Search
shop

IRONMAN Texas 2025: Triathlon superstar Kat Matthews opens up on record-breaking win over Taylor Knibb

British great Matthews ran the fastest ever time by a woman at IRONMAN Texas
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Kat Matthews was simply incredible as she produced a record-breaking victory at IRONMAN Texas on Saturday.

The British triathlon superstar roared to a sensational victory over her brilliant US rival Taylor Knibb in a blistering course record time of of 8:10:34 – also the fastest ever by a woman in an IRONMAN-branded full distance race.

And speaking afterwards, she revealed it was the sheer level of the competition which inspired her to new heights.

Matthews pride at record-setting day

Matthews said: “I’m really proud to pull together that (performance) against this field. Seriously, I’m really happy. I wasn’t feeling great to be honest.

“I thought, just ease into it, but the speed came quite easily, and the time just haemorrhaged. I feel lucky to sort of claw back time really quickly and stay positive for most of it.

“I really feel like the depth of the women’s field is growing and the competition level of the these (IRONMAN) Pro Series races really brings everyone together.”

Kat Matthews IRONMAN Texas Finish Line 2025
British triathlete Kat Matthews wins IRONMAN Texas 2025 in a new record time (Photo – Getty Images for IRONMAN).

Matthews produced a stunning closing marathon to surge past the three-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, who was having just her second race over the full distance. Kat had already produced a pretty sensational bike leg, just 22 seconds slower than the record-setting 4:19:46 posted by Knibb.

It was a third consecutive IRONMAN Texas victory for Matthews, who finished second behind Laura Philipp at the IRONMAN World Championships in Nice last year and second behind Knibb at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.

IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Finish Line Kat Matthews Taylor Knibb
Second-place Kat Matthews congratulates 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Taylor Knibb (Photo – Fiona Goodall, Getty Images for IRONMAN).

Matthews knows she needs to improve on the bike to be crowned No 1 this year, and that’s why she has brought in some elite help from Alex Dowsett,  a two-time stage winner on the Giro d’Italia and a six-time British National Time Trial Champion.

Her eye-popping performance in The Woodlands will have the rest of the sport sitting up to take notice as she homes in on her targets this year.

Philipp had held the previous IRONMAN record time with 8:18:20 set at the 2022 IRONMAN Hamburg European Championship. But Matthews absolute destroyed that mark, with Knibb finishing just under 10 minutes behind her.

Paul Brown
Written by
Paul Brown
Discover more
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
Ruth Astle finishing IRONMAN Vitoria 2024
PremiumHow to cope with a DNF: Elite athletes share their stories
PremiumIs your evening workout routine wrecking your recovery? Expert physiologist on how to improve recovery and what NOT to do
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
03/07/2025 - Tour de France 2025 - Grand départ Jour 2 - Lille - Présentation des équipes -Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike)
PremiumWhat triathletes can learn from the Tour de France pro peloton
latest News
Matthew Marquardt wins IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
Matthew Marquardt reveals why he would do IRONMAN Lake Placid again “in a heartbeat”
Premium‘The difference from triathlon is so big – there’s no comparison’: Maya Kingma on life in the Women’s WorldTour peloton
Sam Laidlow wins IRONMAN Leeds 2025
Sam Laidlow hails ‘special’ IRONMAN Leeds crowd after one fan sign turned chiller into thriller
Alex Yee wins Super tri Toronto 2025
Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee says “I’ve still got it” after roaring back to action with terrific Toronto win
Superstar Hayden Wilde reveals decision day for potential comeback at T100 London
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

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...