Inspirational 80-year-old becomes oldest female to complete Ironman Kona course

This year’s Ironman World Championships race in Kona, Hawaii was a race for the ages. One performance deserving of note is that of Natalie Grabow, who has become the oldest female to complete the course.

At 80 years old, Natalie Grabow (Mountain Lakes, N.J., USA) finished the 2025 Ironman World Championship in 16:45:26, becoming the oldest female to complete the iconic race in its nearly 50 year history.

She was greeted at the finish line by Cherie Gruenfeld, the previous record holder and newly inducted Ironman Hall of Fame – a powerful moment between two legends of endurance sport.

Grabow was in the F80-84 category and took on the same hot, humid conditions that saw some of the sport’s leading athletes struggle to cope – with several including Chelsea Sodaro, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Taylor Knibb post DNFs.

Beating the cut-off times to complete in a little under 16 hours and 45 minutes, Grabow crossed the line in 1560 place. Her swim took 1:47:41, her bike 7:51:27 and her marathon-distance run 6:40:11.

Lead image credit: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN)

Helen Webster Editor, 220 Triathlon

About

Helen has been 220's Editor since July 2013, when she made the switch from marathons to multisport. She's usually found open-water swimming and has competed in several swimruns as well as the ÖtillÖ World Series. Helen is a qualified Level 2 Open-Water Swim Coach focusing on open-water confidence and runs regular workshops at the South West Maritime Academy near Bristol. She is also an RLSS UK Open Water Lifeguard trainer/assessor.