A strong line up of professional triathletes from across the region will go head-to-head this Sunday for the UKG IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie women’s and men’s titles.
This weekend’s race will see the professional race as a part of the IRONMAN 70.3 event in Port Macquarie for the first time in a number of years, with the race attracting a mix of experienced campaigners and up and coming talent.
The women’s race is headlined by Australia’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games representative Natalie Van Coevorden, who will be racing in Port Macquarie for the first time.
Van Coevorden, from Sydney, has had a strong start to the year, claiming her first ever IRONMAN 70.3 race victory in Geelong in March, at the opening round of the 2025 IRONMAN Pro Series.
“I’m feeling really good, I got some sickness post Geelong so having six weeks between events was great timing for me,” said Van Coevorden. “My coach and I decided that this would be a good time to lock in on a big training block before heading into Europe. I feel like every week I saw small improvements even under fatigue and that gave me more confidence that I am coming into this race in good shape.”
The win at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong meant a lot for Van Coevorden after making the move up from Olympic-distance racing.
“It took a while for it to sink in because I lost so much confidence in myself last year. I knew that training had been going well, and the win really proved to me that what we have been doing is everything on the right path,” she said. “I really needed a win like that to believe fully in myself again and it’s definitely shown in my training this month.”
Van Coevorden is looking forward to being a part of an event that has so much history in the world of IRONMAN triathlon.
“I have heard a lot about this race from people I know and followed it in previous years. I know there will be a lot of people either doing their first IRONMAN 70.3 or IRONMAN, all the way to experienced people like myself, which I think is pretty special that we can all share the course together. Looking at the female pro field, it is great to see another strong female field here in Australia and shows that racing at such an iconic course is special for many,” she said.
Joining Van Coevorden in the women’s race is New Zealander Amelia Watkinson who is set to race her first IRONMAN 70.3 since Bahrain at the end of 2023.
“I’m looking forward to racing this weekend, I’ve had a nice summer block at home, not without a couple of small setbacks, but overall I'm ready to race and I hope that we can put together a race that’s exciting to watch and that gets that little bit extra out of ourselves,” said Watkinson.
While it will be Watkinson’s first IRONMAN 70.3 in over a year, she was most recently on a triathlon start line in Singapore at the start of April, taking a lot out of a strong race in oppressive conditions and is now looking forward to her first trip to Port Macquarie.
“I was pleased with my day in Singapore, I'd say my perspective on racing has shifted slightly, a couple of years ago I would have been disappointed I didn't get to execute to my full potential, but I gave 100% of what I could on the day, and that’s the best you can ask for,” she said. “I've never actually been to Port Macquarie, driven past a few times but it will be nice go and stop in. I have heard the bike course is more challenging than the typical and I do always appreciate a bike course with a bit of spark.”
Fellow Kiwi Rebecca Clarke returns to Port Macquarie for the first time since finishing second at IRONMAN Australia in 2022, while 2023 IRONMAN Australia champion Kylie Simpson is also set to be on the start line.
The top seed in the men’s race is Kiwi Sam Osborne, who heads to the New South Wales mid-north coast off the back of a strong 2024 which included his first professional win at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong and podium finishes in the Philippines, Maine and on the Sunshine Coast.
“I’m definitely ready to have another race, it gets to that point in training when you get a bit edgy and want to go racing and I feel I’m at that stage now,” said Osborne. “It kicks off the start of a bit of a racing block for me before heading over to the USA, so I’m looking forward to pinning a number on and opening the taps.
“I’ve enjoyed racing the big races, last year I raced three of the IRONMAN Pro Series races as well as the World Championship and it always brings something a little more special to the atmosphere of the races. The level is incredibly high and doesn’t leave any margins for error, but it brings out the best in you,” he said. “I had a bit of bad luck the last two races. Geelong was incredibly frustrating, I was feeling good and had just got back into the race after the first lap on the bike and then had a mechanical that had me parked up for two and a half minutes on the side of the road. I really wanted to open the year with a good race and measure up against the best and Geelong was that against the IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion [Jelle Geens]. So, I’m hoping to make amends to that on Sunday.”
Osborne is looking forward to racing in Port Macquarie and is another athlete heading to the race for the first time.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about Port Macquarie and the race there. It seems everyone that I’ve spoken to raves about the race, so it’s really built a lot of excitement leading in,” he said.
“Races that have a lot of history have something special about the atmosphere, if it emulates Mt Tremblant from last year, it will be an amazing day.”
Australian young-gun Kurt McDonald will be out to make sure that Osborne doesn’t have it all his own way, though will have some battles of his own having raced last weekend while unwell in Taiwan.
“Recently, I’ve put together one of my best training blocks, which fills me with confidence heading into Port Macquarie. Despite being under the weather in Taiwan last week, I am feeling better each day and will draw on the high quality sessions from the weeks prior,” said McDonald.
“Although I haven’t raced in Port Macquarie, I spectated the IRONMAN event when my dad competed and qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship. I have also watched my grandfather and uncle compete, so there is a lot of family history at this event,” he said. “Finishing my race and returning to the finish line to bring home the IRONMAN competitors will bring back many memories.”
There will be one athlete in the field who was on the start line the last time the professional race was a part of IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie back in 2015, with Brisbane’s Josh Amberger returning to the race. Amberger was sixth the last time the IRONMAN 70.3 was a professional race, and won it the year before in 2014.
The men’s race will also feature a number of athletes who have had strong races over the last year, including Australians Mitch Kibby, Caleb Noble and Jack Sosinski, and Finland’s Henrik Goesch.
IRONMAN Australia and IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie are supported proudly by the NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
More on IRONMAN Australia can be found at www.ironman.com/im-australia
Event media accreditation can be accessed here: https://forms.office.com/r/MMJHCae6TF
UKG IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie – Professional Women’s Start List
F1 – Natalie Van Coevorden – AUS
F2 – Amelia Watkinson – NZL
F3 – Rebecca Clarke – NZL
F4 – Charlotte McShane – AUS
F5 – Chloe Hartnett – AUS
F6 – Kyle Simpson – AUS
F7 – Samantha Kingsford – NZL
F9 – Penny Slater – AUS
F10 – Jasmine Brown – AUS
F11 – Paige Cranage – AUS
F12 – Kathryn Krosch – AUS
F14 – Hannah Knighton – NZL
F15 – Angharad Llewellyn – AUS
F16 - Rachael McCarthy – AUS
F17 – Katie Remond – AUS
F18 – Skye Wallace – AUS
UKG IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie – Professional Men’s Start List
M1 – Sam Osborne – NZL
M2 – Kurt McDonald – AUS
M3 – Mitch Kibby – AUS
M4 – Henrik Goesch – FIN
M5 – Josh Amberger – AUS
M6 – Caleb Noble – AUS
M7 – Jye Spriggs – AUS
M9 – Hamish Longmuir – AUS
M10 – Jack Sosinski – AUS
M11 – Calvin Amos – AUS
M12 – Roland Crantock – AUS
M14 – Will Clarke – AUS
M15 – Josh Ferris – AUS
M16 – Lachlan Haycock – NZL
M18 – Cyrill Knechtle – CHE
M19 – Sam Musgrove – AUS
M20 – Thomas Page – AUS
M21 – Kyle Tremayne – AUS
M22 – Mike Tong – NZL
M23 – Martin Ulloa – CHL
M24 – Fraser Walsh – AUS
M25 – Harrison Wiles – AUS
M26 – Cameron Wilson – AUS
M27 – Joel Woolridge - AUS