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515 kilometers can sound like a number. In Noosa, it turns into three days of decisions: how you fuel a 10 km ocean swim, how you survive a 276 km bike loop through the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and how you keep moving when the double marathon starts to ask harder questions than your training ever did.

We’re joined by Ultraman Australia race director Jeff Morris and KOA endurance coach and event MC Tim Franklin to preview Ultraman Australia 2026 from the ground up. We lay out the full 515 triathlon format and cutoffs, explain why the calendar dates differ depending on where you live, and share exactly how to follow along on the YouTube livestream. This year’s coverage gets a major boost with live GPS tracking (even during the swim when signals allow), planned drone shots at sunrise, and crews calling in live so viewers at home can feel the real-time pressure and emotion on course.

Jeff also gives a progress update on Ultraman New Zealand in Wanaka. Then we get into the heart of race week: the 2026 field. From returning athletes chasing redemption to first-timers stepping up from Ironman to Ultraman, we spotlight what makes each competitor interesting, what crews need to know, and why Noosa’s swim conditions and paddler support can shape the entire weekend.

The Athletes:

Nicole Allen, Sadanand Amarapur, Prajakta Aswar, Boris Bakouline, Ashley Bates, Rahul Chaudhary, Douglas Clark, Jacob Crowe, Devraj Devraj, Nat Dodd, Tabatha Draper, Roscoe Dray, Shane Duffy, Noe Duran, Anthony Elder, Guilherme Escaleira da luz Oliveira, Mehdi Gerbeaux, Jomy Jacob, Timothy Jensen, Shubham Kajale, Claire Kunc, Brittney Litton, Anna Longdill, Keri Mandell, Nestor Ochoa Rivera, Chia Ling Pow, Mahesh Prajapati, Erica Riley, Nathan Schmid, Patrick Shanahan, Marcus Smith, Puneet Sudhir Sood, Giancarlos Taraborrelli, Chloe Thomas, Mark Thomson, Dr Bishwanath Tiwary, Marco Ullrich, Denise Wilson.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• KOA Sports
• UM New Zealand
• Kenilworth Bakery
• Peak Energy Gum
• Hervey Bay 100
• T100 Triathlon
• Ultraman Mexico

Shout outs and mentions in this episode:

• Tiff Dahl
• Jen McVeay
• Alex Luna
• Beñat Oliveira
• Simon Cochrane
• Steven Keller
• Kellie Ridges
• Dave Carroll
• Max Allansen
• Teaghan Roatz
• Anthony Vloedmans
• Vishesh Madan
• Andrew Wheatley
• Peter Hodgson
• Anthony Lucas
• Craig Jackson
• Angus aka Bango Draper
• Elans Anton
• Jen MacMillan
• Kate Bevilaqua
• Natalie Elder
• Alana Sharma
• Paul Giddings
• Matt O’Brien
• Kathleen Swalling
• Ari Litton
• Hayley Fry
• Andrew Trout
• Nick Mallett
• Mel Cockshutt
• Tim Belstead
• Kirsty Sheehan

Support the show

Show Contributors:
Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music : Run by 331

For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com
Facebook: @515TheUltraPodcast
Insta : @515theultrapodcast
Youtube : @515TheUltraPodcast
Email : 515Ultraman@gmail.com

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In this episode, we travel to Ubatuba, Brazil, to catch up with Alex Luna, one of the driving forces behind the UB515 ultra triathlon. As the race enters its 13th year, Alex shares the origin story of how a small group of legends—including Alexandre Ribeiro and Corey Folk—brought the Ultraman distance to Brazil. We dive deep into the "Aloha" spirit that defines the event and discuss the logistical and emotional preparation for the 43 athletes set to take on the 515km challenge.

What you will learn from this episode:

• The Power of "Just Letting it Happen": Alex recounts the advice from Corey Folk that finally launched the race in 2014.
• Course Logistics: A day-by-day walkthrough of the swimming, cycling, and running stages through some of Brazil’s most scenic coastal and mountain roads.
• Community & Legacy: How the race serves as a transformative process for both athletes and staff, fostering lifelong connections.

Athlete Dynamics: A breakdown of the 2026 field, including a record number of female participants and the veterans returning to defend their numbers.

Follow the race on Instagram UB 515 Website

Previous appearances by Alex (S4E6) (S5E9)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• BR145
• Fodaxman
• IM Brasil

Shout outs and mentions in this episode:

• Alexandre Ribeiro
• Paulo Calil
• Cory Foulk
• Sergio Cordeiro
• Curtis Tyler
• Leslie Tyler
• Steve King
• Andrius Luna
• Sandro Tanaka
• 75 – Bernardo Tillmann
• 78 – Erick Duarte
• 99 – Aline Luftmann
• 135 – Fabiano Peres
• 147 – Dejalmo Almeida
• 149 – Evandro Dutra
• 169 – Marcelo Noia
• 187 – Juan Armenteros
• 200 – Eduardo Filho
• 208 – Pedro Walfir
• 220 – Igor Maciel
• 225 – Luciano Bressy
• 233 – Rian Tavares
• 236 – Rafael Aragon
• 241 – Rubens Gonçalo
• 244 – Cléber Santos
• 245 – Rodrigo Gregório
• 246 – Diogo Brumm
• 248 – Ana Heide
• 249 – Luiza Machado
• 250 – Marcele Salaverry
• 251 – Diego Vidal
• 252 – Julius Bomfim
• 253 – Kildare Cardoso
• 254 – Juliana Ennes
• 255 – Fabi Silva
• 256 – Tatiana Debiasi
• 257 – Dankar Maridor
• 258 – Rodrigo Arraes
• 259 – Rafael Ruhl
• 260 – Julio Tiliaque
• 261 – Kalleb Potenza
• 262 – Mauro Lima
• 263 – Flavio Santos
• 264 – Gabriel Brás
• 265 – Fernando Oliveira
• 267 – Victor Latarulla
• 269 – João Paulo Morisson
• 270 – Wagner Nishizawa
• 271 – Renan Delavald
• 272 – Pamela Oliveira
• 273 – Roger Barroquello
• 2

Support the show

Show Contributors:
Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music : Run by 331

For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com
Facebook: @515TheUltraPodcast
Insta : @515theultrapodcast
Youtube : @515TheUltraPodcast
Email : 515Ultraman@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

You can learn a lot about an endurance athlete by what they avoid, and Brittney Litton avoids swimming. Then she signs up for Ultraman anyway, including a 10K swim, back-to-back monster bike days, and a double-marathon finish. Brittney joins us from New Zealand to talk about life as a working mom of two, a self-described “average” athlete with an anything-but-average appetite for big goals -- including wanting to set a new women's record time.

Racing lessons land hardest in the Kona Ironman recap. Brittany breaks down how over-concentrated carb bottles, post-swim thirst, and relying on Coke can spiral into vomiting, cramps, and survival mode in heat and humidity. That story becomes a blueprint for smarter fueling: drink water early, keep mixes tolerable, and respect the environment. She pairs it with the Tarawera ultra experience, where a hip flexor issue forces an awkward running pattern and a painful finish, proving that pacing and problem-solving matter as much as fitness. Finally, we zoom out to Ultraman preparation: crew planning, swim anxiety, long rides, Pilates for core strength, and the mindset shift from chasing splits to treating races as tests. It is a grounded look at how an “average” athlete builds toward an extraordinary start line.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• UM Australia
• UM New Zealand
• Lord of the RIngs
• IM Taupo
• Taupo 70.3
• Harry Potter
• Zwift
• MyWhoosh
• R.I.O.T. Zwift Team
• 5 Passes Race
• Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge
• IM World Championships
• Tarawera Ultra
• Taupo Marathon
• Wellington Marathon
• Christ Church Marathon
• Queenstown Marathon
• Christ Church 100km road championships

Shout outs and mentions in this episode:

• Simon Cochrane
• Jeff Morris
• Max Litton
• Ari Litton
• Anna Russel
• Taylor Swift
• Gracie Abrams
• Tilly Litton
• Michael Phelps
• Kate Bevilaqua
• Fiona Gallagher
• Kylie Brown
• Fat Cat Ron
• Fergus and Charlie

Support the show

Show Contributors:
Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music : Run by 331

For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com
Facebook: @515TheUltraPodcast
Insta : @515theultrapodcast
Youtube : @515TheUltraPodcast
Email : 515Ultraman@gmail.com