“I was thinking: ‘Have I wasted seven years in pro cycling?’ But then, I thought, no, maybe I’ve just done a ridiculous seven year aerobic build that no one else can replicate in running. Maybe I’ve got a bit of a cheat code.”
Ex-professional cyclist, Jimmy Whelan, 29, is speaking to me 10 days after he ran 61:37 at the Valencia Half Marathon, a time which places him 13th on the Australian all-time list. It has been less than a year since Whelan retired from cycling at the end of last season, after a seven-year career that included four years at WorldTour and some notable results, including a win at the U23 Tour of Flanders in 2018, finishing ahead of a number of the current superstars of the sport.
“When someone asks me, ‘oh you’re a cyclist, have you beaten Tadej Pogačar?’ I say, ‘yeah, mate, in my first European bike race!’,” Whelan says wryly. From joking about scalping one of the greatest-ever riders to questioning the point of it all, Whelan is relaxed and content to open up about the challenging and precarious world of cycling, in part because he is no longer at the mercy of it. Despite some successes during his time on two wheels, it was also a period plagued by sciatica issues, increasing anxiety around safety in the peloton and the mounting pressure of securing contracts to sustain the career.
These strains ultimately led him to retire at the age of 28, originally with the goal of becoming a professional triathlete, but over the course of 21.1km and little over an hour – on two feet rather than two wheels – his plans have now changed.
“After my run on the weekend, I could potentially go pro in running,” says Whelan, who is now targeting a spot on the Australian marathon team at the Los Angeles 2028.
As we chat, it becomes clear how a full-circle moment is dawning on Whelan; as a teenager he aimed for a professional running career. In 2015, he ran 8.19 over 3,000m at the Zatopek track meet in Melbourne, an event he is returning to on December 13 to race the Australian 10,000m championships. Back at the Zatopek meet, 10 years on, Whelan will be wearing the same black and red striped vest of the Old Xaverians Athletics Club, a touching tribute for Whelan, signalling where he is from and paying tribute to those who have helped him along the way.
Talking to me on a video call from Melbourne, I can tell the prospect of his new challenge is genuinely exciting Whelan – it’s…