Australia’s Cam Wurf 7th At IRONMAN World Champs

Sunday 27 October 2024

Australia’s Cameron Wurf has finished seventh at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, crossing the line 7:51:26, with Germany’s Patrick Lange claiming his third world title.

While Wurf is traditionally known as one of the strongest cyclists in the field it was his run that shone through on the biggest stage in the sport, moving his way up from 18th to seventh throughout the marathon.

The Tasmanian had his work cut out for him from the start, exiting the 3.8km swim in 43rd position, but got to work as soon as he jumped onto the bike, carving his way through the field.

“It wasn’t the greatest of starts, I literally got blown out of the water in the swim, I was further back than fullback there, and a lot of things went through my mind, I felt like I’d let a lot of people down as I knew I’d put myself out of a chance of winning the race,” said Wurf. “But I guess on a positive I was quite comfortable because I was going quite slow, so I thought I’m going to have to ride really hard or run really well, one of the two, and try and put myself back in the race somehow. I’m certainly not a quitter.”

The 41-year-old set the sixth fastest bike time, returning to transition in 18th, and then continued his forward trajectory as soon as he hit the run course.

“I didn’t ride great but I rode ok, I sort of picked off a few people but I realised I rode pretty quick and I thought you never know, maybe all these guys at the front are hurting and sure enough I just got out there on the Queen K, I’d already passed quite a few guys and I could see a lot out ahead of me and I just thought right, stay calm to the Energy Lab and then just see what happens,” he said. “I think I was getting close to the top 10 there and I was in and out of the Energy Lab and got back onto the Queen K and dragged myself back up to seventh.

“Honestly, I’m rapt, I’m over the moon. I think I showed that I’m still competitive at this level. I knew if I didn’t swim well, that was it, I wasn’t going to have a chance to win but I think I’ve proven that I can still contend here, I’ve just got to get on top of that swim, I’ve done it here in the past, I’ve swum well, and I know I can ride well when I’m at the front of the race,” he said.

While Wurf would have liked to have finished further up the leaderboard he leaves Hawai’i determined to continue to improve and push himself.

“We’ll go away and figure out where we weren’t quite in the race but I know that there’s a chance here to put it all together. I know I’ve got limited years left and I know after the past couple of years a lot of people are saying, he’s getting old, he’s slipping,” said Wurf. “To be honest when I was out there, I was worried people were going to be saying that, and I’m glad I’ve flipped that around because I’m far from done here. I believe I can come back and have my best day.”

Fellow Australian Nick Thompson finished 21st on his VinFast IRONMAN World Championship debut.

“It was so hard, that was 100% the hardest race I’ve done. The swim was like a washing machine all the way to halfway point and was pretty fast on the way back. The bike was such an undulating course, it just was so hard, and being in a group, getting on the brakes and then going again,” he said. “The run was just survival, I don’t even know what I could have done more, I’ve never run great in IRONMAN races and it’s something I look to improve one day, I don’t think you can rush it. I’m pretty content with how I raced with what I have at the moment. A hundred percent I’ll try and be back here and also be in Nice next year, I’ll do everything I can.”

The West Australian said that he took a lot away from his first attempt at the IRONMAN World Championship.

“It’s super special, it’s really unlike any other race, even though it gets pretty isolated on parts of the bike and the run. It’s just special,” said Thompson. “The guys that were ahead of me, they’re the best in the world and it’s just an honour to race them and watch how they go about things. This is where I want to be hopefully every year, and then at least I can call myself a professional triathlete.”

Sam Appleton finished in 24th, crossing the line in 8:08:05, with Steve McKenna 42nd. Perth’s Matt Burton was forced to retire early in the bike after suffering an allergic reaction in the swim.

IRONMAN Triathlon (Photo Korupt Vision)


Coming Triathlon Events View all

Altriman

les Angles, Pyrenees, France

eagleXman

Assergi, Italy

TriBourne 226

Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Kaike triathlon

Yonago, Tottori, Japan

Outlaw Triathlon

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Wild Siberia Xtreme

Lake Cheybek-Kohl, Siberia, Russian Federation

Starvation Extreme

Starvation Reservoir, Utah, United States

Norseman Xtreme

Geilo, Norway

Ostseeman

Glucksburg, Germany

Slovakman 226

Pieštany, Slovakia

Ironman Vitoria Gasteiz

Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain

Ironman Lake Placid

Lake Placid, United States

Ironman Leeds

Leeds, United Kingdom

Ironman Canada Ottawa

Ottowa, Canada

Ironman Kalmar Sweden

Kalmar, Sweden

Ironman Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Denmark

Ironman Tallinn

Tallinn, Estonia

Ironman Switzerland

Thun, Switzerland

Ironman Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin, United States

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPS MEN

Nice, France

Oravaman

Zuberec, Slovakia

Cotswold Classic

Ashton Keynes, United Kingdom

Door Country Half

Egg Harbor, WI, United States

Garmin Tri Tour Sycow

Sycow, Poland

Castle to Coast

Windsor to Brighton, United Kingdom

Sourdough Triathlon

Chatanika, Alaska, United States

TRI Boulder

Boulder, CO, United States

Timisoara Triathlon

Timisoara, Romania

Trumer Triathlon

Obertrum am See, Austria

Honeymoon Half Gravel Tri

Honeymoon Bay BC, Canada

70.3 Muncie

Muncie, Indiana, United States

70.3 Luxembourg

Remich, Luxembourg

70.3 Swansea

Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom

70.3 Musselman

Geneva NY, United States

70.3 Ohio

Sandusky, United States

70.3 Oregon

Salem OR, United States

70.3 Ecuador

Manta, Ecuador

70.3 Boise

Boise Idaho, United States

70.3 Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

70.3 Maine

Augusta, United States

Triathlon News & Media Blogs View all

Fabian Kraft, Lena Meissner Win 70.3 Jonkoping

Fabian Kraft, Lena Meissner Win 70.3 Jonkoping

Monday 07 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

The event, held on Sunday, July 6, featured a swim in Lake Munksjön, a bike course through the scenic Swedish countryside, and a run through the center of Jönköping around the lake. more

Sam Laidlow, Laura Philipp Win CHALLENGE Roth

Sam Laidlow, Laura Philipp Win CHALLENGE Roth

Sunday 06 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

Reigning world champion Laura Philipp and world champion Sam Laidlow have won DATEV Challenge Roth and, in front of several hundred thousand spectators, entered the list of winners of the world's largest long-distance triathlon for the first time. Jonas Schomburg, who had to drop out in Frankfurt a week ago and so entered Roth last minute, came second and for a long time even had his sights set on the top step of the podium. more

70.3 Jonkoping SWE Pro Start List

70.3 Jonkoping SWE Pro Start List

Friday 04 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

A warm and heartfelt welcome to 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping European Championship! On Sunday, July 6, you’ll be part of something truly special – a celebration of athleticism, determination and community, set in the heart of Sweden. more

World Champions, Olympians, Roth Legends At CHALLENGE Roth 2025

World Champions, Olympians, Roth Legends At CHALLENGE Roth 2025

Thursday 03 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

World champions, Roth winners, Olympians, European champions, local heroes, Paralympic champions – they're all in Roth! The 2025 professional field is more diverse than ever before. Whether it's a debut or a comeback, seasoned veterans, final races or new faces: 6 July promises to be a triathlon festival full of surprises. The professional field is led by the two Ironman world champions Laura Philipp and Sam Laidlow. more

IRONMAN Announces New Performance-Based Age-Group Qualification System for World Championships

IRONMAN Announces New Performance-Based Age-Group Qualification System for World Championships

Wednesday 02 Jul 2025 [Triathlon News]

IRONMAN, the global leader in triathlon, today announced a new performance-based age group qualification system for its IRONMAN World Championship® and IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship events, beginning with the 2026 qualifying cycle. Based on extensive research, testing, and feedback from athletes, the new qualifying system is designed to reward athletes based entirely on how competitive they are relative to their age group and gender. more

Facebook


YouTube


Sign up for FREE NEWSLETTER:

We will never share your email address or spam you.