🌋 After surprising even herself with her debut season performances in the T100 Triathlon World Tour, Hannah Berry is clearly re-established as the Kiwi women’s long distance No.1.
With that comes its own pressure as the Mt Maunganui 34-year-old seeks to better her Vinfast Ironman World Championship best of 10th in Nice last year, that result an improvement of one place on her maiden worlds performance in Kona in 2023.
While the Kiwi spotlight will be on PTO world No. 13 and T100 Race to Qatar No.8 in the early hours of Sunday, Rebecca Clarke is likewise determined to produce a world champs best in Hawaii.
How that manifests itself will be open to interpretation on the day for the Auckland-based world No. 77 who is among nearly 60 pros eyeing a share of the US$375,000 prize pool.
WATCH: Live coverage from 3:30am Sunday (NZ Time) on YouTube, proseries.ironman.com & DANZ
“It’s hard to put a benchmark on success such as a placing…Kona throws up such tough conditions and race dynamics,” says Clarke who, in the same breath, admits a top 15 would be nice.
Ultimately, it’s about finishing having left everything out on the lava fields of Kailua-Kona.
“To enjoy the race, as much as you can in the heat, and be proud of the end result, that’s what success looks like.”
Respected globally for her prowess in the water, Clarke’s breakout year came in 2022 when she finished second at Ironman Australia, earning her first world champs qualification. She went on to place 17th in her debut in Kona that year.
In 2023, she returned to Kona and improved her time by 20 minutes, though she finished 20th. And last year, when the women raced in Nice, the 36-year-old finished 22nd in just under 10 hours – albeit on a much slower course.
Now, in 2025, Clarke is aiming to crack the elusive nine-hour barrier in Kona.
“If I could improve by another 20 minutes that would be a success. That would mean I crack nine hours here, which I would be very happy with.”
Her preparation for this year’s race has been meticulous. After racing Ironman Lake Placid in July (14th), Clarke spent two months training in Girona where she focused on building strength and race sharpness through a couple of 70.3s; she was 4th at Hradec Kralove and 10th at Zell am See.
“It’s been a lot of Ironman training, geared to racing well in Kona come October 11th,” said Clarke who is looking forward to the familiarity of racing on the Big Island.
“Having raced here twice before, it feels familiar. I know the layout, where best to shop, train, eat. Being a World Championship, it’s always where you want to perform well. It’s the end of the season, so you know you can leave everything out there on race day.”
This year, Clarke has placed a particular emphasis on improving her bike leg, a crucial component of the 226-kilometre race.
“The level has risen so much, not just with people’s ability but the gear, aero testing… I’ve felt the back end of my Ironman bikes this year has let me down, so I’ve done lots of bike strength work, including intervals at the end of long rides.”
The women’s professional race begins at 6:25am HST on Saturday, which is 5:25am Sunday NZ Time. The first finisher expected around 1:50pm NZ Time.
