good to have this goal of doing well in the T100 series this year.

“And to be able to do that has been kind of what has kept me on and not made me doubt too much what happened at the Olympic Games, because I knew my shape was way, way, way, way better than what I showed there.

“Unfortunately, you have one day to show it – but it was really good to not have the time to think about it too much and go straight into the T100 series and it’s definitely made for a great season.

It’s all the difficult movements that make the beautiful ones even more beautiful.

“This makes it all worth it. 2022 and 2023 were really hard seasons for me. I think I had nine months off running – and running is still my insecurity of not being fast enough.”

‘Finally playing with my best cards’

In a short space of time Van Riel now finds himself ranked as the world number one at middle and long distance – and despite what he said about running, he’s that rare athlete who is in the top 10 for all three disciplines, underlining his all-round talents.

And talking about the move up from short course, he added: “I think that long distance just suits me better because it doesn’t come down to 100 percent the run as short distance [tends] to do these days.

“It’s more that the three disciplines are important. So I think that I’m finally playing with my best cards.”

Marten Van Riel finish arch T100 Dubai 2024 photo credit PTO / T100
Marten Van Riel is the first men’s T100 World Champion [Photo credit: PTO / T100]

And his exploits look sure to encourage many other short course stars to test the step up in the next season or two, especially as his pay cheque from his four T100 races is over $300,000, as well as a potentially hefty up-front contract payment for 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
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
Anne Haug wins Challenge Roth 2024 [Photo credit: Simon Fischer | Challenge Roth]
Triathlon legend and current world record holder Anne Haug announces her retirement
Lovseth Perterer Sanchez IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
Rising Norwegian star underlines Kona claims and says that’s now the big goal
Vincent Luis San Francisco 49ers tri suit 2025
Short-course triathlon great Vincent Luis is OUT of T100 London
Marquardt Hogenhaug Foley IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
‘World Championship level’ – Marquardt says bike bar was raised at Lake Placid
Solveig Lovseth wins IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025 women’s results: Løvseth shows she’s the real deal and next Norwegian superstar
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...