She didn’t have much time to think about winning the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona late last year, inheriting the lead when Taylor Knibb came to a standstill just a few kilometres from the finish line.
But on Saturday at IRONMAN Texas it was a very different story for Solveig Løvseth.
For she had most of the run to enjoy – or possibly endure – that feeling having moved past Knibb after the two had duelled it out in the early stages of the marathon.
The pair were out on their own after Kat Matthews, the third big name in a stacked field, had exited the race early following a bad puncture.
‘I felt like I was running for my life’
Winning has become a habit for Løvseth ever since she moved up in distance after the 2024 Olympics – she’s now crossed the line first in her last three IRONMAN races to match her tally of 70.3 successes.
But she admitted that racing against Knibb can be a frightening prospect: “Honestly, it feels terrifying to lead a race.
“I constantly felt like she was going to catch me. I really felt like I was running for my life.”
Pro Series title up for grabs
Løvseth actually had more time in hand than she realised, crossing the line more than three minutes ahead of Knibb, with the pair well clear of the rest.
And she added: “It always means a lot to win a race. I am definitely not used to it or take it for granted.
“Of course, it was really sad that Kat had a flat. I was looking for another battle like in Kona. Maybe we will have to wait for Kona.
It was her first appearance at IRONMAN Texas and she explained: “A course like this suits me really well. My legs like steady watts for many hours.
“I was really happy with my swim. I didn’t expect to gain time on Taylor on the bike. I was quite surprised to get positive feedback that I was gaining time on her.”
Løvseth’s run was a fastest of the day 2:49 marathon to underline that her Kona win last year was anything but a fluke.
And it also puts her right in the mix for the IRONMAN Pro Series and in with a real chance of the $200,000 first prize, especially as Matthews – the winner for the last two years – now looks to have ruled herself out of contention following her unfortunate DNF.
Latest IRONMAN Pro Series standings
| Rank | Name (Country) | Total IRONMAN Pro Series Points (Max Top 5 events) | Total Eligible Races Scored | Eligible IRONMAN Races Scored | Eligible IRONMAN 70.3 Races Scored |
| 1 | Hannah Berry (NZL) | 7,665 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | Kat Matthews (GBR) | 7,500 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Solveig Løvseth (NOR) | 7,385 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Grace Thek (AUS) | 7,366 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Taylor Knibb (USA) | 7,281 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
