Sam Long Takes On Another Double Header
After a disappointing result at Ironman Texas, Sam Long is bouncing back quickly with back-to-back 70.3 race weekends, returning to two venues where he's previously dominated.
Mel Sauve
While fans of Sam Long know that Ironman Texas did not unfold the way he had hoped, the fan favourite recently shared that he has “managed quite a good high-end since IM Texas” and is now preparing to take on a double-header.
Long will first head to Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast this Saturday in Panama City. The race was last held in 2023, where Long claimed the win, and he’ll now return looking to defend that title.
The following weekend, Long will race Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga, another venue where he has historically excelled. He returns not only as defending champion of the 70.3 event, but also as the reigning champion of the full-distance Ironman Chattanooga.
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Should Long take victories at both races, the combined payday would total $11,000 USD, a welcome rebound following Texas, where he openly discussed the difficult decision to continue racing despite falling out of contention for prize money and Ironman Pro Series points.
Long shared that, strategically, the smarter decision may have been to stop and reset. But with his kids there watching, he said he felt compelled to finish what he started.
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Long’s History of Thriving Off Quick Turnarounds
Looking back, Sam Long has historically performed well when racing back-to-back middle-distance events.
In 2025, he followed a second-place finish at Ironman 70.3 St. George with a victory at Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga the following weekend. Later that season, he doubled up again, winning Ironman 70.3 Eagleman before racing the Vancouver T100.
In 2024, Long raced Ironman 70.3 Oceanside and finished second before backing it up with an impressive runner-up performance at the Singapore T100.
And in 2023, Long won both Ironman 70.3 St. George and Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast on consecutive weekends. That same year, he also doubled up by racing the PTO Asian Open before taking on the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
Long is known for his high-volume training, which perhaps contributes to the durability and resilience that allow him to recover quickly and perform well on back-to-back race weekends.
We’re particularly excited to see him take on this double following his notably strong start to middle-distance racing in 2026. While the results sheet “only” shows a fourth-place finish at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, Long led deep into the run against the strongest field in the race’s history, and was one of nine men to break the previous course record.
*Joining Long for the double-header are John Killeen, Ari Klau, Miguel Mattox, Antony Costes, Nicholas Holmes, Benjamin Zorgnotti, Hunter Lussi, Matt Jackson, and Michell Ott.*