Search
shop

IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 2024 women’s results: The INCREDIBLE Taylor Knibb takes emphatic victory

Taylor Knibb (USA) took a second career win at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside at the first race of the 2024 IRONMAN Pro Series.
Staff Reporter
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Editor’s Note – Emma Pallant-Browne was disqualified after the race, but following an appeal, her second place finish was later reinstated.

Starting her build to the Paris Olympic Games in style, Taylor Knibb quelled any doubts that her focus on the short course would detract from her non-draft ability, as she took a tremendous win at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside.

The champion here in 2022, Knibb validated her slot for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship with a dominant ride, as the American came off the bike with more than a ten minute buffer.

Chasing Olympic gold this summer, Knibb now also looks like an overwhelming favourite to take a third successive IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship later this year, with nobody coming close to the 26-year-old over this distance.

Advertisement

Swim – Langridge takes the lead

Taking the race to the field right from the gun, Great Britain’s Fenella Langridge led out of the water in Oceanside, having dropped everyone bar Taylor Knibb and fellow Brit Kate Curran over the 1900m swim.

With just a couple of seconds separating the front trio, the gap was much bigger back to the second pack, which consisted of former champion Paula Findlay, Australian Grace Thek and American contender Grace Alexander, who were around +1:00 down.

Behind the front six, there was a vast deficit to the rest of the field. Brittany Vocke in seventh was +4:05 back, ahead of one of the pre-race favourites Emma Pallant-Browne, with Lisa Becharas and defending champion Tamara Jewett right on her heels.

Bike – Knibb ramps up the tempo

After losing a minute in transition, Knibb reversed the deficit and led through the first checkpoint at 20km, with more than +1:15 over Langridge as the 2022 champion started to show her cards.

Taylor Knibb IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Bike Leg
(Getty Images for IRONMAN).

Continuing to push the power, Knibb had more than doubled her lead by the halfway mark, as Langridge continued to ride strong +3:15 down in second. By now, Findlay was up into third, a further +1:45 behind the Brit and clear of Pallant-Browne in fourth.

Dominating the bike course like we have so often seen her do, Knibb had an almost unassailable lead by the time she entered T2, with Findlay, who had moved past Langridge into second place, more than ten minutes in arrears.

With the race for the win seemingly tied up barring disaster, the battle for the podium looked set to be an intriguing one, with Langridge, Findlay and Pallant-Browne all within two minutes of each other.

Run – No stopping Knibb

With a substantial lead, Knibb could have happily eased off over the run, but in typical fashion, instead kept pushing the pace at the front and extended her lead.

Behind, in the battle for second, Pallant-Browne had moved into second by the five mile mark, with Findlay holding strong ahead of Langridge and the fast moving pair of Thek and Danielle Lewis in fifth and sixth.

Pulling away from Lewis, Thek made up the gap to Langridge and moved into fourth with four miles to go, as the battle for third between the Australian and Findlay looked set to go down to the wire.

Up front, Knibb was home and dry after a 1:20:15 run split, as she extended her unbeaten streak over the middle distance to five races, extending back to her first win here in 2022.

taylor knibb wins oceanside 2024 Photo credit: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN
Taylor Knibb was a class apart [Photo credit: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN]

Having crossed the line in second, Emma Pallant-Browne was then disqualified for excessive speeding in a controlled zone, leading to Paula Findlay being upgraded from bronze to silver and Grace Thek rounding out the podium after jumping from fourth to third.

IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 2024 Results

Pro Women

Saturday April 6, 2024 – 1.9km / 90km / 21.1km

  • 1. Taylor Knibb (USA) – 4:09:55
  • 2. Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR) – 4:20:49
  • 3. Paula Findlay (CAN) – 4:21:48
  • 4. Grace Thek (AUS) – 4:23:16
  • 5. Danielle Lewis (USA) – 4:25:11
  • 6. Fenella Langridge (GBR) – 4:25:20
  • 7. Kate Curran (GBR) – 4:28:25
  • 8. Grace Alexander (USA) – 4:32:02
  • 9. Lisa Becharas (USA) – 4:33:02
  • 10. Gurutze Frades Larralde (ESP) – 4:37:51
Tomos Land
Written by
Tomos Land
Tomos Land is a triathlon & running journalist whose expertise lies in the professional world of short course & long distance triathlon, though he also boasts an extensive knowledge of ultra-running.
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
Kona scenic 2022 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
The survey results which prompted IRONMAN’s dramatic Kona U-turn
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...