IRONMAN Leeds 2025: Laidlow validates Nice spot in perfect style with another win

France’s Sam Laidlow followed up his sensational Challenge Roth victory with an all-the-way success at the first-ever IRONMAN Leeds.

The 2023 IRONMAN World Champion was in Yorkshire to validate his spot for Nice this year – and he did it in some style.

First out of the water, just ahead of a small group, he then put his customary power down on the bike to move clear of his rivals.

Starting the run he had a buffer of five-and-a-half minutes and never looked threatened, eventually winning by over 14 minutes.

There were three IMWC places available for Nice and they went (presuming they take them) to Nathan Guerbeur (FRA) in second, Harry Palmer (GBR) in third and Kieran Lindars (GBR) in fourth.

Swim – Laidlow leads it out

Joe Skipper had been on the start list but the Brit – who was the only person in the field to have already booked his World Championship spot – ended up swerving the race.

Two loops of Waterloo Lake in Roundhay Park began at 6:00am local time for what was a men-only PRO event and conditions were near perfect.

And it was Laidlow to the fore, exiting the water in 45:50 but just four seconds separated the front four – with Lindars, Josh Lewis (GBR) and Cenzino Lebot (FRA) right behind him.

Guerbeur at this point was in ninth, 47 seconds back.

Bike – Power-packed display

The bike course was three laps to the north west of Leeds with some testing roads and a gnarly climb at Black Hill Road going out of Arthington.

Laidlow took it all in his stride and wasted little time in putting a minute into Lewis, with Guerbeur now moving up to third.

By the end of the first loop Laidlow was four minutes ahead of Guerbeur with Lewis, Lindars and recent 70.3 Swansea winner Palmer locked together in third, fourth and fifth a further minute behind.

Sam Laidlow bike IRONMAN Leeds 2025 — Sam Laidlow on the bike at IRONMAN Leeds [Photo credit: Nigel Roddis | Getty Images for IRONMAN]

It was more of the same on lap two but then on the final circuit Guerbeur did start to pull back a bit of time on Laidlow, while consolidating second place.

By the time they reached T2 back at Roundhay Park Laidlow’s lead was a fraction over five minutes on Guerbeur, who in turn had nearly six minutes in hand of both Lewis and Palmer, with Lindars having dropped back to +17:13 off the lead.

Run – Sam on his own

Laidlow was the fastest runner on the course and in the first of his four laps his pace wasn’t much over 3:30/km which saw him extend his advantage.

Guerbeur was now seven minutes back and it was a similar gap to Palmer and Lewis, who were still inseparable in third and fourth and seemingly on track for those coveted Nice spots.

By the half way point Laidlow – thanks to a 1:18 half marathon – had eased nearly nine minutes ahead of compatriot Guerbeur, with Palmer now on his own in third.

But in behind there was a real tussle for the all-important fourth spot and in the last 5km or so it was Lindars who just got the better of Lewis to book his ticket to Nice.

Meanwhile Laidlow’s 2:41:15 marathon gave him the clean sweep of the fastest swim, bike and run splits.