Laura Philipp Of Germany Is Crowned 2024 Vinfast IRONMAN World Champion in Nice, France

September 22, 2024

- Kat Matthews (GBR) and Chelsea Sodaro (USA) completes the podium - A day for the history books as nearly 1,300 professional and age-group women raced the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship for the first time in Nice

NICE, France (Sept. 22, 2024) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – History was made on the Côte d’Azur today, as Laura Philipp of Germany became the first woman to win the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France. Phillip captured her first IRONMAN World Championship title taking home $125,000 USD in prize money after finishing with a third and two fourths in her previous IRONMAN World Championship attempts.

“It was really one of those days, it was super tough,” said Philipp at the finish line. “I have no idea about my swim time, but I think it wasn’t too bad. I definitely over did it [on the bike], but once I caught Marjolaine [Pierré], I knew I had a chance. I thought ok, let’s push it on the bike as hard as possible and I think I overdid it a bit, but I really wanted to catch Marjolaine and Kat [Matthews] at the front. Once I caught up, I couldn’t get rid of them, and it was a bit of cat-and-mouse. I knew it was going to be tough, but I just tried to believe and tell myself I could actually do it. I am so grateful to my body for holding out. This course was so beautiful but so, so tough.”

Despite cramping in the final miles, Great Britian’s Kat Matthews capped off a world-class performance to earn her second IRONMAN World Championship second place finish, while 2022 IRONMAN World Champion Chelsea Sodaro from the United States ran her way into in third position to round out the podium.

Cooler conditions during the week meant that the water temperature in the Mediterranean Sea dropped enough to result in a wetsuit legal swim on race morning. Once in the water, the 41 professional triathletes that lined up on the shores of the Plage des Ponchettes were faced with choppier than expected conditions, with the swell mixing up the swim dynamics from the opening strokes.

The pack broke up early in the 3.8km swim as Marta Sanchez (ESP) hit the front, with Fenella Langridge (GBR), Rebecca Clarke (NZL) and Lauren Brandon (USA) right on her feet. The lead group pushed ahead, working hard to open up a gap to the chasers,

Langridge was first to exit the water in 49:13, less than a second clear of Sanchez with Clarke third. Brandon returned to shore just behind Clarke, with Lotte Wilms (NLD) and Hannah Berry (NZL) following them into transition. Langridge and Clarke pushed hard through transition, hitting the FulGaz bike course alongside each other and 14 seconds up on Berry, with Brandon just behind. Early drama on the bike ended the day for 2019 IRONMAN World Champion Anne Haug (DEU) following a mechanical issue shortly after leaving transition, in addition to Rachel Zilinskas (USA) who exited the race following a crash.

Meanwhile, the early mover on the bike was French athlete Marjolaine Pierré, who lives and trains in Nice. Pierré worked her way up from 10th out of the water to hit the lead after 10km on the bike, pushing hard through the opening flat stages of the ride.

While Pierré continued to lead the way following the first climb of the day, there was plenty of movement behind her with Kat Matthews riding ahead of the pack in second and Laura Philipp working her way through the field into third as they passed the first 50km of riding. Philipp and Matthews then bridged the gap to Pierré at the midway point of the ride, hitting the front and putting time into the French athlete as they began the descent from the plateau. The leading pair swapped positions a number of times over the closing stages of the 180km bike leg, before riding into transition almost side-by-side.

Matthews was first onto the four-lap 42.2km HOKA Run course, just two seconds clear of Philipp, with Pierré 6:50 behind in third. Philipp quickly caught Matthews and the two matched stride for stride, jostling for position for the first 12km before Philipp started to pull ahead. The move proved to be a decisive one as Philipp started to produce a growing lead that she would never relinquish.

Behind the two frontrunners, several women set out to chase the final podium spot. American Chelsea Sodaro proved the strongest, quickly moving up from fourth to third in the early stages of the run and holding on to secure her second podium finish at an IRONMAN World Championship race.

Top five professional women’s results:

Full results for the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon can be found at www.ironman.com/im-world-championship-nice-results.

News and Notes

• In winning her first IRONMAN World Championship title, Laura Philipp (DEU) earned her sixth IRONMAN victory.
• Kat Matthews’ (GBR) result today leaves her with two second place finishes at the IRONMAN World Championship, her other podium coming at the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship in St. George, Utah.
• Fenella Langridge (GBR) was first athlete out of the water, closely followed by Marta Sanchez (ESP), both clocking the fastest swim times of the day with 49:13
• Following a back-and-forth chase in the final kilometers of the course, Philipp secured the fastest bike split of the day with a time of 5:05:25, just ahead of Matthews who finished with a time of 5:05:46.
• Philipp also bagged the fastest run split of day with an incredible 2:44:59 marathon, setting a new IRONMAN World Championship women’s run best (*Previous IRONMAN World Championship run best time of 2:48:23 was set in 2023 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i by Anne Haug (DEU)).
• Part of the IRONMAN Pro Series, the women’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship awarded 6,000 points to the race winner, with every second behind the race winner equating to a point lost. Philipp claimed maximum points, with Matthews earning 5,515 to move up her three places in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings to second.
• Several athletes also moved up the Pro Series standings, with Lotte Wilms (NLD) leaping eight places to fifth, Daniela Bleymehl (DEU) up two places to sixth, Hannah Berry (NZL) climbing seven places to seventh, and Fenella Langridge (GBR) up two places to eighth.

For more information about the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France, please visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship-nice. For more information on the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About the IRONMAN World Championship

Since its inception in 1978 on the Island of O`ahu, the IRONMAN World Championship<sup>®</sup> triathlon has etched its name in history through stellar performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories. In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikīkī to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Island of Hawai`i. The most iconic one-day sporting event in the world is the culmination of 40 global IRONMAN events with over 94,000 athletes around the world striving for one of the coveted qualifying slots. The 2021 edition of the event took place in St. George, Utah in May 2022, becoming the first location to host the event outside of Hawai`i since its origins in 1978. After a two-year hiatus from Hawai`i due to COVID, the race returned to Kailua-Kona in 2022 and for the first time took place as a two-day event. The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race continued with the two-day format but with two different host locations and dates (Nice, France in September and Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i in October), to allow for a dedicated world championship race for women and dedicated world championship race for men. The cumulative event hosted over 4,000 athletes embarking on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN World Champion. In 2024, the women will rotate to Nice, France while the men return to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i for their respective world championship host locations. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.

About IRONMAN Pro Series

The IRONMAN Pro Series™ is a year-long performance-based world series that will see professional triathletes earn points at 20 select races in 19 locations globally to vie for the title of IRONMAN Pro Series Champion and a share of the lucrative USD $1.7 million year-end bonus prize pool. Athletes will also continue to battle for each individual event’s prize money equating to over USD $2.5 million and coveted world championship qualifying slots. The IRONMAN Pro Series will consist of six full-distance IRONMAN^® triathlons and 10 half-distance IRONMAN^® 70.3^® triathlons in addition to the split location women’s and men’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship^® triathlons and two-day women’s and men’s VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlons. Open to approximately 1,000 eligible professional triathletes worldwide, the IRONMAN Pro Series will usher in a new era of IRONMAN racing where Every Second Matters with every second behind the race winner equating to a point earned or lost. Incorporating iconic distances, challenging courses, and stunning destinations, every IRONMAN Pro Series race will be broadcast live and free to a global audience. An additional 18 events throughout 2024 will also offer IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 professional racing and world championship qualifying opportunities, as well as over USD $1.6 million in prize money to create a total 2024 professional prize purse of nearly USD $6 million. For more information, visit proseries.ironman.com.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 14,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.