Success for Megan Isbester at world championships

MARIE HOBSON

Former St Mary’s College student and local triathlete Megan Isbester has just returned from her third world championships, claiming victory as the first Australian athlete to cross the line and finishing fourth in the world in her age group out of 35 athletes.

Competing in the Standard Distance Triathlon in the 30-34 age group, at Pontevedra, Spain, Megan was excited to pull on the green and gold jersey and complete her first event in Europe this year after coming off a stress fracture in her lower spine/pelvis before last year’s World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong.

Megan’s total time of 2 hours 23 minutes and 41 seconds included a swim leg of 1.5km in 24.23 minutes, where she was seventh out of the water, the cycle leg of 40km was completed in one hour and 11 minutes, with Megan holding on to seventh position transitioning to the run leg of 10km, which she achieved in 40.08 minutes, recording the second fastest time of the event. Only four seconds separated the fastest runners across the line.

“This was my first race in Europe and the furthest race from home I have ever done,” Megan said.

“I had a wonderful year of training – coming off a stress fracture I battled two weeks before the Wollongong World Championships last year and raced on. This time last year I had shown up to every session, completed, smashed and set new PBs across all three disciplines.”

To make her results even more impressive, Megan battles every day with stage 4 endometriosis but has never let it stop her, while struggling with low to no iron for the last 18 months.

“This was never a barrier, I have just learnt to work with my body and some days be kinder to myself,” Megan said.

Megan Isbester was proud to pull on the green and gold jersey.

“Two weeks before the Wollongong World Championships I smashed out a Vo2 metabolic test for the third time and set amazing new numbers on the bike and run with my coach. Little did I know my world would come crashing down around me, with news of the stress fracture absolutely gutting me, however, my body was responding well to swim and bike training with no pain so I continued to train up for the race.

“Going into the world championships race I had a mixture of emotions, a lack of confidence and many people telling me different things but I stuck with my gut, put on the green and gold uniform and started the race,” Megan said.

“I didn’t know if I could finish or if I would be a DNF but I was giving it my best shot. I completed the race and finished 13th in the world in my age group. I recovered, worked with a sports doctor, sports dietician and two incredible physios to heal.”

In January this year Megan returned to running and racing and remembered everything she had learnt.

“It has been an incredible year of racing and qualifying for the world championships in Pontevedra,” she said.

“This race was my redemption race and it couldn’t have gone any better – memories I will cherish forever.”

Megan’s race began with a plunge into the chilly 20-degree water with 35 other talented girls.

“The lead pack of six girls broke away from me and I had a lovely solo swim with a hard current pushing against me on the way down but sadly not a lot of support on the way back,” Megan recalled.

“It was a tough and honest swim. Then I ran the world’s longest transition of 700m to find my bike. The 40km ride was one of the most challenging rides I’ve done covering just less than 500m of elevation. Remembering to ride on the right-hand side of the road and overtake on the left while many athletes were yelling out at you in a range of different languages is something I will never forget.

INSET: Megan Isbester finished fourth in the world in her age group out of 35 athletes.

“We had a tough 10km climb up hill then 10km descending back down before doing it all again. Another very long transition to grab the running shoes and a beautiful cheer from Mum and partner, Nathan. They let me know I was in seventh place at the start of the run.

“The run is something I will never forget as no female athlete of any age group overtook me. The incredible spectators were lined and cheering around the narrow, cobbled pathways, the river and the athletics track. I had run myself into fourth place and third was three minutes ahead off the bike. We ran four laps and had a decent hill to climb each time,” Megan said.

“I ran down the blue finishing carpet to hear Mum and Nath cheering and to see one of my beautiful friends Emily finishing at the same time – I finished fourth in the world and had closed the gap to third by 90 seconds – fourth place has never felt so good.”

Megan enjoyed a three-week trip around Portugal and Spain before returning to Australia and plunging back into working and training for whatever 2027 has in store for her.

Her journey into the world of triathlon began in Gunnedah where she loved to swim, run and compete in triathlons as a junior athlete.

“I enjoyed my four years at the University of Wollongong studying to be a primary school teacher and was fortunate to receive a permanent teaching position in Newcastle,” Megan said.

“I started running 5km at weekly Parkruns and realised how much I missed training. Over the past seven and a half years I have built a strong aerobic base and have loved being coached by Lucas at Flowi Health Performance & Coaching in Newcastle,” she said.

“In my role at school I enjoy supporting junior athletes to national level in swimming and cross country. I am continuing to lead by example and show our next generation anything is possible if you have a goal and are determined to put in the hard work.

“I really want to share my journey to empower women in the sport of triathlon that we are all capable of achieving wonderful things. I’m so grateful to my incredible family, friends, training group and coach. I also extend my gratitude to NSW Triathlon and Aus Triathlon for their support while I was a junior athlete and now an age group athlete.”