For the second time this season, the IRONMAN Pro Series will stop Down Under this weekend at IRONMAN Cairns.
Set against the backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, this iconic race promises a thrilling showdown between seasoned champions and rising stars.
Boasting a strong pro field, a bumper prize purse and valuable slots to the IRONMAN World Championship later this season, the race is one that you won’t want to miss.
Aussie Matt Burton won on home soil here last year, smashing the course record months after almost losing his foot to an infection, while New Zealand’s Hannah Berry took the win on the women’s side.
In our preview below, we have all the details you need to enjoy the action this weekend, with start time and streaming information, plus a rundown of the top competitors in Queensland.
Start times and how to watch live
The Pro Men start on Sunday June 15 at 0737 local time, which is 2237 Saturday in the UK and 2337 UK. If you are in the US, it’s 1737 Saturday Eastern Time, or 1437 Pacific. The Pro Women start out five minutes later at 0742 local time.
The race will be broadcast live and for free across multiple platforms for viewers around the world including proseries.ironman.com, Outside TV for US and Canada viewers, DAZN, iQIYI, L’Equipe Live, and YouTube among others.
We will embed the YouTube live stream below nearer the time so you don’t have to leave this page.
Start List – Pro Men
The men’s professional race is set to sizzle like the Queensland heat with Oceania’s top triathletes going head-to-head with a host of international challengers.
No male athlete from outside of Oceania has won an IRONMAN Cairns title over 13 years of racing – a streak which could be broken this weekend with the race assembling one of the strongest start lists in its history, bolstered by its return to the IRONMAN Pro Series roster in 2025.
American duo Matthew Marquardt and Matt Hanson, plus South African Olympian Jamie Riddle, pose a serious threat to Oceania’s grasp on the title.
New Zealand’s Braden Currie will be out to make history of his own however, with a record-setting fourth IRONMAN Cairns title up for grabs for the veteran Kiwi.
Another athlete taking lots of learnings from 2024 into this year is Nick Thompson (AUS). The West Australian’s season came unstuck in Cairns after making some errors on the bike course with a drafting penalty and a fall off his bike.
Though in just his third year as a professional triathlete, Thompson will need to draw on all the experience in his armoury if he wants to hold off the likes of Currie, Marquardt, Hanson, Riddle, and Kiwi Mike Phillips, and emulate his fellow West Australian and reigning IRONMAN Cairns champion Matt Burton.
Phillips will line up for his sixth IRONMAN Cairns on Sunday, with his third-place finish last year his best result to date. The Kiwi started his year strongly by taking out his third ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand title before an unfortunate crash at the ISUZU IRONMAN South Africa African Championship broke his momentum.
Other athletes to keep an eye on this Sunday include 2017 IRONMAN Cairns champion Josh Amberger (AUS) and 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie champion Henrik Goesch (FIN).
Start List – Pro Women
Defending champion Berry is back to defend her title and the 34-year-old has already made a strong start to the season.
Hannah began the year by winning the Tauranga Half on January 18 before finishing second at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong in March and then claiming fourth at T100 Singapore in April.
Dutch ace Lotte Wilms finished third overall in the 2024 IRONMAN Pro Series and is looking to bounce back after a slow start to 2025. She came fifth in her one event of the year so far at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George.
Two-time Cairns winner Kylie Simpson, another Australian, is aiming for her hat-trick and will rely on her well-known strength on the bike.
US star Jackie Hering, second in last year’s IRONMAN Pro Series standings, adds real star quality to the field for Sunday’s showdown.
Prize Money: What’s on the line?
With a $125,000 prize purse, 10 IRONMAN World Championship slots (five per gender), and up to 5,000 IRONMAN Pro Series points on the line, the stakes are high.
Cairns course
From Reef to Rainforest, this race will suit the triathletes that best prepare for the humid conditions, from a technical 3.8km swim at Palm Cove to an undulating, winding 180km ride along the coast.
Athletes will then hit the four-loop, 42.2km run course and be re-energised by the infamous crowds, spurring racers towards the downtown finish arch.
Along the way they will swim in the Coral Sea, bike along the Captain Cook Highway, and run through the vibrant streets of Cairns Esplanade.
