On Sunday, September 7, 2025, Australian Sam Appleton and Canadian Tamara Jewett both set new course records to win the Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz. Both elite athletes overcame strong fields to dominate the men's and women's professional divisions, respectively.
Australia's Sam Appleton secured his third Ironman 70.3 victory of the season with a time of 3:41:04, setting a new course record. Appleton was in a prime position from the start, exiting the 1.2-mile ocean swim around the Santa Cruz Wharf just eight seconds behind the swim leader. He established a commanding lead on the 56-mile bike course along Highway 1 as part of a three-person breakaway. The trio entered the second transition with a two-minute advantage over the chase pack. During the 13.1-mile run, Appleton's relentless pace proved unmatched. He pushed clear of his fellow breakaway competitors to claim the win. Trevor Foley (USA) ran his way into second place with a time of 3:42:52, followed by Ben Kanute (USA) in third at 3:43:06.
Canada's Tamara Jewett used her elite run speed to overcome a significant deficit and set a new women's course record with a time of 4:10:54. After the ocean swim, Jewett was in fifth place and trailed the swim leader by nearly three minutes. Heading into the second transition, she remained in fifth but had successfully narrowed the gap to two minutes on the 56-mile bike ride. Jewett unleashed her formidable running ability on the coastal run course, steadily picking off her rivals. She took the lead from Jackie Hering and ran solo to the finish line on Cowell Beach. Jackie Hering (USA) finished in second place with a time of 4:12:43, while Grace Alexander (USA) took third at 4:16:33.
- Female Pro:
- 1 Tamara Jewett CAN 4:10:54
- 2 Jackie Hering USA +1:48
- 3 Grace Alexander USA +5:39
- 4 Annamarie Strehlow USA +7:07
- 5 Lisa Becharas USA +8:20
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- Male Pro:
- 1 Sam Appleton AUS 3:41:04
- 2 Trevor Foley USA +1:48
- 3 Ben Kanute USA +2:02
- 4 Luke Jones USA +3:44
- 5 Ari Klau USA +4:35