JYD - Jimmy Whelan

JYD - Jimmy Whelan

From Junkyard Dogs by Joe Skipper

December 5, 2025 · 56 min · Episode 18

About this episode

Joe Skipper interviews former WorldTour pro Jimmy Whelan about his transition from cycling to running and his future goals.

Joe is joined by former WorldTour pro and freshly minted 61-minute half marathoner Jimmy Whelan for a cracking deep dive into life on the limit. Jimmy talks through how he went from a talented young runner to winning the under-23 Tour of Flanders and racing Grand Tours with EF, what it is really like bombing down wet descents at 70 kilometres an hour, and why getting repeatedly taken out by crashes finally pushed him away from pro cycling. He breaks down the “devil block” weeks that built his monster engine, the difference between pure watts and fatigue resistance, and what it feels like when riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Julian Alaphilippe simply ride away from you. Then Jimmy explains how a sciatica flare-up on the TT bike nudged him back into running, the four-month build to his debut 70.3 in Geelong, and the big block that ended with a 61.30 half in Valencia where he went through 10K in 28.39 and ran with Alex Yee and the British marathon crew. Jimmy finishes by opening up on his next chapter as a full-time runner, his three-year plan toward the LA Olympics, and whether triathlon is completely off the table or still quietly in the mix. Join the JYD for exclusive…

People in this episode

Host: Joe Skipper

Guest: Jimmy Whelan

Topics covered

  • professional cycling
  • running
  • half marathon
  • Olympics
  • sports injuries
  • triathlon

Keywords

  • Jimmy Whelan
  • half marathon
  • cycling
  • Olympics
  • triathlon
  • sports injuries
  • running

Sponsors

Styrkr

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: EF, Valere

Places: Geelong, Valencia, LA

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