Kat Matthews capped another incredible triathlon season by scooping a massive $200k bonus at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand on Saturday.
The British superstar completed a fantastic campaign by chasing home American superstar Taylor Knibb, who was completing a threepeat of 70.3 Worlds victories.
But for Kat there was an even bigger financial prize on the line than the $45,000 she claimed for her second place here – that $200,000 bonus on offer for topping the standings in the inaugural IRONMAN Pro Series.
What a year for Kat Matthews
Matthews came into this race almost assured of topping the end-of-season standings, having been a model of brilliance and consistency throughout the year. The second place behind Knibb completed that goal in some style.
The highlight of Kat’s campaign before Saturday was probably another sensational second-place finish behind Laura Philipp at the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice. But that was only part of her superb Pro Series story in 2024.
Matthews had started her Pro Series journey with a brilliant victory at IRONMAN Texas back in April, and followed that up by also coming home first at IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz in July. After that she warmed up for Nice by claiming second spot at IRONMAN 70.3 Tallinn in August.
A $245k day for British star
In total then, Kat claimed a total of $245,000 in prize money on Saturday, on the back of her sensational performance in Taupo. $45,000 for finishing second and $200,000 for topping the Pro Series. In total she earned a sensational $363,000 from the Pro Series races she competed in during 2024.
It was a trademark performance from Matthews too, showing all the determination, all-round brilliance and aggression she is known for to push the amazing Knibb all the way.
Despite being almost 5 minutes behind heading into T2, Kat clocked the second fastest run of the day (1:15:34) to come home just over a minute behind the American superstar.
Kat reacts to Pro Series success
As she reflected on an amazing year, and the Pro Series success, Kat spoke during the post-race press conference about the challenges it had presented, and how the sport is evolving to help meet those challenges.
She explained: “I’m really proud to finish the year with the goal that we set out at the start and I think…pulling that together with everything else going on has been a real logistical challenge, as well as a physical one.
“The funding behind it [IRONMAN Pro Series] and our reward, really enables us to travel to places like New Zealand, and do these races properly, with professionalism and considering our health and performance on race day… Hopefully I’ve set a good benchline for the future years of the IRONMAN Pro Series.”
Final IRONMAN Pro Series Standings
When the dust had settled in New Zealand on Saturday, the final Pro Series standings looked liked this:
| Pos | Name | Country | Pro Series Points | Bonus (USD) | Total (USD) |
| 1. | Kat Matthews | GBR | 20761 | $200,000 | $363,000 |
| 2. | Jackie Hering | USA | 18093 | $130,000 | $190,750 |
| 3. | Lotte Wilms | NLD | 17678 | $85,000 | $128,250 |
| 4. | Hannah Berry | NZL | 17094 | $70,000 | $120,000 |
| 5. | Maja Stage Nielsen | DNK | 15999 | $50,000 | $78,500 |
| 6. | Danielle Lewis | USA | 15416 | $40,000 | $75,750 |
| 7. | Els Visser | NLD | 15295 | $30,000 | $53,250 |
| 8. | Daniela Bleymehl | DEU | 14999 | $20,000 | $38,500 |
| 9. | Alice Alberts | USA | 14000 | $15,000 | $32,000 |
| 10. | Penny Slater | AUS | 12997 | $10,000 | $44,500 |
