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A Lone Star Showdown Sees Records Smashed at IRONMAN Texas

A Lone Star Showdown Sees Records Smashed at IRONMAN Texas

IRONMAN Texas review, protein-rich foods, and why you might be a salty sweater!

Matthew Sharpe
April 29, 2025

Good morning everyone,

After dealing with injuries for awhile its been nice to jump back into some classic long runs. And for me, there are few workouts quite like a solid long run!

And it’s made me wonder. Why does everyone seem to talk about a runners high, but not a swimmers or cyclists high? Is there some fundamental difference in the neurotransmitters released while running? Does it have something to do with the impact forces?

If you have any ideas please let me know…otherwise I’ll have to write about it! 😅

In today’s edition:

🤠 Records smashed and champions crowned in Texas!
🐟 Not just eggs - here are other protein-rich foods!
💦 And why you might be a salty sweater!

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.

ONE BIG THING

A Lone Star Showdown Sees Records Smashed at IRONMAN Texas

IRONMAN

What is it: It was Texas-sized victories for Kat Matthews (GBR) and Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) that saw both athletes achieve runaway victories while also setting IRONMAN-distance world records.

Women’s race

Pre-race, the stage was set as a battle between 70.3 World Champion Taylor Knibb (USA), and 2024 IRONMAN Pro Series champion Kat Matthews.

Potential spoiler, 2022 IRONMAN World Champion Chelsea Sodaro, unfortunately had to withdraw from the race due to illness only 24 hours before race start.

Swim: After the gun went off, Knibb quickly moved herself to the front of the race where she settled on the feet of super-swimmer Rachel Zilinskas (USA).

The leading pair would exit the water with a gap of almost six minutes to Matthews and recent T100 Singapore bronze medalist, Lisa Perterer (AUT).

Bike: Onto the bike, Knibb pushed on the gas even more. By 60km she had extended her lead over a group containing Matthews and Perterer to 6:30.

Knibb would continue to push, and at 130km she had grown her lead to almost eight minutes over Matthews!
But later on in the bike, a chink in the armor had appeared as the seconds began to melt away from Knibb’s lead.
And as she dismounted her bike, she took a nasty spill.

Still, as the American exited T2 she still had a seemingly unassailable six minute lead over Matthews. And it was later revealed her 4:19:46 bike split was the fastest ever for an IRONMAN.

But as Matthews exited T2, off the back of her own impressive 4:20:08 bike split, it was clear the Brit wasn’t ready to give up just yet! Could she really overcome such a large gap?

Run: Once both athletes had hit the first time checks it was clear Matthews was having an exceptional run. Just under 8km into the marathon Matthews had clawed back over four minutes from Knibb’s lead.

At only 14km, the lead had evaporated, and Matthews quickly passed Knibb.
And through the marathon she would not relent, pushing the entire run right to the bitter end.

Her marathon time? A mind-blowing 2:49:19. Her race-winning time? An astonishing 8:10:34, the fastest ever recorded in an IRONMAN race!

Knibb would soldier on to finish in second while Perterer would round out the podium in third. And with a solid 10th place performance, Chloe Lane (AUS) is now currently leading the women’s IRONMAN Pro Series.

🥇 Kat Matthews (GBR)
🥈 Taylor Knibb (USA)
🥉 Lisa Perterer (AUT)

Full race results

Men’s race

With the level of talent on the start line, IM Texas was always going to be an all-out shootout. And when the smoke cleared, only one athlete was left standing.

Swim: Unsurprisingly, a massive lead group of 20+ athletes exited the water together including pre-race favorites Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), Rudy Von Berg (USA), Gustav Iden (NOR), and Antonio Benito Lopez (ESP).

Bike: By the halfway mark on the bike, the lead group still contained over 14 athletes, with Blummenfelt, Iden, and Kristian Hogenhaug (DEN) having spent significant time on the front.

Meanwhile, athletes like Robert Kallin (SWE), and Cam Wurf (AUS) were slowly starting to to reel in the leaders.
At just over 100km into the bike, Nick Thompson (AUS) made a massive move putting pressure on the rest of the field.

Only resurgent Wurf, Kallin, Hogenhaug, Blummenfelt, Benito Lopez, and Rudy Von Berg could hold on for the Aussie’s attack.

And as the bike finished, Thompson and Wurf would gain a further 30 seconds on the rest of the leaders.
Wurf, as it turns out would also set a new IRONMAN bike course world record with an unworldly 3:53:32 split.
But with Blummenfelt’s 1:07 half marathon weeks ago in Oceanside, it was going to be a tough ask for anyone to challenge the Norwegian.

Run: Out onto the run, Wurf and Thompson were quickly overtaken by Blummenfelt and Benito Lopez. And it didn’t take long for the Norwegian to go out on his own.

By the 8km mark, Blummenfelt was the lone leader. And instead of cruising the rest of the marathon to victory, he had decided to enter terminator mode.

Halfway through the run, Blummenfelt was on pace for a sub 2:35 marathon.

Behind him, Benito Lopez looked to have second sewn up. But the final podium spot was turning into a battle between Von Berg, Casper Stornes (NOR), and Daniel Baekkegard (DEN).

In the final miles, Blummenfelt slowed a little. But he would still break the tape in an IRONMAN World record 7:24:20 (and a 2:34 marathon! 🤯).

Benito Lopez would finish in a strong second, and Von Berg would just hold off Baekkegard to finsih in third - getting him on the podium and the overall IRONMAN Pro Series lead!

🥇 Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR)
🥈 Antonio Benito Lopez (ESP)
🥉 Rudy Von Berg (USA)

Full race results

Tempo’s take: Earlier this year Texas was highlighted as one to watch, and it certainly delivered!

But why did we see so many records fall? A lot of that has to do with the Pro Series. By having “every second count” athletes really are incentivized to push right to the finish.

Not just to ensure they receive maximum points, but also to take away as many points as possible from the competition!

By the time the World Championships are said and done, Blummenfelt and Matthews may be grateful for their all-out efforts in April!

Do theTexas races make you more interested in the IM Pro Series?

FAVORITES

🏃‍♂️ Zone 2 inzanity: Zone 2 is the foundation of our endurance fitness. So as we get fitter, it should get easier, right? Hah, if only. So why does your zone 2 get harder the fitter you get? And how can you nail those crucial workouts? This video explains! [GTN]

😅 Salty sweater: You’ve seen it before. You or a friend finishes a hot bike ride absolutely caked in salt rings. So does that make you a salty sweater? Or do you just eat a lot of salt? This article explains if sweat sodium is truly a function of diet, or genetics! [My Sports Science]

🐟 Protein power: Eggs are typically a great source of protein. But with shortages and price hikes for many, are there better (and cheaper!) options to get this crucial macronutrient? Yes, here are 18 foods with more protein than eggs! [Health]

💆‍♂️ Recover better: After a hard race, recovering well is paramount. So what can you do to ensure your body bounces back better after a hard effort? Refuel, of course, and a few other key tips! [Marathon Handbook]

REEL TIME

Open water season is just around the corner for many, and you know we’ll be getting in no matter how cold it is! 🥶🤣

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QUICK NEWS

Yee’s glee: After all the hype, Olympic gold-medalist Alex Yee (GBR) threw down a blazing fast 2:11:08 marathon in London. And his experience certainly leaves him wanting more! [London News Online]

Wild world record: A Hartlepool triathlete is aiming to set one of the craziest triathlon World Records we’ve seen. But is this wild record even possible? [Hartlepool Mail]

PTO Las Vegas: The PTO has confirmed October 25-26 as the dates of its second event at Lake Las Vegas. [Professional Triathletes Organization]

Inspiring father: A St. Pete father competed at the recent St. Anthony’s triathlon to honor his son who tragically passed away two years ago. [Yahoo Sports]

Woodlands win: After another succesful edition of IRONMAN Texas, its been announced that the Woodlands will host the event through 2030. [Community Impact]

San Francisco start lists: After a huge win at the T100 opening round in Singapore, Kate Waugh will be looking to make it two in a row. But will the return of Taylor Knibb stop her in her tracks? Or will someone else on the newly released start lists step up? [World Triathlon]