Four U.S. Triathletes Win Age Group Titles at the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship Kona
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by USA Triathlon
KONA, Hawaii – Four U.S. athletes captured age group world titles at the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, on Oct. 11, as 1,600 of the world’s best long-course triathletes took on the iconic 140.6-mile course around the Big Island.
Among the standout American performances was 80-year-old Natalie Grabow (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) who became the oldest female finisher in Kona history, completing the course at 80-years-old and claiming the F80-84 title.
Samantha Skold (Anchorage, Alaska) posted the top age group time of the day to win the overall age group world title and the 30-34 age group in a time of 9:34:59.
Joining Grabow and Skol was Sharon Schmidt-Mongrain (Lafayette Hill, Pa.) who won the 50-54 age group, and Sunny McKee (San Francisco, Calif.), who won the 75-79 age group. With four world titles, the U.S. led the age-group field in Kona.
The all-women's showdown saw a blend of breakthroughs and breakdowns. Norway’s Solveig Løvseth took the overall win in her IRONMAN World Championship debut in a time of 8 hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds, extending Norway’s 2025 dominance after a sweep of the men’s podium in Nice last month.
Great Britain’s Kat Matthews delivered a stunning 2:47:23 marathon run, closing a near 14-minute gap to earn second place and setting a new Kona marathon course record. 2024 reigning champion Laura Phillipp (GER) rounded out the podium in third place.
U.S. elite triathlete Taylor Knibb (Boulder, Colo.) was a major contender for most of the race, engaging in a thrilling battle with Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay before both athletes dropped out during the run, Knibb just over two miles from the finish.
While Knibb and other U.S. elite triathlete Chelsea Sodaro were both unable to finish, Jocelyn McCauley (Boise, Idaho) delivered a strong race to finish seventh overall, making her the top elite American of the day.
The IRONMAN World Championship once again lived up to the legend — a course that tests every ounce of endurance, grit, and determination. This year, athletes rose to the challenge to deliver inspiring performances on one of the most unforgiving stages.
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 3,500 events and races and connects with and supports more than 300,000 unique active members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
