We Noticed: Finnish President Flies, Gordon Ramsay Returns to Racing, Texas Gets New 70.3 and Fauja Singh Dies at 114
It has been a busy few days with lots of headlines in the triathlon and endurance sport worlds, with stories breaking across the globe. In Europe, a pair of triathlons saw high-profile finishes from Finnish president Alexander Stubb and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. In the U.S., IRONMAN announced a new race for 2026: IRONMAN 70.3 Dallas-Little Elm. Finally, there was sad news out of India as the world’s oldest marathoner, Fauja Singh, passed away at the age of 114 after a hit-and-run.
World’s Fastest President?
Stubb took office in 2024, but he has apparently still been able to find time to fit swim, bike and run training into his busy schedule. He raced a sprint triathlon in Joroinen, a town three hours north of the Finnish capital of Helsinki, and not only finished, but flew to second place among the men (and third overall). The race featured a 500-meter swim, 12.5-mile bike and 5K run (just about a standard sprint distance, although the swim is a couple of hundred meters shorter than usual), and Stubb stopped the clock in an impressive 1:04:19.
He exited the water in 8:50 (a pace of 1:46 per 100 meters), completed the bike course in just over 30 minutes (close to an average speed of 25 miles per hour) and ran the 5K in 20:28 (6:35 mile pace). Stubb is a long-time triathlete, and although this is reportedly his first race since becoming president, he has many strong results on his resume.
In 2022, he won his age group at the European Long Distance Championships, completing the full-distance course in 9:56:02. In 2023, he raced near home when the 70.3 World Championship came to Lahti, Finland, finishing in 4:40:18 and placing 15th in the men’s 55 to 59 age group.
While some world leaders have been known to embellish (or flat-out lie about) their athletic feats (North Korea’s Kim Jong Il famously claimed to have shot multiple hole-in-ones in his first-ever round of golf) and others have required their competitors to play down to their level (watch Vladimir Putin score eight goals against former NHL pros), no one can say that Stubb isn’t a legitimately strong athlete, and he undoubtedly earned his podium finish in Joroinen.
Ramsay Races in Luxembourg
The triathlon community has long known that the world’s most famous chef is an avid triathlete. Ramsay made his return to racing on Sunday at IRONMAN 70.3 Luxembourg Remich – Région Moselle, completing the race in 6:52:28. He completed the 1.2-mile swim in 42:41, covered the 56-mile bike course in 3:16:28 and ran the half-marathon in 2:34:03. He was greeted at the finish line by his wife, who presented him with his finisher’s medal.
Ramsay has raced in Kona multiple times, he has competed at the 70.3 worlds and he has toed the line at triathlons and running races all over the world. He is well known for his intense personality in the kitchen and on TV, but on race day in Luxembourg, he was all smiles. After the race, he told IRONMAN he was “super excited to be back.” and that he is “looking forward to more races to come.”
IRONMAN Heads to Dallas
The state of Texas is quite familiar with triathlon and IRONMAN events. The IRONMAN North American Championship has been held in The Woodlands, just north of Houston, since 2015 (IRONMAN Texas got started in 2011), and there are popular 70.3 races in Waco and Galveston. With so much excitement around these three races every year, IRONMAN decided to add a fourth event to the calendar, introducing 70.3 Dallas-Little Elm to the 2026 schedule.
Little Elm is a small town not too far from Dallas, and it will offer triathletes a fun and challenging race in the North Texas countryside. IRONMAN regional director Todd Fitzgerald said Little Elm has the potential “to become one of the best IRONMAN 70.3 host locations on the circuit,” adding that the area’s culture, amenities, supportive communities and “Texas charm” all work to make it “a perfect destination” for a “race-cation.”
Little Elm’s mayor, Curtis Cornelious, said this is “an incredible opportunity” to put the town, community and region on the map: “This event not only highlights our beautiful lakefront and parks but also showcases the power of regional unity.”
Ten communities in and around Little Elm will be teaming up to make the event possible.
The race will feature a 1.2-mile swim in Lake Lewisville, starting and finishing at Little Elm Beach. After athletes exit T1, they will set off heading north out of Little Elm for the 56-mile bike ride. The course “rolls through beautiful rural Texas” and is relatively flat. Finally, the day ends with a half-marathon on Little Elm’s trail system. The run will feature three laps, making it great for spectators. Registration for 70.3 Dallas-Little Elm opens on July 23, and the race is set for its inaugural running on March 15, 2026.
Fauja Singh dies at 114
Known around the world as the oldest marathoner of all time, Fauja Singh passed away on Monday after he was hit by a car in India. Singh lived to be a mind-boggling 114 years old, and he didn’t get his running career started until he was 89, an age by which most people’s running shoes have already been retired for years.
Singh had started running in the mid 90s, shortly after moving to London from India, but he didn’t enter his first race until 2000. Just days after turning 90, he completed his first marathon, crossing the finish line of the London Marathon in six hours and 54 minutes. This time beat the previous 90-plus age group record by almost a full hour.
Singh wasn’t done there, and over the next 13 years, he competed in many races around the world. It was in October 2011 when, at the age of 100, he stopped the clock at the Toronto Marathon in eight hours and 11 minutes to become the oldest person to ever run a marathon. A little over year later, Singh ran the final race of his career, finishing a 10K in Hong Kong at 101 years old.
An SUV hit Singh while the 114-year-old was out for a walk on Monday. The driver fled the scene, although local police have since arrested a suspect in the case. Singh was critically injured in the accident, and he passed away in hospital not long afterward.
After learning of his death, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Singh, saying he was an “exceptional athlete with incredible determination.”
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Thanks for posting about the Finnish prez …and Singh. It’s insane this guy did his first marathon at age 89 and raced at 100 years old! Chapeau. And what a bummer to leave this world on a hit and run.