Matthews Stays IRONMAN Pro Series Perfect Thanks to Painful Win at Geelong 70.3

She’s the only woman to have won the IRONMAN Pro Series, and so far in 2026 Kat Matthews is proving she’ll be the favourite to keep that string going this year. After an impressive win at IRONMAN New Zealand just two weeks ago, the British star was looking to end her down-under run of races with a perfect score of 7,500 points at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong. While it wasn’t easy, the Brit will head to IRONMAN Texas next month with the IRONMAN Pro Series lead. In other words, mission accomplished.

Behind Matthews, Australia’s Grace Thek, who has finished on the podium all nine times she’s raced in Geelong, kept the streak alive and also pushed Matthews to her limit, while Canadian Tamara Jewett managed another stellar run to round out the podium.

Green Goes Early

Sophia Green (GBR) used her short-course chops (she represented Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games) to quickly pull clear on the swim, opening up a gap of 17 seconds on Stephanie Clutterbuck (GBR) through 800 m, with Matthews another 10 seconds back. Jewett was almost a minute back at this point.

Green continued to pull clear through the rest of the swim and, by the time she stood up at the end of the opening leg and started to run to the beach she was well ahead – her 23:13 split put her 43 seconds up on Clutterbuck, who seemed to be struggling with dizzy spells similar to what she went through in New Zealand as she ran towards her bike. (Clutterbuck has been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), which forced her to pull out of the race in Taupo a few weeks ago, and appeared to be dealing with those issues again as she staggered a few times on her way to transition.) Matthews would head to T1 1:29 back, a few seconds up on American Gabrielle Lumkes and Australia’s Grace Thek. Jewett would get to the beach just under three minutes behind Green.

Clutterbuck would hold things together to get out onto the bike course in third, while Matthews made up some time with a fast transition, starting the bike 1:14 behind Green.

Through the early stages of the bike, Green would hold a steady pace out in front, with Matthews the only woman to be able to really gain time through the early stages of the ride. Aussie Penny Slater had moved into third, with Clutterbuck, Milan Agnew (AUS), Lumkes and Thek all riding in a group about 1:20 to 1:30 behind. Jewett was losing more time through the early stages of the ride – she was sitting about 3:30 back in 14th through the first time check at 12 km.

Matthews would continue her relentless move towards the front and would take the lead roughly 25 km into the ride. Green would hang close to Matthews, but the Brit’s charge at the front was starting to stretch the rest of the field out as the chase group of six (Clutterbuck, Slater, Thek, Agnew, Lumkes and Sian Munks) were all trying to keep the gap at 90 seconds. Jewett continued to bleed time to the women ahead – her deficit was now over four minutes.

Through the halfway point of the ride Green had managed to stay on the Matthews train, but she was the only one who could keep at the same pace as the two-time defending IRONMAN Pro Series champ – the chase group was now down to five (Munks had been dropped), and was over two minutes behind.

Through the second half of the bike Matthews’ power really started to shine – while Green was able to hang on, the rest of the women were really starting to bleed time on the Brits. Through 57 km the gap to the chase group (Slater, Thek, Agnew, Lumkes and Clutterbuck) was over three minutes, with Munks now almost seven minutes behind the lead, and Jewett sitting in 11th, just over eight minutes back.

Matthews’ relentless pace at the front finally proved to be too much for Green, who finally dropped off shortly after the 60 km point of the bike. Over the next 20 km Green would lose two minutes to Matthews, and suddenly she was only a few minutes ahead of the chase group that now hovered roughly 4:30 behind the lead.

By the time she got to the end of the ride Matthews had things completely under control. The lead over Green was 2:20, while the chase group, led by Thek, arrived in transition between 4:17 and 4:37 behind. Jewett would get to T2 in 10th, 11:45 behind Matthews – but seemingly in striking distance for the podium if she could put together one of her patented super-quick run splits.

Matthews Hangs On

Out on the run Matthews appeared to get into a comfortable rhythm that showed she remained in control. Behind her Green was losing time rapidly to Thek, who had pulled clear of the rest of the women she’d been cycling with.

Thek’s charge continued through 10 km, by which time she was in second and had reduced the gap to Matthews to 2:55. At that point the word out on the course was that Matthews was suffering, no-doubt feeling the big win in New Zealand from just a couple of weeks ago. Thek was gaining almost a minute every three km and, with about 5 km to go, the gap was down to 1:29. With 3 km to the gap was 59 seconds – and suddenly Thek’s experience as an NCAA cross country runner for Providence University seemed to be propelling her towards a dramatic finish.

You don’t come back from a horrific car accident to become one of the world’s best triathletes without being a particularly tough competitor and, as Thek appeared to be charging towards the lead, Matthews found another gear and shut things down, lifting her pace and getting to the line for a second 2026 IRONMAN Pro Series win in 4:06:14. Thek would fly into the finish with the day’s fastest run split (1:19:01) just 36 seconds down (4:06:50), while Jewett would once again run her way through the field to round out the podium in 4:15:26.

Matthews will now get a bit of a break before taking on her next IRONMAN Pro Series race – IRONMAN Texas next month. Thek will also be in Texas, but will compete at the next pro series race IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside next week.

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