80-Year-Old Grandmother Sets Record As Oldest Woman To Complete Ironman World Championship

Natalie Grabow of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, became the oldest woman to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, completing the grueling race at age 80. Grabow finished in 16:45:26, well under the 17-hour cutoff, while more than 60 other athletes failed to complete the course. She swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and ran 26.2 miles with over 1,000 feet of elevation gain. "I am so happy and grateful that I can still race in this sport at my age," Grabow said. "Triathlon allows me to feel strong both mentally and physically, and it satisfies my competitive spirit." Remarkably, Grabow didn't learn to swim until age 59. This marked her 11th appearance at the championship race. She was greeted at the finish line by Cherie Gruenfeld, the previous record holder who was 78 when she completed the race in 2022. Grabow plans to compete in two half-Ironman races in 2026. 

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