November 6, 2025
Grandma goes Kona, takes go nuclear
80year old grandmother becomes oldest woman to finish Ironman World Championship
Grandma, 80, beats Ironman cutoff; fans spar over age, longevity and motherhood
TLDR: Natalie Grabow, 80, became the oldest woman to finish the Ironman World Championship, completing 140.6 miles with minutes to spare. The community erupted with inspiration, debated whether this boosts longevity, and clashed over motherhood vs achievement—turning one epic finish into a full-on comment-section marathon.
An 80-year-old grandmother, Natalie Grabow, just became the oldest woman to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kona—crushing 140.6 miles in 16:45:26 with 15 minutes to spare—and the comments detonated. The top vibe: age is just a number and the mind is the engine. Late starters popped in to say they’re lacing up today, with one sharing they went from 5 minutes to 5 miles after reading her story.
Then the drama hit. A stats-obsessed thread demanded receipts: does an Ironman at 80 add years to your life or just legendary stories? Cue eye-rolls, motivational speeches, and the inevitable meme: “New anti-aging protocol: Kona + salt + hamstrings.” Another spicy lane: the motherhood debate. One commenter argued today’s culture treats childbearing and achievement as opposites, calling Grabow—a mom of two and grandma of four—a counterexample. Others pushed back: one hero’s finish doesn’t settle society-wide trends.
Fans also loved the old-school grit: she learned to swim at 59, started triathlons at 60, battled choppy seas and brutal heat, and even tripped near the finish before popping back up. Only competitor in the 80–84 bracket, but absolutely not alone—her daughter coached from the sidelines, and the internet yelled “You are an Ironman!” right along with Kona.
Key Points
- •Natalie Grabow, 80, became the oldest female to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kona.
- •She completed the 140.6-mile race in 16:45:26, about 15 minutes before the 17-hour cutoff.
- •Her split times were 1:47:41 (swim), 7:51:27 (bike), and 6:40:11 (run).
- •The previous oldest female finisher was Cherie Gruenfeld at age 78 in 2022.
- •Grabow was the sole participant in the 80–84 age group and has completed 11 Ironman races.