Sam Appleton breaks course record to claim victory at Ironman Australia

According to Ironman Australia officials, this achievement marks the first time in the event's 37-year history that an athlete has completed the Port Macquarie course in under eight hours.

Following closely behind the former Warrimoo resident Appleton was New Zealand athlete Mike Phillips, who crossed the finish line in 07:59:19, securing second place.

Benjamin Hill rounded out the top three, finishing with a time of 08:01:51.

Local athlete Tim Van Berkel put on a strong performance, finishing in sixth place with a time of 08:16:55.

Appleton, who travelled back from Colorado specifically for Ironman Australia, was cheered on by his mother, who resides in Port Macquarie, and other family members at the finish line on May 5.

After dominating the swim and bike legs, Appleton faced strong competition from Phillips in the final kilometres of the run, with the lead changing hands several times before Appleton ultimately secured the win.

"I'm really happy," Appleton said after the race. "It feels great to win. I was third last year, so to come back and improve on that is really good."

Appleton grew up in Warrimoo and went to St Columba's Catholic College in Springwood.

In the women's category, Regan Hollioake secured her first Ironman Australia title in a thrilling race that saw her finish in a time of 09:02:04

She was followed by Radka Kahlefeldt (09:11:00) and Kate Gillespie-Jones (09:15:46).

This event marked Hollioake's debut as a professional at Ironman Australia, having transitioned to the top level earlier this year.

Her journey began with a seventh-place finish at Ironman 70.3 Tasmania in February, followed by a fourth-place finish at the ANZCO Foods Ironman New Zealand in March, which also earned her a spot at the Ironman World Championship.

"This is massive for me," she said after the race. "Nothing compares to this.

"Every race, I seem to lift, which is really exciting. I will remember this for the rest of my life."