More than 50 of the region’s top professional triathletes will go head-to-head this Sunday for the 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast titles. As well as bragging rights, the athletes are battling it out for a share of the $25,000 USD pro prize purse and two qualifying slots per gender to the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.
Can Anyone Beat Salthouse to the Women’s Title?
The IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine women’s race is highlighted by 18-time IRONMAN 70.3 champion Ellie Salthouse (AUS), who will wear the number one bib.
The Queenslander has won Australian IRONMAN 70.3 races in Geelong, Melbourne, Tasmania, but is set to make her IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast debut this weekend.
“This race has been on my list for a long time but I’m usually overseas at this time of year, so I’m so glad I can be a part this year,” said Salthouse. “I raced the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Mooloolaba in 2016, along with the World Cup on multiple occasions, and it’s the closest chance I get to a home race. I’m most excited for the surf swim, that beautiful run along the coast, and having my family on the sidelines.
Though she would love to take the win this weekend, Salthouse’s primary goal is finishing in the top two to secure qualification for the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice. She has twice finished in the top 10 at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, including seventh in Taupo last year.
Sunshine Coast based Dutch athlete Lotte Wilms is no stranger to the Mooloolaba race, having won back-to-back IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast titles in 2021 and 2022.
“I love this race, and it brings back all good memories. It was just sad that it appears not to fit in my schedule the last years, so I’m happy to return this year,” said Wilms. “I love the crowd in the Sunshine Coast and the team plus volunteers of IRONMAN Oceania are always lovely and great – it feels like family.”
Like Salthouse, Wilms will be hoping for a positive race this weekend as she prepares for the full distance IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawai`i next month.
“This race fits very well before Kona. I’ve just come off a six-weeks training block and it is very nice to mix that up with a race to reset and pick up training after this race,” she said.
Fifteen women will line up in Mooloolaba this weekend for IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast. Alongside Salthouse and Wilms as podium contenders are Sunshine Coast-based Kiwi Amelia Watkinson, recent winner of IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu Lapu, and Australian duo Penny Slater and Chloe Hartnett.
Multiple IRONMAN 70.3 Champions Highlight Men’s Race
In the men’s race, defending champion Ben Hamilton (NZL) will return to Mooloolaba in the hopes of securing back-to-back victories.
“Winning last year at IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast was really special,” said Hamilton. “My season had been up and down until then, so that win was a much-needed confidence boost heading into the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona last year. For this weekend, it’s a great reminder that I know how to race and execute when it counts.
With the men’s start list 36 athletes deep and featuring a number of IRONMAN 70.3 champions – including former IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast winners Nicholas Free (AUS) and Braden Currie (NZL), as well as Jake Birtwhistle (AUS), Sam Osborne (NZL), Josh Ferris (AUS), and Jarrod Osborne (AUS) – Hamilton says he’s expecting a high-quality and close race this weekend.
“I’m keeping an eye on Jake Birtwhistle and Josh Ferris. Jake and I have had some close battles over the past year – he edged me out by one spot in both Busselton and St. George. Josh has won his last couple of races and has a strong swim, so I expect him to be out front pushing the pace early. Jarrod and Sam Osborne have also shown they’ve got serious run speed, so anything’s possible,” said Hamilton.
Birtwhistle had his sole IRONMAN 70.3 victory to date on home turf in Tasmania two years ago. Since then, the Tokyo 2020 Olympian has raced five IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons, finishing on the podium in Melbourne and Geelong.
IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
The Sunshine Coast Council supports IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast through its Major Events Sponsorship Program.
For more information on IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast visit https://www.ironman.com/im703-sunshine-coast
- F1 Salthouse Ellie AUS
- F3 Wilms Lotte NLD
- F4 Watkinson Amelia NZL
- F6 Morris Kerry IRL
- F7 Slater Penny AUS
- F9 Hartnett Chloe AUS
- F10 Armstrong Laura NZL
- F11 Hume Lauren AUS
- F12 Birch Demi AUS
- F14 Messer Mikayla AUS
- F15 Bevilaqua Kate AUS
- F16 Mccarthy Rachael AUS
- F17 Brown Jasmine AUS
- F18 Cranage Paige AUS
- F19 Remond Katie AUS
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- M1 Hamilton Ben NZL
- M2 Birtwhistle Jake AUS
- M3 Osborne Sam NZL
- M4 Ferris Josh AUS
- M5 Osborne Jarrod AUS
- M6 Currie Braden NZL
- M8 Noble Caleb AUS
- M9 Asher Sebastian AUS
- M10 Free Nicholas AUS
- M11 Agnelli Valentino ARG
- M12 Longmuir Hamish AUS
- M14 Amos Calvin AUS
- M15 Ulloa Martin CHL
- M16 Sosinski Jack AUS
- M17 Storch Kieran AUS
- M18 Duval Liam AUS
- M19 Spriggs Jye AUS
- M20 Zachäus Stefan LUX
- M21 Christie Jason NZL
- M22 Tonge Matthew AUS
- M23 Lipari Jacob AUS
- M24 Crawford Guy NZL
- M25 Talbot Brodie AUS
- M26 Clarke Will AUS
- M27 Wooldridge Joel AUS
- M28 Knechtle Cyrill CHE
- M29 Crantock Roland AUS
- M30 Poole Karl NZL
- M31 Wiles Harry AUS
- M32 Page Thomas AUS
- M33 Tremayne Kyle AUS
- M34 Tuddenham Bailey AUS
- M35 Josefski Nathan AUS
- M36 Harpham Scott NZL
- M37 Dortmann Nathan AUS
- M38 Colin Yoann AUS