R-Custom Diaries | 002 | Jules Ellis

Three years away from racing. Four full-distance Ironmans already in the bank. And one question still to answer:

Was there still some life left in the old dog?

For Jules Ellis, IRONMAN Leeds was originally a deferral from 2025, but by the time race week arrived it represented much more than simply using an existing entry.

After three years away from racing, Jules was genuinely excited just to be standing on a start line again. It was an opportunity to put himself back into that environment, take on the demands of a full-distance Ironman and see what was still there.

Jules’ triathlon journey started in 2019 with one fairly sizeable ambition: complete an Ironman.

There was just the small matter of effectively learning to swim and getting back into running after not doing it since school.

Since then, he’s completed four full-distance Ironmans, with each one reinforcing just how much can be achieved through consistency, resilience and committing yourself to a goal.

For Leeds, Jules also needed a new suit.

After securing sponsorship through work, he came to R-Custom with a pretty clear picture of what he wanted. The starting point was a white upper half and black lower, combining his usual black and fluorescent yellow racing colours with the blue from his work branding.

But, as with most R-Custom projects, it was the personal details that turned the initial concept into his suit.

On the right sleeve sits the Welsh dragon, representing Jules and home.

On the left, a Yorkshire rose. That rose worked on two levels. It represented Leeds and the location of the race, but more importantly, Jules’ partner, who is from Yorkshire. It became a small acknowledgement of the patience, understanding and support that goes into preparing for an Ironman, not just from the athlete doing the training but from the people around them.

The suit also carries the branding of his work alongside Onit Cycles, while perhaps the most important detail of all is the inclusion of his children’s names.

For Jules, taking on challenges like this is partly about showing them what dedication, commitment and determination actually look like. If Dad decides he’s going to do something difficult, he wants them to see what it takes to follow it through.

Race preparation wasn’t perfect. Jules had around four to five months of training behind him and knew he hadn’t managed the volume he would normally want before tackling a full Ironman. Because of that, the plan was deliberately simple:

No expectations. Get back out there and race.

Then Leeds threw another curveball. Blue-green algae meant the swim was cancelled, turning the event into something very different from the Ironman Jules had prepared for.

There was understandably some disappointment. Based on his predicted swim and transition times, Jules believes a personal best could potentially have been on the cards, leaving a definite sense of what if?

But there was still a race in front of him. Rather than allowing the cancellation to take the shine off the day, Jules got on with it and enjoyed the challenge for what it had become.

And after three years away, that was probably the biggest result of all.

The R-Custom suit went from sketches and personal references to being put properly through its paces on race day, with Jules particularly loving the comfort and the large rear pockets across the longer distance.

More importantly, it did exactly what we want an R-Custom suit to do.

When Jules stood on that start line, it felt like his kit.

His colours. His sponsors. His family. Wales on one sleeve. Yorkshire on the other.

A suit marking his return to racing and carrying a few reminders of exactly who had helped him get there.

R-Custom Diaries. The stories behind the suits.