Meet Lizzie Rayner Parcours Newest Athlete
This coming weekend is the last race of the IRONMAN World Championships, with the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, in Marbella, Spain. New Parcour Athlete, Lizzie Rayner will be lining up with the other 56 Pro women on the start list. It’s Lizzie’s second IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship after turning Pro late in 2022.
Lizzie took her Pro license after winning Outlaw Half in her first middle distance race, in 2022. She’s since risen from being ranked 180th in the World1 in 2022, to 82nd in 20232, to 43rd in 2024 and now is currently in 24th, in 2025. An impressive rise, and one that has included being the two-time champion at IRONMAN 70.3 Portugal, as well as five other podium performances, and a top 10 at Spain T100 this year.
1 According to the PTO Rankings
2 New PTO World Ranking System implemented
So how does Lizzie Rayner describe herself
“I mean, as you know, being a pro triathlete is almost our entire personality haha… but other than that I just love being outdoors, watching sport, walking my dog, hiking, good coffee, good food and as an introvert, being on my own a lot haha.”
Lizzie, born in Bath, in the South West of the UK, did her first triathlon when she was 12, being inspired by her parents who had done a couple themselves. However, she was a sporty kid growing up, playing all sorts of sports, such as hockey, cricket, and swimming but basically tried to do as much sport as she could including basketball and volleyball. No surprise really coming from a sporty family. Her father was RAF Modern Pentathlon Champion and her mother is still a competitive runner, and her sister enjoys more the “surfy type” of activities.
Memories of that first triathlon aged 12,
“I was 12years old, it was freezing cold, wet and windy day at an RAF base near Bath and I hated it. Mainly thanks to the weather and the crippling stitch I got on the run!”
Doing a few more triathlons when she was in her teens, it wasn’t till Lizzie then left University that she started Triathlon again. Her degree was in Sports Rehabilitation and she worked for a time with the women’s cycling team, Canyon/SRAM. It was in part during this time with the teams that her desire to be a professional athlete herself grew, rather than support side of the sport. Hence she entered Outlaw Half in 2022, won and took her Pro license stating “it was the best decision I ever made”.
Lizzie is now pretty much a full time athlete, just working a half day a week in a physio practice she started out of University, along with some coaching too. The difference Lizzie has noticed now she’s “full time” is the consistency she’s able to bring to her training, and the recovery.
“Boring answer, consistency. Touch wood, I’ve been uninjured for 2-3 years which has allowed me to really push training on to new levels and trust the body again after years of niggles! We do a really good mix of volume and intensity and have really found a balance that works well for me.”
“We” being her coach, Mark Threlfall, and the T3 Triathlon team. Lizzie has been coached by Mark for the last three years since she did her first Professional race in Swansea in 2022.
“We have a great little community with some very good athletes locally and our annual camp in Mallorca every Spring. I also get to train with Mark on a fairly regular basis which is a real benefit and I’m really happy with the work we’ve done and where it’s going. We’re both excited by the process which is key.”
Talking about “where it’s going” Lizzie was hesitant as hadn’t really had a chance to think about 2026, with 2025 still in progress and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship just days away. But did think she would concentrate on the European IRONMAN Pro Series races, T100 races and then IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Nice.
No real surprise that Lizzie’s favourite race (to date) is IRONMAN 70.3 Portugal, a race she’s won twice.
“It’s one of my favourite races on the circuit due to the course and the crowds and because I won by such a margin I could really enjoy myself out there and soak it all up which is such a privilege as normally you’re just in a hole and can’t enjoy it haha”
Although one of her best memories is from IRONMAN 70.3 Aix en Provence this year, when Lizzie came second behind Marjolaine Pierre.
“I had another front pack swim, held on, on the bike and had the run of my life to finish second. It felt like a bit of a breakthrough”
As for bucket lists races to come,
“Challenge Roth will be my first long distance race for sure (not in the near future but for sure on the bucket list)”
For now it’s all eyes on the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. When Lizzie was growing up she had role models like Jessica Ennis-Hill, Gwen Jorgensen and Serena Williams. Now she looks up to people like Laura Philipp, Taylor Knibb and Kat Matthews, women she’ll be lining up along side in Marbella.
Welcome to the Parcours team Lizzie and all the best for the 70.3 World Champs and 2026!
Quick Fire with Lizzie Rayner
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Black coffee or an oat milk flat white
Sweet or Savory? - Sweet
Guilty Pleasure? - Anything true crime
Who inspires you? - Laura Philipp
Favourite sport to watch? - Triathlon or Rugby
Favourite post race meal? - Burger and chips
Podcasts, music, or silence when training? - Podcasts or audiobooks on long rides/runs, music for hard bike sessions, nearly always silence when running unless long!
Group training or go solo? - Mostly solo, I have a training partner who I mostly ride with on the weekends and then I train with Team Bath AC on Tuesday nights on the track which is amazing as they’re so fast.
Favourite training location? - Mallorca
Worst thing about being a triathlete? - Early swims
Best thing about being a triathlete? - We get to swim, bike and run every day!
Pet peeve (in sport or life)? - Slow walkers or people that swim breaststroke in the fast lane
Mountains or coast? - Mountains
Favourite season? - Summer
Favourite tv series or movie? - Series: The Office US or Sherlock. Movie: Mr and Mrs Smith
Favourite podcast if you have one? - Pro Tri News or Crime Junkies
Read books or audio books? - Audiobooks these days
Which Hogwarts house would you be in? - Gryffindor
Cats or dogs? - Dogs
Karaoke song? - Valerie
Funniest thing you have done, or you have seen in a triathlon? - Normally some very amusing/questionable outfits from spectators at 70.3 Swansea!
