Martin Gannon
IRONMAN® World Championships
Utah1st, M65-69Martin's headline numbers
Martin's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I felt strong all day and was never held back by energy levels."
Martin used a unique fueling method we don’t see very often, which involved creating an extremely carb-heavy solution in his downtube containing 13 PF 30 Gels mixed with PH 1500 tablets and water. Additionally, he had three more PF 30 Gels in his rear bottle which he consumed with a caffeine gel as he came into T2. Martin managed to consume all of this without any GI issues, giving him an average carb intake of ~91g/h on the bike. As we often see in our Case Study Database, his carb intake dropped during the run, where the mechanics of running (compared to cycling) make it more challenging to take onboard high levels of fuel. Despite this, he effectively relied on carb sources from on-course aid stations and managed to hit numbers comparable to his performance at IM Austria last year, even in much hotter conditions.
Hydration
Taking on board an appropriate amount of fluid and sodium is essential to maintaining blood volume and supporting the cardiovascular effort needed to perform on race day.
Whilst the absolute amount of sodium and fluid consumed per hour is important, it’s critical to consider these in relation to each other. This is known as 'relative sodium concentration' and it’s expressed in milligrams per litre (mg/L). How much sodium you’re taking in per litre of fluid is more important than the absolute amount taken in per hour.
Martin695mg/L
Martin has been Sweat Tested to dial in his hydration plan
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Whilst Martin's losses are on the low side, getting his hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as his higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Martin start optimally hydrated
"Felt I could have drank larger volumes on the run, but I needed to keep moving and knew I could finish somewhat dehydrated."
Martin used a proactive hydration strategy based on his sweat sodium losses and sweat rate data, which he collected before the race. Using this information, he developed a robust plan to replace a significant portion of his fluid losses, though he intentionally didn’t aim to replace 100% as we can tolerate a certain amount of dehydration during racing. His fluid intake during the run was an impressive average of 1.22L per hour, slightly higher than the bike and especially notable as Martin believes he could’ve consumed even more. This adjustment aligned well with the rising temperatures throughout the day. To meet his electrolyte needs, Martin used PH 1500 and Electrolyte Capsules during the bike portion of the race. His plan was to continue with the capsules during the run, but after misplacing his running belt, he relied on on-course nutrition instead. Despite this change, Martin was satisfied with his overall hydration. He peed several times, a normal occurrence for him in races of this length, suggesting that he avoided underhydration.
Caffeine
Beyond the Three Levers of Performance (carb, sodium and fluid), caffeine is one of only a few substances that is proven to improve performance for most endurance athletes as it can help stave off mental and physical fatigue.
T - 0-4hrs: Had a final hit of caffeine
Before the race, Martin consumed a cup of tea and a caffeinated gel to enhance his focus before the swim. With caffeine's half-life of approximately 4-5 hours, he knew it was important to top up his caffeine levels during the race to continue benefiting from its ergogenic effects, such as reducing perceived effort. To achieve this, Martin consumed three moderate doses of caffeine via energy gels - one towards the end of the bike and two during the run. His intake was at the higher end of the recommended range, and his timing was spot-on, providing both physical and mental boosts during the crucial later stages of the race.
How Martin hit his numbers
Here's everything that Martin ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I rehearsed thinking like a champion and trained to win - I know there are no guarantees so it’s really satisfying to conquer that course and elements under pressure.”
“Age Group World Champion Martin was thrilled with his performance, noting the race "went to plan" despite the challenging terrain, heat, and wind. Aside from a slight adjustment on the run due to a lost race belt, he executed his hydration and fueling strategy effectively, achieving impressive carb, sodium, and fluid intake over the 11-hour race.”
PF&HMartin's full stats
Data Confidence
We rate each of our case studies from 1-5 based on the level of accuracy, and our confidence in the data.
There is an adequate level of accuracy in the data collected and the numbers reported. The athlete manages to recall what they ate and drank including most specifics (brands flavours quantities plausible estimations of volumes). However there are estimations made within the data which affect the overall confidence level in the data reported.