Kona is not just a race – it is the race.
The Ironman World Championship on the Big Island is the beating heart of long-course triathlon, where sport, story, and suffering collide. And Ali‘i Drive is more than a finish line: it’s where history and legends are made.
This October, a stacked women’s field returns to Kona, some chasing a crown, others defending a legacy. With just Ironman Sweden left to finalize the start list, the spotlight turns to the athletes arriving with momentum – those who have broken records, surprised fields, and sparked conversations with every performance.
As Kona approaches, these athletes are not just part of the race – they’re shaping its storyline.
Laura Phillip (GER)
If you listen closely to the whispers about who might wear the crown this year, you will undoubtedly hear the name Laura Philipp.
On June 1, at the Qatar Airways Ironman Hamburg European Championship, Philipp redefined what’s possible. She broke the women’s Ironman world best with a time of 8:03:13, including a staggering 2:38:27 marathon – a new Ironman marathon record. She took the overall time best from fellow powerhouse Kat Matthews, who had held it for 36 days. Philipp didn’t just raise the bar: she moved the sport forward by 7 minutes and 21 seconds.
So far this season, Philipp has claimed victories at Ironman Hamburg and Ironman 70.3 Kraichgau. She’s the reigning Ironman World Champion. And this October, she’s showing up as the woman to beat.
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Kat Matthews (GBR)
Fiercely focused and quietly relentless, Kat Matthews is putting together one of the most commanding seasons of her career. No bold declarations. No need for hype. Her results are doing the talking.
At the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas North American Championship, Matthews delivered a stunning 8:10:34 performance, including a 2:49:19 marathon – a result that marked the fastest Ironman finish ever recorded at the time.
And her momentum didn’t stop there.
At Ironman Hamburg, she went even faster, clocking 8:05:13 and lowering her marathon best to 2:40:58. Though her record stood for just over a month before being eclipsed by Philipp, Matthews’ consistency and strength make her a serious threat.
Her season this year has been built around the goal of winning Kona, and every race has sharpened her edge. On Instagram, Matthews wrote: “To share this life with you all is such a gift.”
But the true gift may be what she brings to the Big Island – a masterclass in resilience, purpose, and the quiet strength of a legend in the making.
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Taylor Knibb (USA)
Taylor Knibb has only raced two Ironmans, but no one is overlooking her.
She made her full-distance debut in Kona in 2023, finishing fourth – a remarkable result for an athlete who had not gone the distance before, and who had qualified not through the usual route, but as the reigning 70.3 World Champion.
Knibb was absent from the 2024 Ironman World Championship in Nice, opting instead to focus on an already-packed race calendar, including her Olympic campaign in Paris. But when she returned to the full distance for Ironman Texas 2025, she proved she belongs at the front. She finished second behind Kat Matthews and set a new bike course record of 4:19:46.
Knibb may not be as experienced over the full distance, but she brings a level of dominance that transcends formats, making her a threat any time she toes the line. This October, she will line up for her third-ever Ironman, and it will be on triathlon’s most iconic stage.
Don’t be surprised if she shakes up the race. Again.
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Solveig Lovseth (NOR)
Norway’s Solveig Lovseth is one of the freshest faces in the long-course game, but she’s already racing like a veteran.
She made her full-distance debut at Ironman Hamburg, stunning the field with an 8:12:28 finish – the fastest ever by a professional woman on debut. Her two other long-course results this season include a win at Ironman 70.3 Jesolo in May and a course record at Ironman Lake Placid just two weeks ago.
It’s been a near-flawless start to her Ironman career. “I want to win the Pro Series,” she said after her Lake Placid win, noting that Kona is her next step, followed by Marbella.
As Lovseth heads to the Big Island, she’s not just joining the conversation – she’s solidly in it.
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Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)
No one wanted it more – and in 2023, Lucy Charles-Barclay finally got it.
After four runner-up finishes in Kona, she delivered a masterclass performance last October to win her first Ironman World Championship title on the Big Island. It was a long-awaited moment that affirmed what so many already believed: Lucy belonged at the top.
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Since that breakthrough win, Charles-Barclay has battled injury. However, despite the setbacks, she’s been steadily gaining momentum in 2025, and may be timing her return to peak form just right. One thing’s for certain: with five podiums in Hawaii, few are more dangerous when healthy.
Charles-Barclay returns to the start line this October not just as a contender, but as the defending champion – with something to prove all over again.
2025 marks the final women’s-only Ironman World Championship in Kona, with the race set to return to a single-day format in 2026. It’s the end of a short but historic chapter – one that has given the women’s field the spotlight, the stage, and the space to shine.
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