Morgan Pearson and Marta Pintanel win the World Cup in San Pedro de la Paz

Morgan Pearson of the United States won the World Triathlon Cup in San Pedro de la Paz, Chile, on 1 November, escaping in an eight-man breakaway on the bike and then running clear from the first metres of the 10 km run.

France’s Louis Vitiello, who led the race into the second transition, took silver 33 seconds behind. Hungary’s Márton Kropkó was three seconds further back in third.

In the women’s race earlier the same day, Spain’s Marta Pintanel won her first World Cup in 2:02:49. Her teammate Ana Carballo Gómez was second, 22 seconds back, and Luxembourg’s Eva Daniels third at 32 seconds. According to World Triathlon, it was the first World Cup podium for both Carballo and Daniels.

Both races were held over the standard distance of 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run, with wetsuits allowed in a lake at 17.5°C to 18°C. It was the second edition of the race in the Chilean city.

A breakaway that held

Much of the attention before the men’s race was on a rematch between last year’s winner, Brazil’s Manoel Messias, and Spain’s David Cantero del Campo, who lost to him by five seconds in 2025. It never happened. Cantero left the water more than a minute and a half behind the leader and did not finish, while Messias was almost two minutes down after the swim and finished 39th.

The home favourite Diego Moya led the swim in 17:09. He was joined at the front on the bike by Vitiello, Pearson, Kropkó, Spain’s Pelayo González Turrez, France’s Baptiste Passemard, Canada’s Joshua Bird and Germany’s Benedikt Bettin. The eight worked together for all eight laps and reached the second transition about 80 seconds ahead of a chase group of more than 30.

Sullivan Middaugh of the United States rode the fastest bike split of the day, 56:02, in that chase, but the gap did not come down.

Pearson’s 30:27 run was 35 seconds quicker than anyone else in the breakaway. Behind him, Kropkó, Vitiello and González ran together for three of the four laps, and Moya caught them as the last lap began. González faded in the final kilometre, and Vitiello beat Kropkó in the sprint for silver. González was fourth and Moya fifth.

The win came two weeks after Pearson slipped on a downhill corner and crashed out of the Beijing World Cup. He has two Olympic silver medals from the mixed relay, in Tokyo and Paris, and was fourth at WTCS London in the summer.

For Vitiello it was the best result of his career and his first World Cup podium. Kropkó, 21, was fourth in Beijing on his return from an injury that kept him out for much of the season. Spain’s Antonio Serrat Seoane ran the fastest 10 km of the day, 30:23, to climb from the chase group to sixth.

Pintanel turns fourth into first

Pintanel arrived as the top seed, a year after finishing fourth in San Pedro de la Paz. Her best World Cup result before this race was second in Florianópolis.

Hungary’s Márta Kropkó, sister of the men’s bronze medallist and runner-up in Beijing on 17 October, led the swim in 19:05, but 24 athletes left the water within 23 seconds of her. The front group stayed together for the full 40 km, and 16 women reached the second transition within about 11 seconds of each other. Italy’s Carlotta Missaglia, who rode the fastest bike split, was first out onto the run.

Missaglia and Carballo opened a gap inside the first kilometre, but Pintanel, Kropkó and Daniels closed it during the second lap. Before the end of that lap Pintanel pulled away. Her 39:29 run was the only one under 40 minutes and 27 seconds faster than anyone else.

Carballo, 22, broke clear of Kropkó and Missaglia with about a kilometre to go. Daniels took bronze two weeks after finishing sixth in Beijing, Missaglia was fourth and Kropkó fifth. Kropkó said afterwards she had stomach problems the night before and never fully recovered, according to World Triathlon.

What comes next

The World Cup moves to Hong Kong on 7 November, with a mixed relay the following day. The World Triathlon Championship Series then resumes with WTCS Abu Dhabi on Hudayriyat Island on 13 and 14 November, the season opener postponed from March.