In the 2026 Ironman Pro Series opener, Kat Matthews stormed to a course-record win, while the men’s race came down to the wire as Trevor Foley snatched victory in the final third of the marathon.
Ironman New Zealand kicked off the Ironman Pro Series as Kat Matthews and Trevor Foley claimed gold. (Photo: Triathlete)
Updated March 6, 2026 10:04PM
Ironman New Zealand kicked off the Ironman Pro Series in dramatic fashion on the men’s side as 26-year-old American Trevor Foley ran a 2:35 marathon to clinch victory in a tight run battle, while 2025 Pro Series champion Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) struggled with a major bike mechanical and stomach issues.
On the women’s side, reigning Pro Series champion Kat Matthews (GBR) overcame a small swim deficit before riding with Kiwi Hannah Berry and Lotte Wilms (NED) for the majority of the bike, then delivering a statement run to win by nearly seven minutes with a 2:51 marathon.
The Ironman Pro Series kicked off earlier than usual this year, with over 40 athletes lining up at the opening event to earn valuable points and start their season strong.
In doing so, they also had to contend with Ironman’s first enforcement of the new 20-meter draft rule, announced in early February and set to apply to all Ironman races moving forward.
All eyes were on Blummenfelt and Matthews heading into Taupo, but new Pro Series contenders such as Pierre Le Corre (FRA) and Tamara Jewett (CAN) were eager to challenge the favorites.
In the men’s race, disaster struck early on the bike for Blummenfelt after he exited the water just over 90 seconds back as his right cockpit extension came off, forcing him to hold onto it for a significant portion of the bike while having to rest on just his left extension.
Further misery followed for the defending series champion as he began vomiting on the run, significantly slowing his pace and leaving him to finish sixth – though still enough to validate his spot for Kona.
After an impressive front-pack swim following a broken collarbone that required surgery in late 2025, Kyle Smith (NZL) was the one to set a relentless pace early on the bike, building a 3:30 lead that eventually extended to more than six minutes over the likes of Blummenfelt, Foley, and Matt Hanson.
That rhythm continued early on the run as Smith extended his lead to the delight of his home crowd before gradually slowing in the back half of the marathon. It was Smith’s first Ironman since Kona in 2022.
Foley, Matt Hanson (USA), Le Corre, and Jack Moody (NZL) were first to capitalize, all running just over 2:30 marathon pace at this point.
Foley was first to overtake Smith, before Hanson and Le Corre followed, with all three within a minute of each other before the 20-mile mark of the marathon. Foley managed to hold on and stormed to a perfect start to a 2026 campaign that was initially set to begin in Oceanside at the end of the month.
2026 Ironman New Zealand men’s results
On the women’s side, a group of four exited the swim led by Fenella Langridge (GBR), including a strong swim from New Zealand’s Hannah Berry, giving them a lead of more than two-and-a-half minutes over Matthews and defending champion Regan Hollioake (AUS).
Hollioake lost significant time in T1 trying to put on her helmet and quickly lost contact with the group as Berry initially set the pace, at one point holding nearly a three-minute lead over Matthews.
That margin disappeared quickly once Matthews hit her stride on the bike. She surged to the front just over a quarter into the ride, where she remained with Berry and Wilms – interestingly, despite the new 20-meter zone – until T2.
From there, the two-time Pro Series champion never looked back. Matthews recorded the second-fastest marathon of the day to take the win and maximum points, while Tamara Jewett posted a standout run split – 2:42:40, narrowly missing the podium behind Wilms but earning a well-deserved world championship slot.
2026 Ironman New Zealand women’s results
Matthews’s record-setting performance signaled that the calf injury she sustained at the 2025 70.3 World Championships in Marbella is firmly behind her. She will look to continue that momentum at 70.3 Geelong, where max points again could help free up the remainder of her season.
Looking ahead on the men’s side, Blummenfelt may have to add another Ironman score to make up the deficit from this race, while Foley – who did not compete in the Pro Series last year – has the perfect start and will continue his remaining – fully North American – schedule at Oceanside 70.3 in three weeks.
