Kate Bevilaqua: Long‑Course Triathlon Swimming, Pacing and Race‑Day Decisions
4/27/202635 min
In this episode of The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming, I’m joined by recently retired professional triathlete and coach Kate Bevilaqua to explore the role of swimming in non‑drafting long‑course triathlon.
With the Busselton 100 marking the close of the WA triathlon season, this conversation looks at how athletes should think about the swim not as a standalone effort, but as the first decision of a long race day. Kate reflects on her own career across Ironman, 70.3 and Ultraman, including openly discussing swimming as her relative weakness, and how that shaped her approach to pacing, mindset and race‑day decision‑making.
We discuss what defines a good swim in long‑course racing, common mistakes athletes make early in the swim, warm‑up and start strategies, navigation, equipment choices, transition habits, and how swim preparation influences performance later on the bike and run. Kate also shares insights from her coaching, including how age‑group athletes often underestimate the true cost of the swim.
This is a thoughtful, practical conversation about swimming with intent — not to win the swim, but to set up the rest of the race.
Kate coaches through GK Endurance: www.gkendurance.com
This interview was recorded on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. I acknowledge the Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of these lands and waters and pay my respects to Elders past and present.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsGrant Landers· Host0:00
[waves crashing] Today on the Science and Art of Open Water Swimming, I'm joined by Kate Bevilacqua, a highly experienced and respected long course triathlon coach. This conversation comes at the end of the WA triathlon season with Busso 100 just around the corner, and on the same weekend as the Lake Argyle 20K swim, the final major open water swim of the WA season. It felt like the right moment to h- look at how swimming fits into the bigger endurance picture. Kate's career spans elite long course racing across Ironman, 70.3, and Ultraman, including wins at Busselton and an outright Ultraman victory across both men and women. Before racing professionally, she studied sports science and physical education at UWA and worked as a teacher before transitioning into full-time triathlon. She recently retired from elite racing and now coaches athletes through GK Endurance alongside her husband, Guy. Earlier this year, she was inducted into the WA Women's Hall of Fame, recognizing not just her results, but her long-standing contribution to sport. In this episode, we focus on swimming in non-drafting long course triathlon, how to approach pacing, mindset, and execution when the swim isn't about winning, but about setting up the rest of the race. Kate is refreshingly open about swimming