Barnaby's Historic Payday: Italian Veteran Claims First Ironman Pro Series Title
From chasing down a rough swim to banking the biggest payday in triathlon history, Italy's Gregory Barnaby proves that consistency trumps flash in the Pro Series finale
Gregory Barnaby has just landed the biggest payday of his career. The Italian veteran secured the inaugural Ironman Pro Series championship with a calculated ninth-place finish at the 70.3 World Championships in Taupo, pocketing a $200,000 bonus that dwarfs his previous career earnings.
"I've been doing triathlon for 20 years now and I've never earned in 20 years what I earned today," a beaming Barnaby shared post-race. That's the kind of perspective that makes you sit up and take notice.
His path to victory wasn't exactly textbook. A challenging swim start left him playing catch-up, emerging from Lake Taupo in 14th position. But with series rival Matthew Marquardt battling early-race cramps, Barnaby executed a measured strategy across the challenging Kiwi course.
Fighting through a tough day where "nothing felt quite right," Barnaby clocked 3:40:14, good enough for those crucial 2,515 points that pushed his series total to 19,059. That kept him clear of Patrick Lange (18,623) and Kristian Høgenhaug (18,528) in the final standings.
Lange's runner-up showing tells its own story - you don't necessarily need to race every event to bank the big bucks. The German's Kona victory and targeted performances nearly nabbed him the title without even lacing up in Taupo.
For Barnaby, who only turned pro in 2021, this caps a breakthrough season that included podiums at Mallorca and Frankfurt before grabbing his first 70.3 win two weeks ago in Western Australia. Not a bad way to close out 2024.
The series distributed $1.3 million among the top 10, with positions 11-50 each collecting $5,000 bonuses. Next year's field will be taking notes on Barnaby's consistency-first approach - top 10 in every Pro Series race he entered. That's the kind of form that turns heads and fills bank accounts.
Top 10 Male Professional Results – IRONMAN Pro Series
Place | Name | County | Pro Series Points | Bonus payout(USD) | Total Prize Money (USD) |
1. | Gregory Barnaby | ITA | 19,059 | $200,000 | $254,750 |
2. | Patrick Lange | DEU | 18,623 | $130,000 | $286,000 |
3. | Kristian Høgenhaug | DNK | 18,528 | $85,000 | $114,000 |
4. | Matthew Marquardt | USA | 18,132 | $70,000 | $99,250 |
5. | Matt Hanson | USA | 17,853 | $50,000 | $82,500 |
6. | Bradley Weiss | ZAF | 17,350 | $40,000 | $55,250 |
7. | Robert Kallin | SWE | 17,192 | $30,000 | $46,000 |
8. | Mathias Petersen | DNK | 16,648 | $20,000 | $29,000 |
9. | Braden Currie | NZL | 16,306 | $15,000 | $35,000 |
10. | Jonas Hoffman | DEU | 16,217 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
