Justin Riele is a top-10 ranked American professional Ironman triathlete. After winning the Ironman World Championship as an amateur in 2021, he turned professional and has since earned multiple podium finishes. In 2024, he was ranked 26th globally in the first-ever Ironman Pro Series, achieving four consecutive top-10 results.
Justin wasn’t always a professional athlete. During college at Vanderbilt University, he spent most of his time either partying at his fraternity or studying Neuroscience in the library. After beginning his corporate career in Silicon Valley’s tech scene, he signed up for his first Ironman as a personal challenge. Over the past eight years of dedicated training, he has steadily climbed the ranks to become a world-class professional.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Justin now resides in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife.
Training Must-Haves
✅ Training partners to push you to your limits.
✅ Carbohydrates to stay fueled for long training days.
✅ FRE Nicotine Pouches after workouts—to stay sharp, focused, or to relax after a tough session.
Favorite Pouch Flavor & Strength
12mg is my go-to.
Favorite flavors: Mint & Lush (it’s a tie!).
- Mint: For a “wake-up / fresh” feeling.
- Lush: Perfect for winding down in the evening—my “dessert.”
What inspired you to become a triathlete?
My parents were triathletes in the 1980s, back when the sport was just emerging along California’s coast. When I was six, my dad raced an Ironman, and a few years later, my mom ran a marathon. That planted the seed, but I never thought much about it until I was 22.
One day, I called my dad and asked, “Do you think I could do an Ironman?” At the time, I was an out-of-shape college kid who had never planned on becoming a pro athlete. But I had fast training partners who inspired me, and after eight years of hard work and consistency, I’m now living a dream life I never really envisioned—it just happened.
What’s the toughest part of training for a triathlon?
Honestly, the all-consuming nature of it. Training at a high level means averaging 20 hours per week, every week, month after month, year after year. Some weeks are closer to 30 hours, and some are 10, but consistency is everything.
I genuinely love swimming, cycling, and running, but at the pro level, excelling means saying no to other things I love—skiing, golfing, alcohol, vacations, etc.
How do you stay mentally locked in during long races?
I rely on a few mantras when things get dark. Before the race, I visualize pushing myself to the limit. During the race, I remind myself of the thousands of training hours and years of preparation that got me to this start line.
If imposter syndrome creeps in, I tell myself “You belong.”
What’s one race-day ritual you never skip?
- 4 AM wake-up (3 hours before race start).
- Double espresso + 12mg FRE (only nicotine I take until post-race).
- Breakfast: 6 pieces of white bread + peanut butter + 2 bananas.
If you could give one piece of advice to beginners, what would it be?
Be consistent. Do something active every day—even just an hour of swim, bike, or run. Limit days off. Triathlon is a lifestyle, and excelling means stacking weeks, months, and years of training together. It doesn’t always have to be hard, but logging hours daily is the key.
Three things you always have on race day?
- Chamois Butt’r (for obvious reasons)
- FRE 12mg.
- Lots of adrenaline.
How do you balance endurance training with recovery?
Triathletes—especially Type A ones—love training but often neglect recovery.
I use all the usual tools: massage guns, compression boots, supplements—but the two most important things are:
- SLEEP. As much as possible.
- FOOD. Also as much as possible.
Some Sundays, my “recovery” means watching football with the boys, tossing in a FRE pouch, and sipping a non-alcoholic beer.
How does FRE fit into your lifestyle as an athlete?
I have a unique relationship with nicotine—I’ve used it daily for over a decade since college.
I’m always “on.” Between training and my full-time job in tech, my calendar is packed. FRE helps me:
- Lock in focus (morning routine: espresso + FRE).
-
Unwind after training (evening routine: FRE + sauna or hot tub).
I don’t use FRE during training, but it’s a key part of my daily rituals.
A Day in the Life
🕕 6:00 AM – Wake up, cereal + espresso.
🏊♂️ 6:30-8:00 AM – 5000m swim.
🚿 8:00 AM – Breakfast burrito + 12mg FRE in the shower.
💻 8:30 AM-1:00 PM – Zoom meetings
🍽️ 1:00-1:30 PM – Lunch + afternoon espresso + FRE.
💻 1:30-4:30 PM – More meetings + deep work.
🚴♂️ 4:30-7:00 PM – 50-mile bike ride or long treadmill run.
🍽️ 7:00-8:00 PM – Dinner, training data review, catch up with my wife.
🛁 8:00-8:30 PM – 12mg FRE + sauna or hot tub.
📺 8:30-9:30 PM – Relax, read, Netflix.
😴 9:30 PM – Asleep.
What’s Next? Upcoming Races & Goals
My main 2025 focus is going to be the Half Ironman circuit in the U.S, racing as much as possible from April to September.
- Oceanside (CA)
- St. George (UT)
- Chattanooga (TN)
- Lima (Peru)
- Boise (ID)
- Louisville (KY)
- Santa Cruz (CA)
- Cozumel (Mexico)
Goals for the Year:
- Crack the Top 50 world ranking (currently #67).
- Earn my first Pro Ironman 70.3 Win.
Fun Questions
🔥 If you had a superpower for triathlon, what would it be?
Super-speed. Imagine running 3-minute miles the whole race…
🎵 Go-to hype song before a race?
Lose Yourself – Eminem.
🌍 Dream race location?
🏝️ Ironman World Championship - racing in Kona, Hawaii in 2026 is my top goal.
🍔 Post-race cheat meal?
Double bacon cheeseburger 🍔 + Cookies & Cream milkshake 🥤 + 15mg FRE.
🐶 Dream training partner?
AirBud. I want a golden retriever and train them for triathlons.
🏈If you weren’t a triathlete, what sport would you do?
NFL kicker—high stakes, no hits. But I doubt I can make an extra point.
Fun Questions
If you could have any superpower to help you in a triathlon, what would it be?
The obvious choice for me would be “super-speed” like Dash from The Incredibles. It’d be pretty sweet to run 3-minute mile times during the entire run leg… I’d also settle for being able to freeze my competitors mid-run though.
What’s your go-to hype song before a race?
Lose Yourself by Eminem. I also have a playlist here with my favorite pump up tracks.
If you could race in any location in the world, where would it be?
Racing in the pro field in Kona, Hawaii at the 2026 Ironman World Championship is my number one goal in the sport right now. Outside of that, I really want to race in Asia as well as New Zealand.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about being a triathlete?
I would say it’s the crazy high amounts of sleep and food that are required to sustain the amount of training that I do day after day. I am basically in a chronic state of hunger and tiredness when I’m in a huge training block pushing the limits. My weekends are basically sleep, train, eat, repeat.
Do you have a lucky charm or pre-race superstition?
No but maybe I should make one this year with FRE… maybe a different flavor each day to countdown to race day or something.
Which part of the triathlon (swim, bike, or run) would you let a robot do for you if you could?
The run for sure. My swim and bike are strong and the run is my weakness.
Describe your ideal “cheat day” meal after a race.
My go to post race meal is a Cookies and Cream Milkshake, double bacon cheeseburger, large Hazy IPA, and 15mg of FRE. My races are either 4 hours (half ironman) or 8-9 hours (full Ironman) so I’m usally playing catch-up on calories at that point.
Who’s your dream training partner—dead or alive, real or fictional?
Hmm, the best training partners are always positive and uplifting. My friend Mike Arishita is someone who always has a great attitude and makes it fun, with a great sense of humor and a thirst for adventure. He somehow cracks me in training, even the time he stayed out all night in Vegas and took an uber from the nightclub straight to the swimming pool at 6:30am for our swim. If we are talking fictional, I’d have to go with AirBud. I want to get a golden retriever and train them to be a triathlete.
If you weren’t a triathlete, what sport would you compete in instead?
My dream career is actually to be the lead singer of a successful band, touring the world… but if I had to pick another sport I’d go with being an NFL kicker. I like the mental pressure they face when the game is on the line, and they also don’t have to take very many hits. Except I don’t think I can even make an extra point attempt.
