Laura Philipp Breaks Ironman World Record in Hamburg After an Incredible Battle with Kat Matthews
Katrina Matthews of Great Britain (r) and Laura Philipp of Germany. (Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
The anticipated showdown between current IRONMAN World Champion Laura Philipp and recent IRONMAN world record holder Kat Matthews proved to be one of the most exciting, tactical and bar-raising races to date. Their head-to-head in Nice for the 2024 world title and their exciting run battle at the T100 in London (not to mention that Matthews took the world record from Philipp) has made for an enticing rivalry that never fails to bring out the best performance in both women.
While both are already qualified for Kona, Matthews said she wanted to get her Pro Series points early to fully focus on the world championship. That’s a change from her season strategy last year where she had her heaviest calendar racing both the Pro Series and T100. She’s proven she’s already in top shape after her performance in Texas.
Philipp, on the other hand, has only raced once this year, winning 70.3 Kraichgau only seven days ago. In pre-race interviews, Philipp said she was using Hamburg to build into her season, which is solely focused on peaking for the world championship–and if this is the calibre of her early season performance, it’s incredible to image what she might be capable of in Kona.
SWIM → T1
Thunderstorms caused a 45-minute delay, leaving the pros a short window to reset and, unfortunately, first year German pro Mareike Guhl to miss the start completely. Noticeably missing from the start line was standout swimmer Stephanie Clutterbuck (GBR) who pulled out due to illness. In her absence, the swim was left open and it was Matthews, wanting to “swim in front of Laura,” who took the reins.
Her efforts split the field creating a front pack with Philipp, 2024 winner Jackie Hering (USA), Solveig Løvseth (NOR) and Johanna Arhans (DEU).
Notably missing from the pack was Marjolaine Pierre. Fresh off her win at 70.3 Aix-en-Provence and in only her third Ironman, the young French woman was in a similar situation in Nice where she finished fourth after coming out of the water in ninth.
Hering would share some of the pace making, but it was Matthews who animated the water, stopping to check the pack a few times and keeping the pace to clock a 54:38. Philipp, seconds behind in third, swam a similar time when she won and set the record on this course in 2022 but, typically at a deficit to Matthews out of the swim, her performance was notable.
Making her full distance debut, Løvseth showed her short course roots getting out of T1 in the lead. Right behind, running shoulder to shoulder in matching aero helmets through the 700 m transition, was no other than Matthews and Philipp.
BIKE
Hitting the damp roads, the trio cleared the city together and the tactics began. Philipp was content to take third wheel for most of the day, looking more controlled. Matthews seemed equally happy to be ahead of Philipp and work with Løvseth.
The biggest early mover was Pierre, who put in a big effort to head up a strong chase pack made up of Hering (who would later suffer a rear puncture and ultimately DNF), Sara Svensk (SWE), Els Visser (NED), Anne Reischmann (DEU) and Jenny Jendryschik (DEU).
Around the 40 km mark, Løvseth’s left aerobar came loose and she would ride another 20 km with one arm in and one hand on the base bar before stopping at the mechanical tent for assistance. It seemed like it was going to be a two horse race from then on, but as they entered the city and started their second loop, Løvseth made up her one minute deficit and passed the two favourites to announce her return.
Matthews, who was disqualified on this course last year, turned up the heat and attacked in the final 20 km to build a 53-second gap over Philipp and 1:23 over Løvseth into T2.
T2 → RUN
Matthews looked fantastic off the bike and had a smooth and fast transition. As she racked her bag, Philipp was grabbing hers, but the two exchanged no words or glances.
Løvseth was a further minute behind and then the chase pack started to flow in with Reischmann at over eight minutes back, Visser, Jendryschik, Lewis, Anderbury and finally Pierre at 13:45 back (who was looking decidedly spent and ended her race there). Visser was forced to withdraw early on the run, accidentally missing the 8.5 km run check point.
Smiling and enjoying the early kilometers, Matthews was flying–but so was a stoic Philipp. Although there was a gap between them, they were matching each other’s pace–and that pace was jaw dropping. Matthews, in the new ultralight Asics, hit the half marathon split at 1:18:22, Philipp a mere five seconds slower.
Philipp has out-run Matthews in the marathon previously (and has four 2:45 Ironman marathons to her name, although the one on this course was short that year), but Matthews has out run Philipp in every T100 last season, proving she has the speed.
The gap grew to 45 seconds before Philipp, who had been calm and calculated all day, threw her cards on the table. With 8 km to go, she surged past Matthews who immediately responded. Within a kilometer, however, Philipp had a 20-second gap, which only continued to grow amid torrential rain. Philipp would run herself to the European Championship title and take back her world record with a 2:38:27 marathon and overall time of 8:03:27.
Matthews finished with an incredible 2:40:58 marathon, 1:59 back. And let’s not forget Løvseth, who made the fastest female full distance debut in history with a time of 8:12:28–which is also the fourth-fastest time ever.
PHILIPP ON HER WIN
Photo by Jurij/Getty Images for IRONMAN
“ We were glued together for the entire race–and imagine for eight hours being glued together,” Philipp said in her post race interview. “It was super tough and for a long time it looked like Kat would run away with it. I just tried to be calm, be patient, because you know, a marathon is a long game and luckily it paid off that I let her go a little bit and just did my own thing. When I overtook Kat, or first caught her, I couldn’t believe it. Right now I’m still speechless. I need to lie down, like I’m really done, but also super, super proud.”
“ I said beforehand, it’s still very early, but of course this is a big boost and I will take it and hopefully recover well and then continue to build strong towards Kona in October,” she continued.
MATTHEWS ON THE BATTLE
“ I couldn’t shake her all day and she got the better of me at 10 K to go or whenever it was,” said Matthews. “If an athlete of the caliber of Laura Philipp and the current world champion is in your eyes, you’re not in control.”
TOP FIVE
- Laura Philipp 8:03:27
- Kat Matthews 8:05:13
- Solveig Natvig Løvseth 8:12:28
- Anne Reischmann 8:32:46
- Leonie Konczalla 8:42:39
I’d add that Philipp’s run was faster than Haug’s Challenge Roth run by a few seconds, so fastest full distance marathon ever.
KQ: Loevseth, Konczalla, Lewis, Jendryschik, Anderbury
If this race had a normal sized transition ( or short ) that’s sub 8 hours . Wow .
Yes. 6:30 was Philipp’s T1 + T2 time.
For comp;arison, IMWC Nice was 4:36, Roth = 3:14 and Kona 4:53
So c.f. Roth gets it to below 8, but otherwise, not quite.
Matthews took it fairly easy on the bike (until the last half hour): Philipp would not come through and take a turn: only when forced to by a slow down and red flashing RR - hence how Loevseth managed to catch the minute back up after the hex key stop.
Easy to imagine that if Matthews had got a gap out of T1 that she’d have drilled it (so sub 4:20 bike) and Philipp would’ve had to ride way harder which we might assume would’ve blunted both their superb runs.
Thank you. I mean, seriously… headline is breaks world record, read whole post… still unclear wtf actually happened.
I think Kat wins this race if there’s a higher quality swim field - as there will be in Kona.
Maybe she doesn’t hold Clutterbuck’s feet for the whole swim, but maybe for a few hundred metres, and that might be enough to separate herself from Phillip on the swim.
Hindsight is so online !!!
Mathew’s did do 4:20 to catch Taylor and then ran 10 min slower ( hot vs cold race too va also winning Vs running to catch and not get caught)
We will never know but let’s just say they are 1,2 in Ironman right now with
3-5 LCB , Knibb and then if still at the same level haug .
With sedaro , Majorie and a few other ??? Mixed
Kona will be exciting.
Also a rule we should do in triathlon the distance ran in transition should’ve removed from the runs so we can compare results better
Not quite sure which bit of my post is ‘hindsight’, but whatever.
It would be great to have Sodaro and Haug back to their Kona/Roth winning best.
I don’t think Pierre has the palmares to be in the conversation but Loevseth has to have elbowed herself into the room, in style.
I still hope Derron will surprise us all by racing an IM as she suggested she was minded to in, iirc, one of the interviews in Taupo.
Currently Derron isn’t on the start list for Marbella (well not Derron J).
Oh that mattews took it easy until late or someone else saying she would have if….
We don’t know the numbers maybe she couldn’t gap her early .
Laura did catch mattews on the bike in nice and outrun her side by side .
Let’s just say how great all top 3 were and Laura’s race plans this year so far favoured her today and Kats might favour her come kona.
That I think is interesting Kat is now kona locked in on June 1 and Laura is doing Roth in a few weeks ??? This might be a in hindsight outcome in a few months .
Thanks for posting the split! Saves me looking around. Kat Mathews bike is in line with Stadler’s 2006 Kona bike course record and that 2:38 run is what Lange just race a few years ago in Kona.
I realize its not Kona, but still, these women are insanely fast
The Lionel sanders world champ effect lol when the competition density is high he can’t win.
At the same time while kat has a higher absolute power Philipp has better power to weight ratio and while Kona is not too hilly it still gives her some respite over flat Hamburg .
Fact is those 2 are so closely matched you never know what happens.
But I agree with a stronger swimmer ( not clutterbuck who is too strong ) in the race kat could have won, but that would have depended on where loaveseth exists the swim.
You have it nailed.
I would add:
On the flip side, Philipp has finished Kona well multiple times, whereas Knibb, Matthews, Sodaro haven’t.
Phillip had no home advantage in nice.
and as I said y day you could see that kat was more focused on Laura than her own race quite a few times.
Laura is obviously into cats head now ( over the ironman distance)
and kat still has the Kona dnf in her head as well.
my money is on knibb anyway
the other little detail had kat put on socks in t1 that might have won her the race as it would have been mentally harder for Laura to close the gap.
its a bit crazy that so few people seem to understand what a great race that was y day.
I’ve factchecked that ‘socks’ comment by MJ, but yes, maybe the choice given Philipp was with her would’ve been to ‘do a Knibb’ and put socks on, knowing it’d be ‘easy’ to catch Loevseth/Philipp up the road.
Neither put socks on in T1 and both put socks on in T2 (see insta story).
Matthews came into T2 with a 53 second lead and took 52 seconds from bag unhook to bag hook. Philipp arrives just as Matthews leaves. But Philipp takes ~34 seconds, and must have run a tad quicker so the gap at T2 exit was 31 seconds.
A 54 second gap would’ve been harder, mentally, for Philipp to maintain the pressure/speed she managed 25km-31km which was critical to the catch at 33km.
Great contest.
Hamburg T2: IRONMAN Triathlon on Instagram: "This battle is onð¥ð¥ Kat Matthewsð¬ð§ leaves T2 with a 31 second lead over Laura Philippð©ðª who is trailed by Solveig Løvsethð³ð´ +1:33 ð©ðª Qatar Airways IRONMAN Hamburg European Championship ðº Live & for Free | proseries.ironman.com, YouTube, Outside TV, DAZN, iQIYI & more #IRONMANtri #IMProSeries"
Amazing race! A ton of fast times across the AG as well.