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As Favorites Falter, Løvseth Lifts the Tape as IRONMAN World Champion

IRONMAN World Championship race recap, and are your laces letting you down?

Author

Matthew Sharpe
October 14, 2025

TOGETHER WITH PRECISION FUEL & HYDRATION

Good morning everyone,

The Women’s IRONMAN World Championships was advertised as a race for the ages, and somehow, it overdelivered. I’ve never seen an eight-hour race where it wasn’t clear who would win until the final minute.

  • Drama, devastation, and a well-deserved first-time winner. Of course, every athlete who stood on that start line, daring to head into the unknown, was a winner.

Read on to learn how the historic race unfolded, and who failed to meet the moment (it’s not who you think!)

In today’s edition:

  • 🏆 A recap of the unprecedented Women’s IRONMAN World Championship!

  • 👟 And are your laces letting you down?

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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ONE BIG THING

As Favorites Falter, Løvseth Lifts the Tape as IRONMAN World Champion

What is it: After eight hours of unprecedented racing and non-stop drama, Norway’s Solveig Løvseth emerged as the new IRONMAN World Champion.

A Pivotal Swim

From the opening cannon, it was clear Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) was ready to run back her 2023 race-winning strategy. After just a few strokes, she had taken the lead.

  • And for a brief moment, it looked like Taylor Knibb (USA) would join her.

But the Brit’s pace was too rich. And Charles-Barclay would enjoy the rest of the swim on her own in front.

Behind her, a sizeable chase pack formed. Led by Haley Chura (USA), it also contained Knibb, Holly Lawrence (GBR), Rebecca Clarke (NZ), and, most surprisingly, former champion, Chelsea Sodaro (USA).

Charles-Barclay would exit the water exactly where she wanted to be, over 90 seconds ahead of the chase pack.

  • And almost five minutes ahead of a large group containing rivals Laura Philipp (GER), Kat Matthews (GBR), and Solveig Løvseth (NOR).

🏊‍♂️ Swim Finish:

  • 49:29 - Lucy Charles-Barclay

  • + 1:30 - Taylor Knibb, Holly Lawrence

  • + 4:54 - Laura Philipp, Kat Matthews, Solveig Løvseth, Lisa Perterer (AUT)

The Bike Goes Boom

Was Charles-Barclay going to let her foot off the gas after an aggressive swim? Absolutely not. After the initial 50km on the bike, she had maintained her 90” lead over a now-solo Knibb.

  • Behind, the gap to the chasers was extending. Holly Lawrence (GBR) and India Lee (GBR) were five minutes back of the leaders.

  • While a large, disorganized chasing group, including Løvseth, Philipp, Matthews, Perterer, and Hannah Berry (NZ), was 5:30 in arrears.

  • Chelsea Sodaro, who had an incredible swim not long before, unfortunately, found herself on the side of the road with an early DNF.

Then, a subtle, but race-defining move. Just as the large chasing pack was catching the Lawrence/Lee duo, Løvseth made her way to the front and put in a monster effort.

  • Only 10 kilometers later, she looked back to see herself alone, a minute ahead of her former group. And the gap was growing.

Ahead, Knibb was beginning to make inroads. And by the turnaround at Hawi, she had caught Charles-Barclay. At this point, Løvseth was seven minutes behind the leading duo, while the Philipp/Matthew’s group was now nine minutes adrift!

As the athletes returned to Kona, the leading duo continued to build a sizable lead over the large chase pack. But not Løvseth. The Norwegian began to make her own inroads, and at 125km (77 miles) she had pulled back a minute on the leaders.

Then, an unexpected setback. Charles-Barclay was hit with an unintentional littering penalty. At kilometer 136 of 180, she served her penalty and could only watch as Knibb rode away, into the lead.

  • At this point, Løvseth was holding her gap to Knibb. While the chase pack’s deficit ballooned to over 12 minutes.

  • Was their race over before the run even began?

As T2 approached, Knibb maintained her 90-second gap to Charles-Barclay. Løvseth managed to retain a few more seconds.

  • And the chase pack? Their deficit had blown to an astounding 14 minutes!

🚴‍♂️ Bike finish: 

  • 5:24:35 - Taylor Knibb (USA)

  • + 1:27 - Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)

  • + 5:45 - Solveig Løvseth (NOR)

  • + 14:20 - Laura Philipp (GER), Kat Matthews (GBR), Hannah Berry (NZ)

An Indescribable Run

Charles-Barclay exited T2 on a mission. And within the first few miles, it was clear she was on track to catch Knibb. It was only a matter of when.

  • That “when” occurred 12km into the run as they made their way up the Palani drive hill. Charles-Barclay was now in the lead.

At that point, it appeared as though she would power to victory. But not long after, cracks began to form.

Although the elastic band between Charles-Barclay and Knibb stretched, it never broke. And at 19km (12 miles), a resurgent Knibb rejoined Charles-Barclay at the front of the race.

  • Behind, Løvseth was running steadily and was now five minutes behind the lead duo. Kat Matthews was on a tear, but still 10 minutes behind the leaders.

Halfway through the run, disaster struck. Charles-Barclay, clearly overheating, was reduced to a walk. She could only watch as Knibb, and her second World Title, ran off into the energy lab.

Charles-Barclay would fight valiantly. But 26km into the run, she would pull to the side of the course. Another Kona title would have to wait.

Knibb, meanwhile, continued her march through the energy lab. And by the time she exited the famously hot and windy section at 31km (19 miles), she still had a 4-minute lead over Løvseth.

  • Matthews was still giving it her all and was now 8 minutes behind the leader.

But with only 6km (4 miles) remaining in the run, once again the race leader began to struggle. Knibb walked through the aid station while attempting to cool herself. She then continued to run. But her pace had slowed significantly.

  • Løvseth was now only 3 minutes behind.

At 39km - with only 3k left in the race - Knibb once again walked the aid station. But this time, appearing visibly unwell.

  • Shortly after, Knibb dramatically collapsed to the ground. She could only watch as Løvseth ran passed, en route to the title that was once firmly in her grasp.

Now in the lead with only two kilometers remaining, Løvseth could not let up. Matthews - on run course record pace - was going all in to close the gap.

  • With one kilometer remaining, Matthews was on her toes, trying to narrow the gap to the Norwegian.

But it was not enough. And Løvseth would enter the finishing straight in disbelief. Eight hours prior, she was a Kona rookie, and now, an IRONMAN World Champion.

Matthews would finish 35 seconds behind in a new Kona run record of 2:47:23. Laura Philipp, who admitted to having an off-day, was able to round out the podium in third.

  • 🥇 Solveig Løvseth (NOR)

  • 🥈 Kat Matthews (GBR)

  • 🥉 Laura Philipp (GER)

Tempo’s Take

There really aren’t enough superlatives to describe this race. From start to finish, it delivered drama, intrigue, and the best of what our sport has to offer.

It was the closest margin of victory in IRONMAN World Championship history. And Løvseth, who is only 26 years old, is no longer just the future of the sport; she is the present!

  • Charles-Barclay and Knibb laid it all on the line, and our only hope now is that they come away without any long-term heat-related damage.

And what about Matthews and Philipp? Does Løvseth’s victory signal a changing of the guard? Or is it a temporary blip in their championship ambitions?

We will be talking about this race for many years to come. And our only hope is that once everyone is back on the island together, IRONMAN will be able to give these kinds of historic performances the coverage they deserve.

Because if you watched the broadcast like we did. You know it needs to change. Nice and Kona had unbelievable performances. And unfortunately, IRONMAN’s broadcast product failed to meet those moments.

The commentators need more media training, which IRONMAN hasn’t invested in. And the lack of multiple on-course cameras, plus a dearth of on-screen race data, made it feel like we were stuck in another era.

  • And it seems like high-value ad partners feel the same. Based on the first half of the broadcast that featured the same two ads on repeat…

We’ll have the same cast of characters next year. We can only hope that by then, IRONMAN will deliver them a more worthy stage.

What will you remember most from this year's World Champs

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TOGETHER WITH PRECISION FUEL & HYDRATION

Congrats, Solveig, on a Victory We’ll Never Forget!

So how did Solveig fuel a World Championship win? Plenty of Precision Flow Gels on the bike, and a surprising amount of caffeine on the run!

🏆 Ready to fuel like an IRONMAN World Champion? Then check out the awesome lineup of PF&H products!

  • And save 15% off your first purchase using code TEMPO-FUEL.

  • Or, use this link and get 15% taken off at checkout! 

FAVORITES

🍫 Best carb? We know carbs give us the energy we need to train and race our best. But are carb gels better than bars? Or are drinks superior for our fueling? This article breaks down which one is best for you! [My Sports Science]

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REEL TIME

If you haven’t seen this, prepare to be inspired. Natalie Grabow is proving that age is just a number, finishing the IRONMAN World Champs at 80 years old! 👏🤯

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