Search
shop

Sam Long says IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman win was a family affair as they inspired huge win

The Big Unit had to "dig deep" to put in another big performance to go with his win at IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

It was all systems go again for Mr ‘Yo Yo Yo’ at IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman as Sam Long finished on top of the podium once more on Sunday.

But the 29-year-old American has revealed how he needed a little help from his family to get round in Maryland – and dedicated his win to them afterwards.

‘The Big Unit’ has already won at IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga and finished second at IRONMAN 70.3 St George this season, after opening the year with an eighth-placed finish at the Singapore T100.

Advertisement

‘Big Unit’ on IRONMAN Pro Series win

Writing in an Instagram post, he said: “This win was for the family. 🦵🦵🦵 On a day where nothing felt great and everything came hard, I had to dig deep and find a way to get it done.

“I truly believe one metric of greatness is measured by how small you can make the gap between your good days and your bad ones.

Sam Long IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman 2025 Finish Line
American Sam Long wins IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman 2025 in a new course record time (Photo – Getty Images for IRONMAN).

“I was tested early, with the entire chase group looking at me to make something happen (shoutout to @jacksonlaundrytri for stepping up and doing work on the bike).

“I kept thinking back to St. George, where we played the group game and let the front go. Not this time. On the run, I saw my beautiful family—and my triplet brother, at his first race since 2017—and I knew I had to make it count.”

Sam’s nod to LCB

Long knows chances to win races can be few and far between and was determined to notch his second of the season – and gave a cheeky nod to Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay, who finished first in the women’s pro race.

He said: “With a full @t100triathlon schedule this year, chances to race for the win are limited. It was now or never. And as The Media kindly reminded me this week: ‘If you ain’t first, you’re last.’ Congrats to everyone who finished.

“Fun fact: @lucycharles93 and I once again matched each other’s finishing positions (bring back men’s and women’s Kona already 😂). Huge respect to @tfoleyracing and @matt_tri17 awesome sharing the podium with you both.”

Paul Brown
Written by
Paul Brown
Discover more
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Let’s race… French Riviera T100
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
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!)
Gustav Iden aero position body rocket
How to get better at holding your time trial position – Expert tips from former PRO time trial cyclist Alex Dowsett
SunGod FORTY2s running sunglasses review
First look at the NEW SunGod FORTY2s running sunglasses – TRI247 Review
latest News
Hiromu Inada IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns 2025
92-year-old IRONMAN triathlete completes 70.3-mile course in iconic Australian race
IRONMAN Cairns
Top triathlon star never feels like doing another IRONMAN after Cairns experience ends in a wheelchair
Lucy Gossage running training ahead of Winter Spine Race
Triathlon star Lucy Gossage aces ultraunning AGAIN with epic course record in top UK race
Sam Long - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
US triathlon superstar Sam Long has to redefine meaning of winning after T100 Vancouver
Alistair Brownlee Olympics Triathlon London 2012 Podium Gold
Olympic triathlon legend Alistair Brownlee awarded an OBE in King’s Birthday Honours List
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...