WAIMEA — Some of the top triathletes from across the globe gathered in West Hawaii last Saturday to compete in the 20th annual Ironman 70.3 Hawaii — also known as a half Ironman — and the competitors showed out strong.
Triathletes from ages 18 to 82 began their day swimming 1.2 miles through the turquoise Gold Coast waters just off the grounds of the Fairmont Orchid, then transitioned to a 56-mile bike ride through the rolling hills of south Kohala before completing the journey with a 13.1-mile jog through the iconic Mauna Lani Golf Course and stark lava fields. Athletes crossed the finish line at the scenic oceanfront of the Fairmont Orchid.
Zachary Levet (men’s 25-29 division) of Texas finished as the fastest athlete of the day, winning the men’s field with a time of 4:18:47, clinching victory by nearly two minutes. The win was a massive leap for Levet, who finished 85th overall a year ago.
Levet got off to a slower start in the swimming leg of the race, finishing the interval in 31:26, which was 28th-fastest in the men’s field. Nonetheless, Levet quickly made up ground in the bike ride to Hawi and back, finishing the leg in 2:17:15 — which was the second-fastest for men. He concluded his four-plus-hour trek with the fastest run time of all of the 1,000 competing triathletes, racing in 1:14:14 with an impressive 6:26 pace.
Finishing behind Levet was Mexico’s Sebastian Radilla in the men’s 18-24 division, finishing his half Ironman in 4:20:38. Radilla was consistent in all three legs of the race, posting the seventh-fastest men’s swim (27:49), third-fastest bike (2:19:56) and third-fastest run (1:26:53).
Australian star Ryan Miller of the 45-49 division placed third overall in the men’s race, finishing in 4:24:29. Miller’s run time was the strong part of his race, finishing in 1:27:05 — which was the fourth-fastest leg of the men’s race. Miller additionally swam the first leg of the race in 31:33, while biking in 2:20:23.
Australia young star Bailey Tuddenham placed fourth overall with a time of 4:25:25. Tuddenham impressed in the bike ride to Hawi and back, racing the fastest leg of the day in 2:16:51. He additionally swam in 27:06, while finishing the race in 1:36:01 in the half-marathon run.
Rounding out the top five in the men’s race was Kamehameha-Hawaii alum Davis Kaahanui in the men’s 25-29 division, racing in 4:26:27. The time was slightly behind his race of 4:09:54 a year ago, when he placed second overall in the race.
Kaahanui closed his triathlon strong, finishing with the second-fastest run of the men’s race in 1:26:09. The hometown hero also raced the bike portion in 2:16:51, while swimming in 32:18.
Women’s
In the women’s race, Alina Hanschke of Mexico in the 40-44 division placed first overall with a time of 4:41:13, winning by over two-and-a-half minutes. Hanschke had a respectable start to race day with a swim time of 31:08, but raced better as the day went on — biking the third-fastest time in the field in 2:37:35 and running the fastest time in the women’s race in 1:26:32.
“Winning this race meant more to me than just taking first place — it was about experiencing what Kona is from a completely different perspective,” Hanschke told West Hawaii Today post race. “A few years ago, I came here and found the course incredibly tough — the wind, heat and relentless rollers and climbs…it was a brutal event.
“But that’s exactly what drives us as athletes. We thrive on challenges and discover how strong we truly are. This time, I wanted to see the island in a new light, different from when I competed at the (2022) World Championship. I knew there would be strong competitors, so I gave everything I had to reach my goal. I wasn’t sure if I’d win, but I knew one thing — I wouldn’t walk away without giving my absolute best.”
Hanschke also dedicated the win to everyone in her circle that helped her reach the mountaintop, including her family and her triathlon club and foundation — AlinaNutriSport.
“This victory reflects the journey I share with my athletes and family. As a coach and CEO of AlinaNutriSport and a mom of two, balance is everything — early mornings, structured training and being fully present for my kids and team. I lead by example, showing them that big dreams are worth chasing, no matter how challenging the path.
“This win isn’t just mine — it belongs to every athlete I coach, to every parent pushing their limits and to my children, so they know their mom never stops showing up.”
A.A.L.S Barbosa of Brazil (women’s 35-39 division) finished second in the field, racing in 4:43:48. Barbosa’s strongest leg came in the bike ride, where she finished in 2:28:59 as the fastest woman. She additionally raced the swim in 32:16 and ran in 1:36:19.
Victoria Feng (25-29 division) of California placed third overall in the women’s field with a time of 5:02:06. Feng got off to a blistering start in the swim, finishing in a women’s-best 28:05. She then raced the bike in 2:34:01 and the run in 1:53:08.
Kayla Kielar (40-44 division) of the United States placed fourth with a time of 05:16:23. Kielar swam in 35:15, biked in 2:49:40 and ran in 1:44:30.
Teresa Webb (45-49 division) of the United States rounded out the women’s top five with a cumulative time of 5:17:57 — 30:23 in the swim, 2:50:19 in the bike and 1:49:20 in the run.
Last year’s women’s champion, Meghan Grant of the United States, just missed the top five by placing in sixth with a time of 5:19:33. She finished in under five hours in 2024.
See Ironman’s website for the full slate of results.
