IRONMAN New Zealand 2025: Date, time, start list and preview as Joe Skipper Fame – Elite News

The professional race of men in Ironman New Zealand looks far open on Saturday when former champion hits a large number of racing debutants and up -and -coming stars.

Home favorites and two -time Ironman New Zealand Champion Mike Phillips will be set up in Taupō on Saturday with the number one bib.

His last victory came two years ago, but a third with a number of experienced athletes and talented young people will not be easy to get in the starting line.

“Despite many familiar faces, there is a fairly strong international contingent this year,” says Phillips.

“With four slots for the Ironman World Championship, the race offers the opportunity to secure early qualifications. It seems as if there is a whole mix of strengths and weaknesses, and I think this will lead to a dynamic and exciting breed.

“A third victory would be huge. This race means a lot to me, Taupō has some of my best days and also my first Ironman victory. It would be a pretty cool way to start in 2025 in front of the home vehicles. “

Strength in depth

Joe Skipper is another former Ironman New Zealand Champion who plays the starting line this weekend.

The British athlete secured his victory in 2020 when he last drove in Taupō, and also has two second place. Skipper had a hard 2024 and hopes that a strong performance will bring him back to an Ironman podium for the first time since July 2023.

kiwi Ben Hamilton is an up-and-coming athlete who is currently entering his third year of the professional race. His outbreak performance came in this race last year and fought a little more than eight hours, third place, the highest New Zealand and a point over Phillips.

“I think the race will be completely different last year. There is a lot of depth in the field and it is difficult to know who is in the form at the beginning of the year. I think there could be a big chase group together from swimming, with some splitting on the bike and then a hard day -to -day fight to the end, ”said Hamilton.

After Hamilton won his first professional victory at Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast last September, he is hungry for his first overall victory – and would like to do it on home.

“It would be incredible to win the victory at Ironman New Zealand. It is definitely a race that I want to win. It would be fantastic to start the year with a win, so my racing style can be the right one day, ”he added.

Moody back for more

Mitkiwi Jack Moody is still relatively new in the race in full route, with this fifth attempt at the 226-kilometer distance / 140.6 miles.

He explained: “This will be my second time that I run Ironman New Zealand as a professional and the third time overall. In general, I take me so long to lick my wounds and to step on the endurance amnesia to bring my name back into the hat!

“With the current landscape of a few professional races at home in New Zealand, it was definitely an opportunity that I didn't want to miss the race at home, coupled with the fact that, although I may have been identified in the bar, a little bit a bit of a bit of a bit, so that the hunger to try my hand at full distance has certainly grown.

“I have not carried out a crazy amount of enforcement races, but I am now at a point where I don't work so much, so I can connect to the hours required to be competitive at this level. I learned a bit out of the race, but this last block since the Ironman 70.3 Worlds was really open to me at eye level, and I loved the challenge of preparing for this issue of Ironman New Zealand.

“In terms of how I think it is for the race, it is really difficult to say. It feels like one of the most competitive fields that I have seen in Ironman New Zealand in recent years, and there is no clear favorite. Of course everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, but I have the feeling that the course is honest enough and the day is long enough that it will only be the strongest and most constant athlete that will win, ”he said.

Other strong competitors are Belgium Pieter Heemeryckwho concentrated on medium distance races last year, but was previously successful over the entire distance and won the 2023 Ironman Portugal and France, and France Arnaud GuillouxThe Ironman Wales Champion 2019, which took fourth place at two Ironman races last year.

Pro men -Start list

• M1 – Mike Phillips (NZL)
• M3 – Ben Hamilton (NZL)
• M5 – Arnaud Guilloux (FRA)
• M6 – Joe Skipper (GbR)
• M7 – Ben Hill (from)
• M8 – Tim van Berkel (from)
• M9 – Jack Moody (NZL)
• M10 – Pieter Heemeryck (BEL)
• M11 – BLAFT Clifford (NZL)
• M12 – Jason Christie (NZL)
• M13 – Rhys Corbishley (from)
• M14 – Nathan Dortmann (from)
• M15 – Liam Duval (from)
• M16 – Scott Harpham (NZL)
• M17 – Matt Kerr (NZL)
• M18 – Kevin Portmann (FRA)
• M19 – Louis Richard (FRA)
• M20 – John Thelwell (GbR)
• M21 – Colin Szuch (USA)
• M22 – Lukas Stahl (Deu)
• M23 – Kyle Tremayne (from)
• M24 – Mike Tong (NZL)
• M25 – Mikel Ugarte Ramos (ESP)
• M26 – Pim van Diemen (NLD)
• M27 – Benjamin Zorgnotti (Pyf)

When does Ironman New Zealand begin?

The Pro men will bring the water to the water in Taupō in Taupō on Saturday, March 1st. Friday in Great Britain or 1947 CET. The start time works at 1347 Friday Eastern Time in the USA or 1047 Pacific on the west coast.