10 Takeaways from Yesterday’s IRONMAN World Championship Kona

We’ve all been raving about how it was a day for the ages. The pros put on an incredible show, but it wasn’t all about the pros here on the Big Island yesterday. Here are a few things that stood out from yesterday’s racing on both the pro and age-group front.

Norwegians Like This Debut Thing

Solveig Lovseth joined some elite Norwegian company with her win yesterday – all three of the Norwegian men who have won the IRONMAN World Championship did it in their first appearance at the event. Kristian Blummenfelt won in St. George in May of 2022, Gustav Iden won here in Kona in 2022, while Casper Stornes took the 2025 title in Nice – all in their first IRONMAN World Championship appearances. Now Lovseth has joined that elite group.

Natalie Grabow Becomes the Oldest Women’s Kona Finisher

I purposely didn’t want to interview Natalie Grabow before the race in case I jinxed her (the last time I interviewed a potential new record holder she didn’t make it across the line), but I sure want to acknowledge the amazing performance by the 80-year-old. Grabow finished the race in 16:45:26. Since the day couldn’t have enough drama, Grabow fell as she neared the finish line, but got up and made it through.

At the line to greet her was recent IRONMAN Hall of Fame inductee Cherie Gruenfeld, who had been the oldest Kona finisher until Grabow’s amazing feat.

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How Close Was That?

Anyone else notice how close the times were between seventh and 10th place yesterday? Just 47 seconds separated Jocelyn McCauley from Marlene de Boer, with Sara Svensk and Leonie Konczalla slotting in between those two.

Biggest Mover

Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

Here’s what’s even crazier about Sara Svensk’s result – she was 52nd out of the water, and worked her way up through the field, running a 2:56:29 marathon to come oh-so-close to a seventh-place finish. As you can see from the above shot, she had to give it all to get to the line in eighth!

Speaking of Close: What About First and Second?

Turns out the time differential between Solveig Lovseth and Kat Matthews – 35 seconds – was one of the closest races we’ve ever seen here in Kona (or any of the other venues). As far as I can tell it’s the third closest race for the win in IRONMAN World Championship history.

Here are the closest finishes:

• Kathleen McCartney and Julie Moss – February, 1982: 29 seconds
• Dave Scott and Scott Tinley, 1983: 33 seconds
• Solveig Lovseth and Kat Matthews, 2025: 35 seconds
• Mark Allen and Dave Scott, 1989: 58 seconds
• Leanda Cave and Caroline Steffen, 2012: 64 seconds
• Normann Stadler and Chris McCormack, 2006: 71 seconds

And, for good measure, just 16 seconds separated Lionel Sanders and Braden Currie in the race for second at the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship in St. George. (Officially it was the 2021 championship.)

Kat Matthews Forces People to Be at Their Best

Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

Think about this – Kat Matthews has finished second at the IRONMAN World Championship three times. The first time was to Daniela Ryf, one of the greatest athletes our sport has ever seen, who took her full-distance IRONMAN world title in dramatic style in St. George. Ryf’s legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats could only be confirmed if someone “kept her honest” out on the course, which Matthews did. She also finished ahead of 2019 IRONMAN World Champion Anne Haug.

Last year Matthews and Laura Philipp put on an incredible show for us all in Nice, with the two running side by side for the first lap of the run before the German took off.

This year Matthews pushed Philipp to the limit in Hamburg, which ended with the German running a 2:38 marathon and setting the fastest time ever at an IRONMAN race (8:03:13).

Here in Kona yesterday I would argue we saw another example of the Matthews effect. In this case it was probably more of a “Matthews/ Philipp” effect – Taylor Knibb and Lucy Charles-Barclay were out in front pushing to their limits because of the concerns of just how much time the two might gain on them in the run. Yes, I get that on race day Solveig Lovseth ended up being the woman who was closest to the pair off the bike and into the run, but before the race, when it came to planning a race stategy, I would think that the ever-consistent Matthews and what she’s capable of on the run would have engendered much more consideration than the unknown potential of the Norwegian in her first Kona experience.

Moms Really Can Be Pros and Race at the Highest Level

Holly Lawrence gets to greet the family after her sixth-place finish. Photos: Kevin Mackinnon

Jocelyn McCauley and her family were thrilled with her seventh-place effort. Photos: Kevin Mackinnon

Denmark’s Katrine Græsbøll Christensen is greeted by her husband and daughter at the finish line – she finished 11th.

Three moms in the top 11 is impressive enough. Yesterday’s race even featured a nursing station. While these super-moms are certainly overcoming some very specific challenges in order to compete at the highest levels, things like IRONMAN’s Pregnancy and Parenthood policies, along with the PTO’s Maternity Leave Policy are making the process of being a pro triathlete and a mom at least a little bit easier.

Speaking of Moms

Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

My buddies at Tri-Mag.de broke the news yesterday morning that Germany’s Anne Reischmann, who won IRONMAN South Africa earlier this year, is 13-weeks pregnant. As she came across the finish line in 31st, IRONMAN CEO Scott DeRue presented her with a onesie.

Olympic Gold Medalist Wins Age Group

The winner of the first women’s Olympic triathlon, Switzerland’s Brigitte McMahon won the women’s 55-59 age group in a time of 10:40:21. The woman she beat at the Sydney Games (in a dramatic sprint finish), 2006 IRONMAN world champ Michellie Jones, was busy around Kailua-Kona all week. We also got to see 2016 gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen a few times.

Speaking of Age Group Winners

The overall age-group champion was Alaska’s Samantha Skold, who won the women’s 30-34 age group in 9:34:59.

Here’s a list of all the age category champions from yesterday’s race:

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