Sam Long Edges Out Trevor Foley in Thrilling Battle for Ironman 70.3 Eagleman Victory

Just weeks after claiming victory at Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga, American triathlete Sam Long proved once again that he’s in exceptional form. In a high-stakes, talent-packed race that unfolded in Maryland, Long emerged victorious after a thrilling duel with Trevor Foley that wasn’t decided until the final kilometers of the run.

The day started with a swift swim lead from Greg Harper, who clocked the fastest time of the field in 23:16. He was closely followed by Ben Kanute, while a nearly two-minute gap separated them from a chase pack including Paul Schuster, Shachar Sagiv, Matthew Collins, Robert Kallin, and Luke Jones. Trevor Foley exited the water in 18th place with a deficit of just over four minutes, while Long trailed slightly further behind in 21st, giving up 4:32 to the leaders.

Once on the bike, Kanute quickly surged to the front, setting the pace and holding off pursuers for a significant stretch. But he couldn’t shake a powerful chase group featuring Antony Costes, Kallin, and Jones. Further back, Long and Foley were powering through the field and formed part of a formidable second chase group. By the 60-kilometer mark, that group had closed the gap to just 90 seconds.

In the final stretch of the bike leg, it was Sweden’s Robert Kallin who made a bold move, breaking away solo to enter T2 with a 2:12 lead. Sam Long had now surged to second place, and a tight pack including Jackson Laundry, Costes, Kanute, Foley, Jones, and Collins were all hot on his heels heading into the half marathon.

It didn’t take long for the real fireworks to begin. Within the first kilometer of the run, Long and Foley immediately started cutting into Kallin’s lead, reducing it by half almost instantly. By the 5K mark, the duo had reeled him in and pushed ahead, setting the stage for an epic head-to-head battle.

For the next several kilometers, Long and Foley ran shoulder to shoulder, neither willing to give an inch. Kallin hung on just 18 seconds back, refusing to let the leaders get comfortable. But around the 13K mark, the decisive moment came: Foley had to yield a small gap – of just a few seconds – but it was enough for Long to make it count.

With grit and focus, Long held onto his advantage and broke the tape in a time of 3:36:50. Foley followed in second, finishing in 3:37:17, while Matthew Collins ran down Kallin late in the race to grab the final podium spot in 3:38:07.