Victory in paradise: Perterer and Horseau win idyllic Ironman Cozumel
We report on the results of Ironman Cozumel, one of the world's most stunning triathlons raced on a Caribbean Island
Lisa Perterer and Arthur Horseau both won by decisive margins at Ironman Cozumel, pocketing their share of the $100,000 prize purse.
The Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea also hosted the Latin American Championships won by Columbia’s Diana Castillo Franco and Argentina’s Flavio Morandini.
In the women’s race, Castillo Franco led out of the ocean, having clocked 47:47, with Perterer on her heels.
The Austrian then recorded the fastest bike split of the day in 4:29:30 by seven minutes to build a commanding lead.
She consolidated her advantage with the second best run, five minutes slower than Poland’s Marta Lagownik who moved into third, to win in 8:29:29.
Previous winner Sara Svensk (8:50:44) finished runner up ahead of Lagownik (8:53:12) in third.
Ironman Cozumel 2025 women’s results
| Swim | T1 | Bike | T2 | Run | Overall | ||
| 1 | Lisa Perterer | 47:48(2) | 3:25 | 4:29:20 | 2:02 | 3:06:57(2) | 8:29:29 |
| 2 | Sara Svensk | 53:22(6) | 3:08 | 4:38:52(3) | 2:35 | 3:12:48(5) | 8:50:44 |
| 3 | Marta Lagownik | 50:53(3) | 3:29 | 4:56:18(6) | 1:14 | 3:01:19 | 8:53:12 |
| 4 | Danielle Lewis | 55:58(8) | 2:59 | 4:36:24(2) | 2:37 | 3:21:11(6) | 8:59:07 |
| 5 | Arlette Mariana Gonzalez Hurtado | 51:01(5) | 3:17 | 5:00:12(10) | 3:50 | 3:08:11(3) | 9:06:28 |
In the men’s race, Horseau had some work to do after the swim, having left the water in 30th place and eight minutes behind Sven Oliver Thalman’s fastest time of 41:01.
The Frenchman duly closed the gap by flying around the bike course in 4:06:22, five minutes ahead of Sebastian Norberg, the next fastest in 4:11:52.
The Swede also recorded the second fastest run time behind Almog Elazary, who completed the marathon distance in 2:46:24 to jump into second place at the finish.
But Horseau was only a minute slower and comfortably hung on to win overall by four minutes in 7:48:18.
Ironman Cozumel 2025 men’s results
| Swim | T1 | Bike | T2 | Run | Overall | ||
| 1 | Arthur Horseau | 49:01(30) | 3:42 | 4:06:22 (1) | 1:40 | 2:47:35(3) | 7:48:18 |
| 2 | Almog Elazary | 42:29(6) | 3:56 | 4:17:40(11) | 2:11 | 2:46:24 | 7:52:38 |
| 3 | Sebastian Norberg | 48:46(25) | 3:07 | 4:11:52(2) | 1:39 | 2:47:30(2) | 7:52:52 |
| 4 | Michele Sarzilla | 41:03(2) | 3:06 | 4:19:39(16) | 1:37 | 2:50:31(5) | 7:55:53 |
| 5 | Nick Emde | 42:30(7) | 2:54 | 4:18:29(13) | 1:44 | 2:50:38(6) | 7:56:13 |
Ironman Cozumel course and history
Ironman’s description of Cozumel as a ‘late-season destination race in paradise’ doesn’t seem overblown. The island off Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is a picturesque tourist destination with its white sands, gin-clear seas and coral reefs.
Cozumel held its first Ironman in 2009. It immediately gained a reputation for being one of the fastest swim courses on the Ironman circuit due to the warm Caribbean waters and favourable currents. Heat and humidity can become challenging later in the race.
The current assists the athletes in the 2.4mi/3.8mi one-lap, point-to-point ocean swim along the island’s coral reefs. Wetsuits are usually prohibited in the warm water which offers sightings of fish, rays and turtles.
The 112mi/180km bike leg is fast too. It consists of three flat and untechnical laps favouring an aero position over handling or climbing prowess. Crosswinds can hit on the eastern shore of the island.
Then the run course follows a similar format. Its three laps take competitors into the centre of San Miguel de Cozumel, along the waterfront, and through crowd-lined streets.
In 2021, Kristian Blummenfelt set what was, at the time, an unofficial Iron-distance record on this course. His time of 7:21:11 comprised a 39:41 swim, 4:02:40 bike, and a 2:35:24 marathon. But Ironman didn’t recognise it as a triathlon world record because of the assistance of the current on the swim. That same year Sara Svensk set the women’s course record of 8:22:40.
Rough seas caused the cancellation of the swim in 2023, and a run-bike-run duathlon in a time-trial format was held instead. Gurutze Frades won the women’s race and Léon Chevalier won the men’s event.
Being a silver tier event and not part of the Ironman Pro Series, Cozumel doesn’t attract the strongest elite field. But for age-groupers, it must be one of the best places to combine a race and holiday.
Learn about more of the world’s best triathlons to do before you die.
Jack Evans
