Sam Long's plans for 2025
The year 2025 will be decisive for Sam Long . The American has revealed his main goal for this year: the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice on September 14th.
After a 2024 season in which he finished fifth in the PTO world rankings , he has decided to reduce his schedule to 8 or 9 races with the idea of arriving at each competition with maximum energy.
A less saturated calendar
During 2024, Sam Long achieved victories in IRONMAN Chattanooga and two 70.3 races, in addition to participating in 6 T100 races.
Although she will compete in some of these events again this year, her priority will be to reduce the wear and tear caused by long international trips.
The triathlete himself admits that so many hours on a plane affected his motivation and led him to a point where “his spark went out a bit.”
That's why his strategy is to group competitions in closer areas to avoid excessive travel ruining his fitness and, above all, his mood. The American is clear: if his head doesn't work, neither will his legs.
The start with T100 and 70.3
In the first part of the year, Sam Long will focus on improving his swimming.
The season will kick off at T100 Singapore (April 5-6) and then he will go to IRONMAN 70.3 St. George on May 10, where he will be looking for his third victory.
He will also be at the T100 San Francisco and T100 Vancouver before entering a specific block of preparation for his main goal.
Looking to Kona 2026
In addition to the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, Sam Long plans to participate in IRONMAN Chattanooga just two weeks later to secure his qualification for Kona 2026.
Although he insists that everything depends on whether he can win in France, he has his sights set beyond next season.
In addition, he plans to close out 2025 with events such as T100 Las Vegas , the 70.3 World Championship and the T100 circuit grand final.
The power of a good mood
The key for Sam Long in 2025 will be to maintain joy and motivation.
After admitting that “I lost a bit of my joy at the end of 2024,” he is now committed to taking more frequent breaks and spending more time with his family to recharge his batteries.
According to him, no power or heart rate record surpasses the importance of waking up with the desire to train.
“If my mood is low, I take a few quiet days,” he confesses.
He wants to save his energy for the IRONMAN in Nice, his biggest event of the season, and show that, with the right mindset, he can aspire to anything over the long distance.
