The contrast is so obvious that it is almost uncomfortable: yesterday, at IRONMAN Texas, while Kristian Blummenfelt signed one of the best performances in history, Lionel Sanders finished in 45th position with a marathon of 3:31:38.
Sanders has a track record and talent. He has competed with the best for more than a decade, winning important events and sustaining very high rhythms in middle distance. But on big long-distance dates, performance tends to break down.
In the days before Texas, he himself offered clues on his YouTube channel: "You want to run at 3:48 a kilometer throughout the marathon, but the first day you're going to do it is the day of the race. Everything else is intervals that, in theory, should translate into that… but I don't see it as logical.” It is a direct amendment to classic training models: it questions the transfer between fractional work and competition.
The same logic appears in his recent preparation: “If you can't shoot four hours in a row, it's because you're going too fast. I thought shooting at 240 watts was a waste of time, but it was my level." He sums it up bluntly: “If I'm going to fail, I want to fail my way.”
Outside his circle, perception is harsher. On Reddit he has always been full of criticism: “It is impossible to train by others, but he is not very good at training himself either. Bad combination." There are also more empathetic readings, precisely those that over the last decade have made him a reference of the popular ones: "He overthinks things just like the rest, he makes mistakes and is totally transparent. That's why I like to follow him.”
The results show a clear pattern: victories at Oceanside or St. George, constant podiums in medium distance and very irregular performances in long distance.
In 2024 he won in Canada but was 32nd in Hawaii. In 2025, three middle-distance races, and three podiums. This year, he opened the season winning in IRONMAN 70.3 Dallas, but yesterday, Texas, mechanical problems and a very delayed position conditioned his career, although the final result - outside the top 40 - once again places him far from the names that dominate the discipline.
The level continues to rise: Blummenfelt touches the world record, Marten Van Riel runs in 2:32 and eleven athletes go down from 2:45 in the marathon. The margin of error is decreasing and consistency is more decisive than ever.
Sanders is still competitive in middle distance and still winning, but he seems further and further away from the real fight for the big titles. Not for lack of level, but because their path is different. Whether that very personal approach is your strength or your limit is the question that remains unanswered. The pattern, for now, looks like it's going to repeat for another year.