This Saturday, ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand returns to kick off the 2025 season of IRONMAN racing, with a number of international professional triathletes travelling to Aotearoa New Zealand to compete for the women’s title.
British athlete Fenella Langridge (GBR) is set to make her IRONMAN New Zealand debut this weekend. The 32-year-old has spent the last couple of months in New Zealand, soaking up the sun and enjoying her early season training on the other side of the world.
“Spending our winter in the New Zealand summer has been spectacular. It is our first time in New Zealand, and it definitely won’t be our last. We have been amazed with training diversity, accessibility, and how everyone has just been so welcoming and helpful,” said Langridge.
After claiming her first full distance win at IRONMAN Western Australia at the end of 2023, Langridge was fully focused on competing strongly in the inaugural season of the IRONMAN Pro Series, only to be hampered by fatigue and injury and called her season early last October.
This year, Langridge is hoping to find the joy in racing again and is fully focused on securing her qualification to the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship, this year in Kona, Hawai`i for women. She will line up in Taupo with this as her main aim but is also excited to experience the beauty and energy of a race she has heard so much about.
“IRONMAN New Zealand has always been on my radar, it’s one of those races you must come and be a part of. Athletes seem to come back year after year and race here, maybe because of the landscape, the people, or the energy out there on the course. I am not sure why yet, but that’s why I am here to find out,” she said.
Two-time IRONMAN New Zealand champion Jocelyn McCauley (USA) is one of those athletes who chooses to race here as much as she can. McCauley will line up in Taupo this weekend for the eighth time – over the years claiming wins in 2017 and 2019, and two third place finishes, including in 2024.
“This place and race just define what IRONMAN is to me. The athletes love and respect the community and culture, and the community returns that tenfold to the athletes – from the first-place finisher to the last,” said McCauley. “IRONMAN New Zealand was my very first race as a professional 10 years ago. It's where I've raced the most throughout my career. When my feet land in New Zealand I feel at home, when I get to come to Taupo I feel at peace.”
Last year was tough for McCauley. Over the Northern Hemisphere summer, she underwent major knee surgery on an issue that had been nagging her since the birth of her second daughter in 2021.
“The surgery was just one step below a full knee replacement, and my recovery was intense. I was completely sidelined for six weeks, followed by two months of very light activity. For a long time, I wasn’t even sure if racing IRONMAN New Zealand would be possible. Even now, doubts still creep in. My longest run has been about 17km, which isn’t ideal, but I’ve raced IRONMANs on similar training before, and that’s where I’m drawing my hope and strength,” she said.
With an intense rehab period that followed, the road back to racing has felt long and uncertain but McCauley never lost hope. While her training may not be exactly where she’d like it to be heading into IRONMAN New Zealand this weekend, McCauley says she’s feeling cautiously optimistic about what lies ahead.
“Coming back from knee surgery has been a journey, one that’s tested my patience, resilience, and belief in myself. But I’ve been here before—I’ve fought through injury, I’ve rebuilt, and I’ve proven to myself that I can come back stronger. That experience gives me hope, and it fuels my drive to give everything I have on race day. To cross that finish line, knowing what it took to get here, would be an emotional and deeply rewarding moment. It would be a testament to the support of those who’ve stood by me, to the love I have for this sport, and to the unbreakable connection I feel with this race and its incredible community,” said McCauley.
“Winning my third IRONMAN New Zealand title, six years after my last, would be incredibly special—more than just another victory. This race has always meant so much to me, not just because of the competition but because of the people, the atmosphere, and the unforgettable experiences I’ve had here.”
One athlete to watch in the women’s field this weekend is Australia’s Regan Hollioake, who had a breakout season in 2024 in just her first-year racing as a professional triathlete.
Finishing fourth at IRONMAN New Zealand last year caught the attention the triathlon world after she pushed world class athletes Chelsea Sodaro (USA), Els Visser (NLD) and Jocelyn McCauley hard throughout the race.
Two months later Hollioake would go on to claim her maiden professional victory on home soil at IRONMAN Australia and backed that up later in the year with another win at IRONMAN Malaysia.
“I am so thrilled to be back in Taupo. After racing here last year in my first professional IRONMAN, I couldn’t wait to experience the Taupo community, course, and race vibes again. IRONMAN New Zealand is such a special race on the calendar, steeped in tradition, with an unrivalled atmosphere. There is a reason this race has been going for over 40 years. I’ve been looking forward to coming back here for 12 months,” said Hollioake.
“I finished fourth last year in a very tight race for the podium. This year I’d like to go one, or a few, better. I’m a far more confident and experienced athlete this time around and I think I can make an impact at the front of the race against some really speedy ladies. I’m hoping for a competitive, fair, and fun race that allows me to get the best out of myself.”
After a successful and confidence building 2024, Hollioake will focus on competing in the IRONMAN Pro Series this year with her sights set on races in Geelong, Texas, Cairns, and the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona – having secured her place on the start line in Malaysia last year. Despite IRONMAN New Zealand not featuring in the series, Hollioake says “it’s too good a race to miss.”
The two Swiss athletes lining up in Taupo – Nina Derron and Alanis Siffert – will also be fiercely competitive, while Australian duo Danyella Eberle and Kate Gillespie-Jones will also be ones to watch.
ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand sees athletes take on a 3.8km swim starting and finishing on the shores of Lake Taupo, a 180km ride taking in the rural landscapes of the region, and a 42.2km run along the lakefront lined with supporters.
Women’s Professional Start List – 2025 ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand
F1 – Fenella Langridge (GBR)
F2 – Jocelyn McCauley (USA)
F3 – Regan Hollioake (AUS)
F4 – Danyella Eberle (AUS)
F5 – Kate Gillespie-Jones (AUS)
F6 – Nina Derron (CHE)
F7 – Sarah Karpinski (USA)
F8 – Gabrielle Lumkes (USA)
F9 – Fiona Gallagher (IRL)
F10 – Christine Massey (USA)
F11 – Skye Wallace (AUS)
F12 – Alanis Siffert (CHE)
F13 – Heather Neill (NZL)
To find out more about the 2025 ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand visit: ironman.com/im-new-zealand. For information on the 2025 ANZCO Foods IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand visit: ironman.com/races/im703-new-zealand.