This year's women's Ironman World Championship is going to be one of the most memorable yet!
Kona is iconic. Not only is it one of the most beautiful places on a beautiful island, but its name is synonymous with the biggest race in triathlon racing. This year, the fastest women in the world will be there for the Ironman World Championship, including three representatives from Trek: Taylor Knibb, Holly Lawrence, and Skye Moench. The competition will be fierce, but this trio has the firepower and verve to be the major stories of the race.
And oh yeah, they’ll be racing on Trek’s brand new Project One ICON paint scheme, “Gamut,” a fetching kaleidoscope of color that looks beautiful against Hawaiian lava fields.
Taylor Knibb is among the favorites to win in Kona.
Trek's newest Project One ICON colorway "Gamut" will be easy to spot against Hawaii's lava fields.
Taylor Knibb is in Kona to win: Full stop. She is a force in middle-distance racing, as highlighted by her wrecking ball 2024 when she swept her T100 starts for a world title, and won her third straight Ironman 70.3 World Championship. She entered 2025 with one goal: Win Kona. And when Knibb sets her mind on something, it’s unwise to bet against her.
That said, a full-distance Ironman is a different beast. Knibb hasn’t raced many in her career, taking fourth at World Championships in Kona in 2023, and finishing second at Ironman Texas in April behind Kat Matthews, another Kona favorite. Knibb is pushing herself out of her comfort zone somewhat, but fortunately, that seems to be how she thrives. You’re going to see the absolute best out of this phenomenal athlete.
Holly Lawrence gave one of the most inspiring performances of the year when she took fifth at T100 San Francisco last June, her first race back after giving birth.
Up close with a stunning Speed Concept.
Holly Lawrence gave one of the most inspiring performances of the season in June, taking fifth at T100 San Francisco in her first race back after giving birth to her daughter just eight months prior. After the race, she talked about how having a child altered her relationship with triathlon, allowing her to race freer and more passionately, as well as inspiring her to finally check off one of the biggest items on her bucket list: Racing Kona.
Like Knibb, Lawrence is a decorated middle-distance triathlete, winning a score of Ironman 70.3 events during her career, including the World Championship in 2016. However, she has only ever raced one full Ironman, taking fifth in Lake Placid last July to qualify for Kona. The race was an eye-opening experience for her. But now that she knows what to expect, she’ll be aiming to shake up the front of the race.
Skye Moench's first race back from pregnancy will be on her sport's biggest stage.
Outfitted with SRAM to handle some serious Skye wattage.
Skye Moench is one of the biggest wild cards of the race. Kona will be her first race back since giving birth last November, and even she doesn’t know what to expect.
Moench has the pedigree to perform well. She won the last full Ironman Florida, the last full Ironman she competed in, in November 2023, the same year she also finished seventh in her second-ever appearance in Kona. Her career is full of strong, scrappy performances on big stages. We’re ready to be inspired once again.
In the cockpit with Gamut.
Some REALLY fast wheels don't hurt.
The race will begin at 6:25 a.m. in Kona on Saturday, Oct. 11, which is 12:25 p.m. ET if you’re on the other end of the United States. If you’d like to watch the nearly eight hours of racing, you can watch the race for FREE at the Ironman Pro Series website. The broadcast will start roughly two hours before the race. You can also watch on OutsideTV.
If you like the paint (and how could you not??) you can learn more about it here, or start designing your own Project One bike right now. And make sure you follow Taylor, Holly and Skye on Instagram for closer looks at their bikes and insights into their journeys to Kona. Trek Race Shop will have plenty more from Kona, as well. It’s going to be a great weekend.
