Australia’s Matt Hauser and Great Britain’s Jess Fullagar have claimed the men’s and women’s titles at the 2025 Garmin Noosa Triathlon, with both athletes impressing on their way to the top step of the podium.
Hauser backed up from his recent World Championship victory to take the finish tape in Noosa in 1:42:38, claiming his first win at the iconic event, while for Fullager it was victory on her Noosa debut, crossing the line in 1:56:08.
Hauser was joined on the podium by American John Reed, who was a minute behind him, with former champion Luke Willian third.
“I’m feeling elated after the win, I finally got a win here in Noosa, it’s been a few years coming to this race and there’s such a great crowd here, so it’s always a place to come back to and good to get on the top step,” said Hauser. “In the swim I took it out for the first few hundred metres and then Brayden Mercer, the defending champion, took the reins and then kind of controlled the pace a little bit.
“I think it grouped up quite a bit with the calm conditions, and then there was a big group on the bike. Only a few of us were working like myself, Luke Willian, and Ben Dijkstra towards the end. Thankfully, Ben rolled through, I knew he wasn’t doing the run, so I knew he could push a little bit hard on the bike, so it was good to have him up there,” he said. “And then the run, I kind of just tried to get a bit of a gap for the first one or two K and then consolidate from there. And when I turned around and saw John Reed with only a 15 second deficit back to him, it was time to turn on the jets and I kind of attacked the race like I did in Wollongong. I made sure I was conservative in the first half and then was able to back end it with the heat and humidity out there, overall a very pleasing race for me.”
Hauser headed to Noosa just a fortnight after becoming the first Australian male to win a World Triathlon Series Title in 20 years.
“I think it was hard to kind of keep the motivation for the last two weeks leading into this race after obviously the high of Wollongong, but for me this event holds a special place in my heart, coming here. Since the age of 12, 13, 14, getting autographs and photos of the likes of Aaron Royle who retired out here today, it’s just really special to come back here every year,” said Hauser.
It was tight at the front of the men’s race with just six seconds separating the top 10 out of the water, with Jack Crome, defending champion Brayden Mercer and Hauser the first three back to the beach. Hauser quickly made his way to the front of the field on the bike and controlled the pace from there, returning to transition with a slender lead over Willian and American Chase McQueen. The World Champion pushed ahead on the run, managing his gap to Reed well across the 10km course to take his first Noosa title.
Three-time Noosa Triathlon champion Aaron Royle finished 10th in his final race after he announced his retirement from competition on the eve of the 2025 event.
In the women’s race Fullagar was more than three minutes clear of Richelle Hill at the finish, with Paris 2024 Olympic Games gold medallist Cassandre Beaugrand rounding out the podium.
“This is my first experience of Noosa and I absolutely loved it, hopefully I’ll be back very, very soon. I had no idea what to expect, so I just said to my coach, I’m just going to race the race that’s in front of me,” said Fullagar. “We were kind of in this small group in the swim and I just slid in, and then I came out of T1 first and thought, this is my opportunity, head down, just ride like you normally do, aggressive from the front and see what the time split is at the dead turn. I saw I had a bit of gap, so I just thought even pace it now all the way in and then again see what times that you’ve got in transition.
“Then again, I was like, okay, just break it down in your head kilometre by kilometre and it was definitely getting hot out there and the girls were keeping me honest because Richelle and Cassandre, they ran very fast,” she said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this event, 8,000 people, to be out there at the same time as them, something quite unique, and there were people everywhere on the course, and music as well, I just loved it, everyone’s so friendly in all the events yesterday and today. It’s a whole atmosphere, an event that I encourage people to experience once.”
Much like the men’s race it was close at the front of the women’s field throughout the swim, with Beaugrand coming to shore just two seconds clear of Fullagar, with Hill another second behind. Once onto the bike Fullagar surged ahead, opening up a 90 second lead within the first 10km, pushing further up the road at each timing point across the 40km.
The British athlete returned to town more than two minutes clear of Danielle De Francesco, with Dutch athlete Lotte Wilms moving up to third. From there on Fullagar controlled her pace well, not letting the fast-finishing Hill and Beaugrand close the gap as she claimed victory on debut in Noosa.
Noosa Triathlon is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland.
For more information on the Noosa Triathlon visit noosatri.com.au/
Garmin Noosa Triathlon – Elite Men’s Results
Matt Hauser – 1:42:38
John Reed – 1:43:38
Luke Willian – 1:44:44
Brandon Copeland – 1:45:12
Jack Willis – 1:45:42
Brayden Mercer – 1:46:36
Chase McQueen – 1:47:14
Jack Crome – 1:47:20
Sebastian Asher – 1:48:59
Aaron Royle – 1:49:34
Garmin Noosa Triathlon – Elite Women’s Results
Jess Fullagar – 1:56:08
Richelle Hill – 1:59:34
Cassandre Beaugrand – 2:00:32
Lotte Wilms – 2:04:04
Danielle De Francesco – 2:06:42
Charlotte McShane – 2:10:43
Kerry Morris – 2:11:10
Megan Chapple – 2:11:24
Emily Donker – 2:11:27
Ebony Webb – 2:12:34
