World No.1 triathlete Beth Potter has described how a debilitating foot injury that sidelined her for months ultimately reignited her passion for running as she returns to top form ahead of the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) London event on 25 July 2026.
Injury Details and Setbacks
The 34-year-old Scot suffered a torn plantar fascia, a severe stress reaction in her fourth metatarsal and a bone spur at the Weihai WTCS event in November 2025. Despite the pain, she pushed through to compete at the Grand Final in Wollongong just three weeks later, but was forced to leave the course in a wheelchair. The injury left her unable to sleep properly for three months and jeopardised the start of her 2026 season.
Potter said: “I had to finish the season off at the Grand Final, but didn't do any running going into it. I think I almost pulled it off. I don't think it was actually my foot that was stopping me because it was actually feeling a bit better by that point, because I'd rested it for three weeks. I think I actually had a bit of an illness, like a cold or something like that, because I came down pretty hard the next couple of days. That was frustrating. Going into that winter, I just had to focus on my swim and bike.”
Rediscovering Running
Running has always been Potter’s favourite leg of the three triathlon disciplines. She began her sporting career as a long-distance runner, representing Team GB at the 2016 Olympics in the 10,000m, before transitioning to triathlon in 2017. Since then, she has completed the World Championships medal set, won two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024, and is now the top-ranked triathlete in the world.
She said: “Running just makes me feel different - it makes me feel more alive. I think having not been able to do that for so long made me realise how big a part of my life it is and how it makes me feel. And I'm just not taking it for granted. I couldn't even walk my dog at times, because my foot was so sore. I was really surprised by how quickly the running came back.”
Strong Start to 2026 Season
Potter’s resurgent form has been evident early in the season, with a WTCS win in Samarkand followed by two second-place finishes in Yokohama and Alghero. She noted: “It was only 10 days before that first race, and I left the track in tears because I could barely walk. So I was just taking it race by race. To win at the first race shows I'm there and I'm pushing the pace. So yeah, I think it definitely surpassed where I thought I was at. I’m just happy that I could deliver those few results and also stay pretty much in one piece as well. That's been the most important thing.”
WTCS London Returns After 11 Years
This summer, the WTCS circuit returns to London for the first time in 11 years, as part of the T100 weekend that brings together elite athletes, celebrities and the public for a major triathlon celebration. The event on 25 July will feature British stars including Alex Yee, alongside 5,300 amateur participants swimming, cycling and running around the capital. The elite women's race starts at 14:30, with the men at 16:15, and live coverage on Triathlonlive.tv in the UK.
