Women's Ironman World Championships - Kona Preview 2025
Aloha and welcome to island life. As the Kona spam intensifies, we take a look at the women’s Ironman World Championship in Hawaii this weekend.
It’s a women only race, and the last time (likely) that we will have a women only race, as in 2026 we go back (wards) to a single day of racing, the women and men on the same day back in Kona. (The men had their Ironman World Championships in Nice in September which was a clean podium sweep by the Norwegians, Casper Stornes, Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt.) 
I do understand the draw of Kona. It does has a mystique and a special vibe built from the history of the sport, grown from the epic battles that have taken place and the Hawaiian winds and culture. I do understand why athletes want to race here, almost to obsesion. But at the same time I also feel to progress the sport, we need to evolve. The first of what was called the modern Olympics was in 1896 in Athens, what is known as the home of the Olympics. Can you imagine if the Olympics had stayed in Athens… always… never moved. Right?!
In terms of World Championship venues (and just comparing Nice and Kona), I actually think Nice is better. The swim brings athletes back closer to the short for spectators to see and the run is four laps along the promenande, packed with fans. For the five men, who came off the bike together, this year, running like that, they had crowds the whole way and would have been able to feed of that, as well as splits and data, making it an epic race. If that race had been in Kona, most of the development on the run would have been lost, as spectators can’t get out onto a large portion of the run course. It would have just been lost in the lava fields with no atmosphere. Additionally, if we had had that men’s race on the same day as a women’s race, we would have missed so much of how it unfolded. We would have missed what was happening in the women’s race, having to focus on the dynamics in the mens. Then missed key moments in the men’s race, when covering the womens. Apart from athlete space in Kona on the pier, I think better spectator access and involvement would go a long way to lift the event to a World championship level.
However, that’s taking us into a whole other blog piece and discussion, so let’s get back to what we want to be doing… celebrating all things women in Kona! 
The Ironman World Championship course, has an ocean swim, a rolling bike course through the Lava fields, and a predominantly flat to rolling run course. The race starts at the infamous Dig Me Beach with a one lap swim. It’s a simple one lap, straight out form the beach, around the Body Glove boat and back to the Pier. The 180km bike course starts off with a fast hot lap around town, with athletes jostling for position, trying to find who they came out the water with, infront, or behind. Then it’s out onto the Queen K for 60km for big rolling highway before you start the climb up to Hawi. Once at the turn around, the descent down from Hawi still amazingly has a significant amount of climbing as you head back to the Queen K. If you are still riding strong by the Airport (about 10km from T2) you are probably doing well. The run, one big lap with out and backs first, along Ali’I Drive, before heading up Palani and out onto the Queen K. It’s then a fairly desolate out and back, along those big rollers again before turning down into the Energy Lab. The infamous Energy Lab, where, what goes in, doesn’t necessariliy come out. Back to town, the quad busting descent down Palani, and then the longest final mile ever, to the finish line, back at the start at Dig Me Beach.
Laura Philipp (GER) is the defending champion, and will be wanting to go back to back, but take her first win in Hawaii too. The last time a champion took back to back wins was in 2018 and Daniela Ryf. Philipp lowered her own fastest Ironman record, at Ironman Hamburg where herself and Kat Matthews put in impressive performances, and sub 2.40 marathon run splits! Philipp then raced Challenge Roth, but was dominant and unchallenged so hopefully could save some energy for later in the year, and Kona. It was great to see Philipp take the title in Nice last year. Prior to that I feel she was ready to win in 2021 at St. George, but sucombed to Covid, literally as she was about to travel out. She’s been there or there abouts since, with some incredible races but wasn’t able to get that top spot until Nice.
We also have the defending champion from Kona, (in 2023), Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay. She’s also riding high coming into the race off two great results at London T100 and Spain T100. Charles-Barclay is also one of the athletes who’s raced Kona the most number of times, with her string of second places before finally getting the win in 2023. After not being able to race last year, she’ll be wanting to reclaim her crown.
The third previous World Champion on the start line is Chelsea Sodaro (USA). Sodaro has had a rough year, with some bad luck at the start and some niggles, which meant she only validated her spot) in the last qualifying race. (As a previous World Champion you have five years where you “just” need to validate through finishing an Ironman.) It wasn’t a performance to send warning shots to the rest of the women either, although it did get the job done, which arguably was what was needed. However she’s had eight more weeks of training, so I think will be a different place, and she knows how to win, and win on this course. She also, did come third at the World Championship in Nice, last year, which we shouldn’t really forget.
Statistics show that a World Champion has been on the podium of a World Championships in the year prior or won two to three years previously. The exceptions to this would be Chrissie Wellington in 2007 and Chelsea Sodaro in 2022, both winning on debut.
But if we follow the stats it does narrow it down to who would be a possibility this year. It would however mean that Kat Matthews is right up there in the mix, which if we look at her form, that’s no real surprise anyway.
For Kat Matthews (GBR), it’s third time lucky in Kona. The first year she didn’t make the start, having been involved in a horrific cycling accident just weeks before the race. In 2023, she dropped off the pace on the climb up to Hawi and subsequently dropped out of the race. However Matthews has finished second, twice, at the World Championships, in St. George (2021/2022) and then in Nice (2024). Matthews has had two huge races already this year, with her performances at Ironman Texas and Ironman Hamburg, so can she back up with a third? I feel this was one of the downfalls of Kristian Blummenfelt in the men’s race. He’d had two big wins at Texas and Frankfurt, and didn’t therefore have the extra bit of energy when he needed it in Nice. Compared to his compatriats, Stornes and Iden who also both raced Texas and Frankfurt, but were lower down and looking back in hindsight, building more through the year. However if anyone on the women’s side can back up again with another huge performance, it would be Kat Matthews. For Matthews too though, is Kona too big for her? Does she want it too much? She’s vocal about wanting a world title, and this world title, and I respect that, and of course it’s the view that many of the women have, but I wonder after her last two years in Kona, and then four second places*, if she is putting to much on herself to do something special in taking the win. However, again, if there is any athlete who can handle and manage that, then I’d put my money on Kat.
(*Kat was also second, twice, at the 2024 and 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Taupo and Lahti – both times behind Taylor Knibb.)
So, Taylor Knibb. The Amercian has also not shied away from the fact that she wants to win in Kona. Whilst racing over the WTCS series, Kona was how she came into the sport, watching her parents race. Her mum (Leslie Knibb) is also racing in 2025, as she did in 2023 too. Knibb finished fourth on debut in 2023, just not having quite enough on the run to stay ahead of the other women. Knibb also finished second to Matthews in Texas, and behind Charles-Barclay at the London T100. Those races would only have help drive Knibb, showing her what she needs to do, to be first over the line in Kona. She’s a student of the sport, and meticulous in preparation for herself and studying the other athletes. I would imagine Knibb may want to try and swim with Charles-Barclay. She has done this over the shorter T100 distance but can she stick for the 3.8km. If she does the pair could be a dangerous and powerful duo on the bike working together. I feel Knibb again may want to get away on the bike, giving herself a buffer onto the run over the other women, who on paper have quicker marathon performances. 
With Charles-Barclay’s current form I think she’ll push the swim hard and hope she’s on her own, off the front, similar to when she won in 2023. I don’t think she’ll be worried if Knibb is with her, as they could work together on the bike and I think Charles-Barclay will back herself on the run over Knibb. Then the question will be, how far back (or not) are the gaps to Sodaro, Matthews and Philipp and if they are solo or in packs and how they then pace/race the bike.
Then there are the rookies, in fact there are 20 rookies on the start line for Kona. There are a few that I think are worth a mention, well all the women are worth a mention to be honest. But there are a few who have made a rapid progression up from short course racing, to long course this year.
Lisa Perterer (AUT) and Solveig Lovseth (NOR), both raced at the Olympics in Paris 2024 and then moved up to the middle and full distance this year. Perterer got everyone’s attention coming second at the Singapore T100, as a wild card. Then came third at Ironman Texas behind Kat Matthews and Taylor Knibb. She was also second at Lake Placid.
Solveig Lovseth had the fastest time (globally) in a debut, coming third at Ironman Hamburg in that ridiculously fast race. The whole podium, Philipps, Mattews and Lovseth, broke the previous record. Lovseth then went on to win Lake Placid.
Both these athletes are solid across the board, and I think if they race smart, don’t let the overhype of Kona get to them, then they will be there if any of the front runners falter.
Julie Derron, surprised everyone when she came second at the Olympic Games, finding a run level that she’d not really shown before. She’s then performed well over the T100 distance. Derron was second at Ironman Italy back in 2022, and then won Ironman Vittoria this year. She won Vittoria very convincingly, but it’s hard to tell as the field didn’t have the depth of other races this year. However she’s flying under the radar and you just don’t know what form she’ll be in coming into Kona. Her coach is very experienced with Ironman athletes and Champions, and no one was talking about her before the Olympics, and look what happened there?
Then keep an eye out for Hannah Berry from New Zealand. Berry earned a T100 contract off her racing in 2024, and has been consistently performing over that shorter distance against specialist short course athletes. This as well as over the full distance. Berry is another who I think if she just plays the patient, solid strong game all day long she’ll be running up near the front end of the field.
Whatever happens, and I’m sure my predictions are way off, as there is normally always someone who just has a day, and mixed it up, but whatever happens – we are all here to watch the women’s race!
Ironman World Championships, Saturday 11th October 2025
Watch the race on Ironman Now, Outside TV, Dazn and L’Equipe.
Body Marking Broadcast starts at 0430hrs CET.
Professional women start at 0625hrs CET. (Age Group Women at 0640hrs CET.)
