This was our preview of the women’s pro race at IRONMAN New Zealand 2025 – you can click here for a full report, finishing order, times and results after Regan Hollioake claimed a famous victory for Australia.
The 2025 IRONMAN race season starts this weekend and British star Fenella Langridge is looking to begin the campaign in style with a victory at IRONMAN New Zealand.
The 32-year-old has spent the last couple of months doing her warm-weather training in the country and is bidding to bounce back after a frustrating 2024.
After claiming her first full-distance win at IRONMAN Western Australia at the end of 2023, Langridge was fully focused on competing strongly in the inaugural season of the IRONMAN Pro Series, only to be hampered by fatigue and injury and called her season early last October.
Kona target for Fenella Langridge
This year, Langridge is hoping to find the joy in racing again and is fully focused on securing her qualification to the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship, this year in Kona for the women, with that the main aim from Saturday’s Taupō race where there are four slots on offer.
“Spending our winter in the New Zealand summer has been spectacular. It is our first time in New Zealand, and it definitely won’t be our last. We have been amazed with training diversity, accessibility, and how everyone has just been so welcoming and helpful,” said Langridge.
“IRONMAN New Zealand has always been on my radar, it’s one of those races you must come and be a part of. Athletes seem to come back year after year and race here, maybe because of the landscape, the people, or the energy out there on the course. I am not sure why yet, but that’s why I am here to find out.”
McCauley battling back
Two-time IRONMAN New Zealand champion Jocelyn McCauley is one such athlete and the American will be lining up in Taupō for the eighth time – claiming wins in 2017 and 2019, and two third place finishes, including in 2024.
She said: “This place and race just define what IRONMAN is to me. The athletes love and respect the community and culture, and the community returns that tenfold to the athletes – from the first-place finisher to the last.
“IRONMAN New Zealand was my very first race as a professional 10 years ago. It’s where I’ve raced the most throughout my career. When my feet land in New Zealand I feel at home, when I get to come to Taupō I feel at peace.”
Last year was tough for McCauley. Over the Northern Hemisphere summer, she underwent major knee surgery on an issue that had been nagging her since the birth of her second daughter in 2021.
She explained: “The surgery was just one step below a full knee replacement, and my recovery was intense. I was completely sidelined for six weeks, followed by two months of very light activity. For a long time, I wasn’t even sure if racing IRONMAN New Zealand would be possible. Even now, doubts still creep in. My longest run has been about 17km, which isn’t ideal, but I’ve raced IRONMANs on similar training before, and that’s where I’m drawing my hope and strength.”
Emotional rollercoaster
One such race on similar prep was IRONMAN Texas in 2023 as she told us at TRI247 in this interview – and the outcome was a good one, with a brilliant third place to Kat Matthews.
The road back to racing this time has felt long and uncertain but McCauley says she’s feeling cautiously optimistic about what lies ahead.
She added: “Coming back from knee surgery has been a journey, one that’s tested my patience, resilience, and belief in myself. But I’ve been here before – I’ve fought through injury, I’ve rebuilt, and I’ve proven to myself that I can come back stronger. That experience gives me hope, and it fuels my drive to give everything I have on race day.
“To cross that finish line, knowing what it took to get here, would be an emotional and deeply rewarding moment. It would be a testament to the support of those who’ve stood by me, to the love I have for this sport, and to the unbreakable connection I feel with this race and its incredible community.
“Winning my third IRONMAN New Zealand title, six years after my last, would be incredibly special – more than just another victory.”
Hollioake back for more
Another athlete to watch in the women’s field this weekend is Australia’s Regan Hollioake, who had a breakout season in 2024 in just her first year racing as a professional triathlete.
Finishing fourth at IRONMAN New Zealand last year caught the attention after she pushed world class athletes Chelsea Sodaro, Els Visser and McCauley hard throughout the race.
Two months later Hollioake would go on to claim her maiden professional victory on home soil at IRONMAN Australia and backed that up later in the year with another win at IRONMAN Malaysia.
“I am so thrilled to be back in Taupō. I finished fourth last year in a very tight race for the podium. This year I’d like to go one, or a few, better. I’m a far more confident and experienced athlete this time around and I think I can make an impact at the front of the race against some really speedy ladies. I’m hoping for a competitive, fair, and fun race that allows me to get the best out of myself,” she said.
After a successful and confidence building 2024, Hollioake will focus on competing in the IRONMAN Pro Series this year with her sights set on races in Geelong, Texas, Cairns, and the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona – having secured her place on the start line in Malaysia last year. Despite IRONMAN New Zealand not featuring in the series, Hollioake says “it’s too good a race to miss.”
The two Swiss athletes lining up in Taupō – Nina Derron and Alanis Siffert – will also be fiercely competitive, while Australian duo Danyella Eberle and Kate Gillespie-Jones will also be ones to watch.
Women’s Pro start list
- F1 – Fenella Langridge (GBR)
- F2 – Jocelyn McCauley (USA)
- F3 – Regan Hollioake (AUS)
- F4 – Danyella Eberle (AUS)
- F5 – Kate Gillespie-Jones (AUS)
- F6 – Nina Derron (CHE)
- F7 – Sarah Karpinski (USA)
- F8 – Gabrielle Lumkes (USA)
- F9 – Fiona Gallagher (IRL)
- F10 – Christine Massey (USA)
- F11 – Skye Wallace (AUS)
- F12 – Alanis Siffert (CHE)
- F13 – Heather Neill (NZL)
When does IRONMAN New Zealand start?
The pro women will take to the water in Taupō at 0752 local time on Saturday March 1. That is 1852 Friday in the UK, or 1952 CET. The start time works out at 1352 Friday Eastern Time in the United States, or 1052 Pacific on the West Coast.
