(Reuters) -Natalie Grabow proved that age really is just a number when the 80-year-old became the oldest woman ever to complete the gruelling Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on Saturday.
The American age-grouper completed the 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride and 42 km run in 16 hours, 45 minutes and 26 seconds, winning the F80-84 division in her 10th start at the iconic Hawaii event.
Grabow, from New Jersey, discovered triathlon in her 60s after years of running and qualified for this year’s World Championship with a time of 15 hours and 53 minutes at Ironman Maryland, becoming the first woman to complete that race in the 75–79 category.
“All of us in sport are competitive and want to do well, but it’s the journey that matters,” Grabow said ahead of the Kona race.
“If you’re an age-grouper, people rarely remember how you did in a race, but they remember that you had a good attitude, had a smile on your face, and were happy with your effort. I’m so lucky to be able to do this, so I race with gratitude.”
Her coach Michelle Lake described her as “resilient” and “disciplined,” praising her steady training approach.
“She’s competitive. She doesn’t just race against her peers – she studies the men in her age group and finds ways to beat them,” she said.
She surpassed the previous oldest female record held by Ironman Hall of Famer Cherie Gruenfeld, who completed Kona at age 78.
Race organisers celebrated Grabow’s achievement, calling her “an icon of endurance” and highlighting her determination, with the phrase “age is just a number” on social media posts.
In the professional field, Norwegian rookie Solveig Lovseth won the World Championship in eight hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds, with Britain’s Kat Matthews second and 2024 champion Laura Philipp from Germany third. The men’s event was held in September.
More than 1,700 age-groupers also completed the race in sweltering heat and high humidity, testing the limits of every athlete.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
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