Search
shop

Aussie short-course star so nearly a DNS before making big breakthrough at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong

"I was messaging my coach, my mum, my boyfriend, saying should I start, should I not start?"
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Natalie Van Coevorden celebrated a breakthrough win at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong on Sunday – but admitted she could so easily have missed the race.

The Australian Olympian finished less than 30 seconds clear of New Zealand’s Hannah Berry in the opening race of the 2025 IRONMAN Pro Series, with Melbourne’s Grace Thek third.

But it was almost a win that didn’t happen for Van Coevorden after she started the day feeling unwell.

Advertisement

‘My body just knew what to do’

She explained: “I was messaging my coach, my mum, my boyfriend, saying should I start, should I not start, and they all said back yourself, you’ve had a really good block of training.

“I think all those years of racing, 13, 14 years of doing triathlon now really paid off today because my body just knew what to do when I needed it most.”

Van Coevorden had mainly focussed on short course but she’s gone close before at 70.3, with runner-up spots in Bahrain and Melbourne in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Natalie Van Coevorden claiming her first IRONMAN 70.3 race win in Geelong - Photo Korupt Vision
Natalie Van Coevorden wins 70.3 Geelong [Photo credit: Korupt Vision | IRONMAN]

Nailing the nutrition

Talking through how the race panned out, she added: “Everything played out how I wanted it to today and it couldn’t have gone any more perfectly to be honest.

“We had a pretty fast swim and had a bit of a gap, I had a plan to ride pretty hard for the first 10k so I could gap the field a little bit, we then had four girls on the bike working pretty well together and then I paced the run to perfection today, I really loved the undulation on the run course, it really kept me focused, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

“Hannah was probably sitting 10 to 20 seconds ahead for that first eight to nine k and then it finally just came down in a k that gap, I just told myself to keep running, you don’t need to do anything special and it paid off in the end and I ran the best race I could.

“At IRONMAN 70.3 Melbourne in 2022 I lost it with a k to go and I really made a focus on my nutrition today, that’s been a big switch from short course racing and I think I really played it the best I could.

“I’m pretty ecstatic to be honest, you’re not going to hold up the banner too many times in your career and holding up an IRONMAN 70.3 one so early in my switch is really special.”

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
TRI247 podcast
What is it really like to be a professional triathlete? NEW TRI247 x Challenge Family podcast takes you beyond the start lines this race season
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Let’s race… French Riviera T100
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Gustav Iden aero position body rocket
How to get better at holding your time trial position – Expert tips from former PRO time trial cyclist Alex Dowsett
latest News
Challenge Barcelona 2023 - Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hourcade
‘It’s going to be an absolute firecracker’ says Cam Wurf after booking IRONMAN World Champs spot
Maya Kingma Karlovy Vary win 2024
Two-time Olympic triathlete joins top pro cycling team – and is set to race in Giro d’Italia
Oliver Conway World Triathlon Cuo win Saidia 2025
Breakthrough World Cup win – and Brownlee Racing spot – in memorable week for British youngster
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
Triathlon superstar Lionel Sanders moving again but taking it step by step in injury battle
Magnus Ditlev - T100 San Francisco 2024 run
“I lost it mentally” – Magnus Ditlev reveals why he was shown red card at IRONMAN Frankfurt
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...