India Lee on 'that' penalty and why the Sub8 was like a hen do

Runner-turned-triathlete India Lee is a former European short course champion, a three-time Ironman 70.3 winner – including twice in Weymouth – and is ranked inside the PTO’s top 40 in the world.

But despite pursuing a career in professional triathlon, the swim, bike, runner from Alton in Hampshire doesn’t take herself or her sport too seriously – an attitude that was tested after she was stung with a 5min penalty at the 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championship when she was having the race of her career.

We caught up with India to talk about that incident, what she loves about the sport, being a pacer in all three disciplines for Kat Matthews’ successful Sub 8 attempt and her trepidation and excitement about stepping up to the full distance.

Route into tri

220: How did you get into triathlon?

India Lee: I’d been a competitive runner and gained a scholarship to run track and cross-country at college in the USA but became burned out and returned home after a couple of years.

I was looking for a job and didn’t want to run ever again, but to try and motivate me my old run coach suggested I enter a triathlon for fun. Blenheim was quite close to where I lived at the time, so I took part in the Blenheim Triathlon.

I did quite well, became overly competitive, trained hard and it snowballed from there.

220: That was 2013 and you’ve now been pro for almost a decade. What motivates you to swim, bike and run every day?

IL: I don’t think there is just one thing. Some days it's because it’s my job and I have to do it. Some days it's because I absolutely love it and there's nothing else I'd rather be doing.

Other days it’s a combination of both – and at this end of the season it’s because there’s a race coming up that I want to do well in.

220: What do you find most fun about triathlon?

IL: That we get to race with the age-groupers! When I travelled to the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in October it was the focus of my whole year, but I also had friends who were travelling to race for fun or as their hobby.

I’ll hang around with them all week and it puts the whole thing into perspective that what we’re doing is just a big laugh really! I just have the best time being a normal person rather than getting caught up in it being a world championship.

220: You finished 11th in the 70.3 worlds in St George [India was also 11th in 2019 in Nice]. Does it feel different to race at an Ironman 70.3 World Championship compared to a regular Ironman event?

IL: In a lower tier race, there’d usually be a group of two or three at the front of the swim – and I’d hope to be in it. In a world championship there might be 10 triathletes within 30sec of each other, which creates a different race dynamic. All the gaps are filled.

The concentration of competition is a lot higher rather than being out front on your own all day.

'That' 70.3 penalty

220: That also increases the risk of a penalty. After your 5min disputed caution in St George, would you like to see a different approach from the officials?

IL: Yes. There needs to be some kind of validation of what the referee sees. Currently, the ref’s word is final, you can’t argue against it and it has knock-on effects.

We’re racing for quite a lot of money – especially in a world championship – and it shouldn't rely on one person’s subjective view.

A few of us who got penalties have been trying to come up with some ideas to present to Ironman such as helmet cams for referees so they can back up what they saw. If it can’t be justified having rewatched the footage maybe something can be done.

220: How much do you believe the penalty affected your race?

IL: It was huge for me. I was in third place having the best race of my career so far and felt good. I know it’s not as simple as taking 5mins off my finish time, but that would have placed me fifth or sixth which is the minimum of where I think I could have finished.

Aside from the prize money on the day, it would have given me more of a chance to attract sponsors. Now it’s a case of what might have been.

• How much can athletes win at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship?

220: Do you get recognised when you’re not racing triathlons?

IL: I don’t think my profile is big enough and I don't post enough stuff on Instagram! But a few people at the pool have asked me recently: ‘Are you India Lee? Sorry about your penalty!’

The Sub8 was great fun, I absolutely loved it. It was like being on a hen do for a week without the alcohol

Personal growth

220: How do you feel you’ve evolved as a triathlete in the past decade?

IL: I’ve learned that I’m good at training on my own and it puts me more in control of what I’m doing. I do everything properly rather than getting sucked up into what everybody else is doing.

When I started, I had more speed, now I have more endurance – more of a diesel, if you like.

220: Who do you turn to for guidance?

IL: I’m a bit of a lone ranger, but definitely my family – my mum and dad are No 1 supporters. I also have close friends, who are a small group but really big supporters.

220: How much are you into the technical side of the sport?

IL: I do the majority of my bike mechanics myself and I’m learning more about the aerodynamic side of things. It’s just about trying to get better in my sport.

I also learnt a lot at Sub 8 watching the ‘Huub boys’ [Dan Bigham, Jon Archibald, Jacob Tipper…) especially how the fabrics that they’re wearing can be huge for saving watts.

Pacing at the Sub8 challenge

220: Did you enjoy your support role for Kat Matthews’ successful Sub8 attempt in the summer [India was the only athlete to have pacing duties for all three disciplines]?

IL: It was great fun, I absolutely loved it. It was like being on a hen do for a week without the alcohol [during the event, see image above for the start of the after party!]. Kat is brilliant. She’s got a confidence about her where you feel that if she thinks she can do something, she probably can.

Short-course ambitions

220: What can you remember of becoming European champion in short-course racing in Lisbon in 2016?

IL: It was wicked. It was a breakaway on the bike and I had to hold on for the run. A couple of weeks before I’d won a World Cup and it felt as if I was doing the right thing with my life. To win the Europeans felt legit.

220: It was also Olympic year. Did you have a chance of selection for Rio?

IL: I was too far off. In 2015 I’d finished third at an obscure European Cup race in Turkey which meant I got to go through the selection races.

I went to the test event in 2015 and finished third from last [India was actually 49th out of 70] and that was the kick up the bum I needed.

The start of the 2016 season [and European win] was validation I'd put the work in, but it was too late for Rio and I was too far off all the other GB girls… and there were so many.

Going long

220: What prompted the switch to longer-distance racing?

IL: I couldn't get World Series starts. GB had five slots and I was the sixth-ranked Brit. I wasn’t bothered about racing World Cups for the rest of my career and wanted more control over where and when I raced.

220: You’re heading to Israel for your Ironman debut next weekend [India finished 6th in 9:03hrs]. How do you feel about stepping up in distance?

IL: Saying I’m looking forward to it is maybe a bit of a stretch. I go through waves of being super excited then terrified thinking it’s so far and I can’t cope.

I’m seeing this one as more of a taster. I decided to do one before the end of the year to convince myself it’s probably not as big a deal as I think it is, and then next year I can go for it properly.

Top image credit: Alexander Koerner/Getty Images for Ironman