Kona Beckons – 60 of the World’s Best Women Head to Hawaii for the 2025 Ironman World Championship

The world of Long Distance triathlon converges once again on the Big Island as Kona gears up to host the 2025 Ironman World Championship for the professional women’s field. On Saturday, October 11, 60 of the sport’s top female athletes will battle across the iconic 140.6-mile course in pursuit of the world title, valuable Ironman Pro Series points, and a share of the $375,000 prize purse.

This year’s championship marks not only a return to tradition on the lava fields of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, but also the end of a two-year experiment in splitting the men’s and women’s World Championship events across different venues. With the men set to race in Nice, France, in September, Kona will host the women solo one last time before the World Championship reunites both fields on a single day in Hawaii in 2026.

A Star-Studded Line-Up

The 2025 start list reads like a who’s who of elite triathlon. Three Ironman World Champions, three Ironman 70.3 World Champions, and nine of the top ten finishers from last year’s championship will line up in Kona. Among them are reigning champion Laura Philipp (GER), who will wear the #1 bib for the first time in her World Championship career.

Philipp’s victory in Nice in 2024 was a breakthrough moment, capping off a string of strong – but not quite golden – performances at previous World Championships in Kona (3rd in 2022, and 4th in both 2019 and 2023). She now returns to Hawaii not only as the defending World Champion but as the athlete to beat.

She’ll be joined by a stacked field including:

• Kat Matthews (GBR) – runner-up in Kona in 2024 and a consistent threat in Long Distance racing
• Chelsea Sodaro (USA) – 2022 Ironman World Champion and local fan favorite
• Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) – perennial podium contender and 2023 World Champion
• Taylor Knibb (USA) – rising star with wins at both the 70.3 and LD distances
• Marjolaine Pierré (FRA) – showing steady progress on the world stage
• Tamara Jewett (CAN) – known for her lightning-fast run splits
• Skye Moench (USA) and Jocelyn McCauley (USA) – veterans with Kona experience

And that’s just scratching the surface.

In total, the start list includes the top 19 ranked athletes in this year’s Ironman Pro Series and a broad international field representing over 20 nations, from triathlon powerhouses like the USA, Germany, and the UK, to rising stars from Denmark, Brazil, the UAE, and beyond.

Professional women’s field (subject to change):