The IRONMAN Pro Series will kick off in style at IRONMAN New Zealand on March 7th, with the race’s defending champions and both 2025 Pro Series winners all taking part.

The Taupō event saw wins 12 months ago for New Zealand’s Mike Phillips and Australia’s Regan Hollioake and that duo will wear the #1 bibs.

And Kat Matthews (GBR) starts her season in the race as she bids for a third successive women’s IRONMAN Pro Series crown, with Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) bidding to defend the men’s title.

There’s lots more to grab the attention too, including a full-distance debut for French short course star Pierre Le Corre.

Women’s pro field

The first four from last year – Hollioake, two-time winner Jocelyn McCauley (USA), Nina Derron (SUI) and Gabrielle Lumkes (USA) – all return.

As do home favourites Hannah Berry, who won here in 2021, and Rebecca Clarke, who has twice been on the podium.

Clarke and Canadian Tamara Jewett, who stepped up to full-distance last season, are among those warming up this week in New Zealand at Challenge Wanaka.

But it’s Matthews who will start as the overwhelming favourite to make a statement start to the Pro Series ahead of a likely tilt at a fourth-straight IRONMAN Texas victory towards the end of April.

Men’s pro field

The original intention was that both Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden would both begin their seasons in this race.

They are both former IRONMAN and 70.3 World Champions and were third and second respectively behind Casper Stornes in that incredible Norwegian clean sweep of the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice last September.

But Iden explained this week: “Had to postpone my season start by a few weeks. The original plan was to go to @ironmantri New Zealand and Geelong 70.3, but I rolled my ankle some time ago and it’s still not 100%.”

So it’s only Blummenfelt on the start list and that gives him a strong chance of getting the jump on his two compatriots who are again likely to be his main IRONMAN Pro Series rivals.

Phillips has three IM NZ titles on his CV already and is back for more while fellow Kiwi Kyle Smith makes a first foray into full distance for a few years.

Smith had a brilliant middle-distance campaign in 2024 but last season proved a stop-start one and ended with a broken collarbone.

There’s a two-pronged American challenge from Trevor Foley and Matt Hanson while Fred Funk (GER) comes here having moved up in distance last year at Challenge Roth and IRONMAN Switzerland.

But arguably the most intriguing name on the men’s start list is Le Corre. The Frenchman, fourth at the Olympics on home roads in Paris, has taken in a few middle-distance races in recent years but this is his first IRONMAN.

There are four Kona slots available for both men and women but one athlete who has already booked his slot there is IRONMAN Chattanooga champion Rasmus Svenningsson (SWE).

IRONMAN New Zealand start lists in full

WOMEN

Bib number	Athlete	Nationality
F1	Regan Hollioake	AUS
F2	Kat Matthews	GBR
F3	Hannah Berry	NZL
F4	Jocelyn McCauley	USA
F5	Lotte Wilms	NLD
F6	Maja Stage Nielsen	DNK
F7	Danielle Lewis	USA
F8	Nina Derron	CHE
F9	Gabrielle Lumkes	USA
F10	Rebecca Clarke	NZL
F11	Steph Clutterbuck	GBR
F12	Tamara Jewett	CAN
F14	Fenella Langridge	GBR
F15	Chloe Lane	AUS
F16	Alexia Bailly	FRA
F17	Hannah Knighton	NZL
F18	Rhianne Hughes	GBR
F19	Line Bonde	DNK
F20	Katie Treston-Torney	USA
F21	Mizuki Hirayanagi	JPN

MEN

Bib number	Athlete	Nationality
M1	Mike Phillips	NZL
M2	Kristian Blummenfelt	NOR
M3	Rasmus Svenningsson	SWE
M4	Trevor Foley	USA
M5	Henrik Goesch	FIN
M6	Matt Hanson	USA
M7	Jack Moody	NZL
M8	Ben Hamilton	NZL
M9	Kyle Smith	NZL
M10	Pierre Le Corre	FRA
M11	Frederic Funk	DEU
M12	Mitchell Kibby	AUS
M14	Sam Osborne	NZL
M15	Jack Sosinski	AUS
M16	Yvan Jarrige	FRA
M17	Andy Krueger	USA
M18	Nathan Dortmann	AUS
M19	Tom Somerville	NZL
M20	Matt Kerr	NZL
M21	Calvin Amos	AUS
M22	Jamie Hayes	USA
M23	Dylan Thissen	NLD
M24	Robert Huisman	NZL
M25	David Martin	CZE