IRONMAN Pro Series Heads Down Under for Another Exciting Day in Cairns

Hundreds of athletes lined up the to race the ever-challenging IRONMAN Cairns in Queensland, Australia, on Sunday, including a crop of some of the world’s top professionals from both the men’s and women’s circuits. By the end of the day, it was a pair of Americans who toughed out the victories, with Matthew Marquardt taking the men’s title and Jackie Hering winning the women’s race.

Marquardt Beats the Heat

Photo: IRONMAN

Marquardt got the race off to a great start, exiting the water just 10 seconds behind early leader, South Africa’s Jamie Riddle. He hadn’t even made it to his bike before he was forced to slow to a limping walk in transition due to cramps. 

Marquardt faced similar issues at the 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand last year, as both quads cramped on him in T1 and continued to affect him during the ride. The cramping ruined his race that day, but in Cairns, he had much more room to forge a comeback after recovering. It was not going to be an easy task to chase down the race leaders, however, as Marquardt went from nine seconds back of first place to more than eight minutes behind Riddle and the other top men. 

With Marquardt out of the picture on the bike (for the time being, at least), Riddle set off on his own after leaving T1. Josh Amberger was close for a short while, but after 10 miles, Riddle had blasted far up the road, averaging 44 kilometers an hour to Amberger’s 41 and building a 1:40 lead. That gap grew to 2:10 by the 20-mile checkpoint, but it soon started to shrink, as Australians Ben Hill and Nick Thompson passed Amberger and set off to catch Riddle. 

At the halfway point on the bike, Thompson had caught Riddle. Meanwhile, Marquardt was still close to seven minutes back of the lead. Thompson and Riddle worked together at the head of the race for the next 30 miles or so before the Australian broke away and took sole control of the lead, which he held onto going into T2. 

By the time Thompson hit the run course, he was two minutes ahead of second place (which was now occupied by Hill). Marquardt had climbed to third, sitting 3:42 back as he left transition. Riddle faded hard in the final miles of the bike, and he was in fifth as he set out on the run, almost nine minutes back of the lead he had owned just an hour earlier. 

For the first quarter of the marathon, Marquardt made no progress in chasing down Thompson. In fact, the Aussie extended his lead to four minutes over Hill and almost five minutes of Marquardt in the first six miles. After nine miles, Marquardt had managed to chase down Hill and move into second place, but he was still four and a half minutes back. Over the next nine miles, Marquardt slowly chipped away at Thompson’s lead, until finally making the pass with seven miles to go. 

Matthew Marquardt. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images for IRONMAN

After that, it was all Marquardt, whose cramps were nothing but a memory on the marathon course. He completed the run in 2:39:47 and broke the tape in 7:50:41. The win sends him 25 spots up the Ironman Pro Series rankings to number three. Thompson finished almost three minutes back in second, while Finlands’ Henrik Goesch rounded out the podium in third. 

Riddle would hang on for fourth, while American Matt Hanson ripped through a 2:30:21 marathon to finish fifth.

Matt Hanson competes in the run leg of the Men’s Pro Series race during the 2025 IRONMAN Cairns on June 15, 2025 in Cairns, Australia. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images for IRONMAN

Top Five Male Professional Results – IRONMAN Cairns

Hering Runs to Win

Photo: IRONMAN

In the women’s race, New Zealand’s Rebecca Clarke flew to the front of the race with a stellar swim, exiting the water in 52:12 and with a lead of 1:22 over second-place Lotte Wilms of the Netherlands. There was a two-minute gap between Wilms and another Kiwi, Hannah Berry (the 2024 IRONMAN Cairns champion), and it was another 40 seconds before Hering got out of the water in fifth place.

Lotte Wilms of the Netherlands competes in the bike leg during the 2025 IRONMAN Cairns on June 15, 2025 in Cairns, Australia. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images for IRONMAN

After 20 miles of riding, Wilms moved into first, and although Hering had made up some time, she still found herself close to two minutes behind the lead. Clarke held on to Wilms for a while, but soon enough, the Dutchwoman dropped her, taking hold of a solo lead. At the halfway point on the bike, Wilms had put more time into the chase group, with Berry, Hering, Clarke and Australia’s Regan Hollioake all close together but more than two minutes behind. 

That group of four women stayed together for quite a while, but whenever they made progress in closing the gap, Wilms laid down the hammer and pulled further away from them once more. Berry eventually set off on her own, leaving the group to chase down Wilms solo. By the end of the ride, Wilms had a lead of 2:25 on Berry and three and a half minutes on Hering and Hollioake. 

Hannah Berry of New Zealand competes in the run leg during the 2025 IRONMAN Cairns on June 15, 2025 in Cairns, Australia. Photo: by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images for IRONMAN

Just like Marquardt in the men’s race, Hering needed a fast marathon to steal the win, and that is exactly what she produced. A slow transition from Wilms (she reportedly waited minutes to get her watch) left Berry just half a minute back of the lead as they set out on the run, while Hering climbed within 1:35. Not even five miles into the run, Hering had caught and passed everyone in front of her, and she didn’t slow down. 

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Jackie Hering competes in the run during the 2025 IRONMAN Cairns triathlon. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images for IRONMAN

Her lead continued to grow with every passing mile, and by the time she broke the tape, she was four minutes clear of second place. She stopped the clock in 8:42:15, using a 2:56 marathon to grab the victory. Berry finished in second in 8:46:10, while Wilms held on for third. Like Marquardt, Hering has now catapulted up the IRONMAN Pro Series rankings, climbing fifteen spots to third place. 

Top Five Female Professional Results – IRONMAN Cairns

Hamilton Moves to the Top of the Pro Standings

The race in Cairns saw more than just the winners make some big moves in the IRONMAN Pro Standings. New Zealand’s Ben Hamilton’s 10th place finish was enough to move him atop the standings, while Hanson’s fast finish now puts him in second. Anne Reischmann remains atop the women’s standings, but Hering and Hannah Berry now move into the top five.

Overall IRONMAN Pro Series Standings – Top Five Female (After 10 Events)

Overall IRONMAN Pro Series Standings – Top Five Male (After 10 Events)

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