🥇 Canterbury favourite Tom Somerville sealed a third title in record smashing fashion while Wanaka-based Danielle Donaldson entered her name in The Oxman history books for a second time on Sunday.
Somerville became the first athlete to break the four hour barrier for the 2km swim, 92km bike, 21km run race near Oxford in North Canterbury.
The 28-year-old PTO world No. 341 finished in 3:58:41, comfortably ahead of Thomas Newsom, the 18-year-old son of race director John Newsom who set a new run-course record of 1:16:29 en-route to silver in 4:04:01. Laurie Watson rounded out the male podium in 4:15:52.
“This race means a lot to me, so it was great to take it out and have fantastic support out on course from the local triathlon community.” said Somerville.
“Overall I was really happy with how my race went. Building from a solid swim, I opened up a big gap on the bike, knowing I would need a good buffer coming into the run. I hit a few speed bumps in the second half of the run, but managed to hold on for the win, and was thrilled to break the course record by almost eight minutes.”
Donaldson, meanwhile, led from start to finish to become a multiple champion, finishing in 4:36:20, ahead of a fast-closing Maeve Kennedy in 4:39:30.
“I love The Oxman,” said Donaldson after adding to her 2023 win.
“Having family and friends on course made it an especially memorable day. I was a little off my bike power target but I nailed my nutrition and ran consistently, so I’m very proud to take the 2025 win.”
The Mini OxMan triathlon again saw strong participation. In the male division, Charlie Taylor (20–39) claimed the win in 1:51:51, ahead of Luke Jansen (16–19) in 1:55:05, and Jordy Moore in 1:57:57. On the women’s side, victory went to Charlotte Chiles (16–19) in 2:01:57, followed by Nicole Wilson (20–39) and Margie Campbell (40–59).
The Junior OxMan for 10-16 year olds saw the next generation step up with impressive performances. On the boys’ side, Benjamin Crawford topped the 14-16 category in 0:33:03, followed by Ben Lough at 0:33:09 and Finn Parsons at 0:37:05. In the girls’ division, Elza Harrington led with 0:37:54, with strong efforts from Isla Smylie and Lucy Peoples.
The OxMan Multi (2km run, 46km bike, 14km run, 10km kayak) once again proved popular, with strong showings across individual and team entries. The top male finisher in the individual multisport was Jordan Sutherland in 3:12:32, followed closely by Gus Hewitt in 3:14:27, and Jesse Whitehead in 3:15:03. On the women’s side, Fiona Dowling topped the field at 3:33:53, followed by Emma Trolove in 3:39:54 and Madi Keightley in 3:46:58.
This year’s OxMan saw a record-breaking field of over 450 entrants competing across triathlon, duathlon, run, multisport, junior and kids events. A number of events sold out, a testament to the growing appeal of the event.
The full triathlon again featured the swim in a pristine irrigation lake on the Spark Family farm before competitors tackled a challenging two-lap bike circuit through North Canterbury including the climb over Summerhill and then the grind up German Road to the course’s high point. The run was over a three-lap circuit featuring a mix of shingle, grass and sealed roads.
“Our focus at this event is to create a relaxed, family-friendly vibe,” said Race Director John Newsom.
“We don’t have the bells and whistles of the branded events but what we do have is an awesome course, amazing volunteers and a very welcoming atmosphere, all for around half the price you’ll pay elsewhere.”
November 29, 2026 has been pencilled in for the return of The OxMan next year. Check out the event highlights here:
Full results can be found here
