Kristian Blummenfelt has won the Ironman Frankfurt – a victory that was not necessarily expected beforehand. There were also one or two surprises behind the Norwegian.
Anna Bruder / from the middle Kristian Blummenfelt wins the Ironman Frankfurt 2024.
After a controlled race on the bike and a not entirely smooth but dominant performance on the run, Kristian Blummenfelt won the Ironman Frankfurt. The Norwegian has thus exceeded his goal of validating the slot for the Ironman World Championship. Second and third places went to the Briton Kieran Lindars and the Italian Gregory Barnaby. Favorite Patrick Lange did not live up to expectations with muscular problems, but fought for every place on the run.
Large leading group after swimming
The water temperature of 26.2 degrees Celsius on this Sunday morning meant that neoprene was banned for professionals and age groupers. As expected, it was a large group of almost 20 athletes that reached the Australian Exit after around 18 minutes and 1,500 meters. The group was led by Wilhelm Hirsch, closely followed by the Swiss Andrea Salvisberg and the Dutchman Menno Koolhaas. Braden Currie (NZL), Kristian Blummenfelt, Maurice Clavel, Florian Angert, Finn Große-Freese and Ruben Zepuntke were also in the lead group. After 45:51 minutes, Hirsch was finally the first to emerge from the Langener Waldsee, with 16 other athletes following at a distance of up to 37 seconds. The Pole Robert Wilkowiecki and Paul Schuster led the first chasing group out of the water with a good two minutes’ delay. Patrick Lange was already in the third group in 30th place at this point and had to take a good four minutes’ delay onto the bike course. As it later turned out, the 37-year-old had once again been kicked or hit, just like at the Challenge Roth. The co-favorites Sam Long and Trevor Foley (both USA) were more than seven minutes behind in the swim.
Hirsch takes the initiative in his long-distance debut, Høgenhaug drives away
Wilhelm Hirsch immediately tried to escape on the bike and was able to make up ground on his pursuers. However, the Dane Kristian Høgenhaug rushed up from behind. At kilometer 45.5 he finally caught up with Hirsch and the two took turns in the lead. However, Høgenhaug soon seemed to no longer be interested in this alliance and gradually pulled away after about 70 kilometers. Even a fall on a wet road in a bend did not stop him from extending his lead. He was a good minute ahead as he entered the second cycling lap. Patrick Lange had managed to make up a few positions by this point, but the gap to the leaders had increased and was already eight minutes after 112 kilometers. Florian Angert’s fall had more consequences and he ended the race after about 100 kilometers of cycling.
In the second lap, something finally happened in the pursuit. Ruben Zepuntke set about demonstrating his cycling strength, took the lead and did not let the other athletes follow. After 127 kilometers, the gap to Høgenhaug was still 2:10 minutes. However, Høgenhaug steadily increased his lead to almost 2:30 minutes before the last 40 kilometers. Kristian Blummenfelt and the strong Italian runner Gregory Barnaby, Finn Große-Freese and Maurice Clavel were still in pursuit (around + 3:15 minutes).
At the start of the last 20 kilometers, Høgenhaug’s lead had not changed significantly, but Zepuntke was putting more and more asphalt between himself and the first large chasing group of seven athletes (+ 4:16 to + 4:28 minutes). For Patrick Lange’s group, the gap to the Dane increased to around eleven minutes.
Zepuntke at the head of the pursuers
Høgenhaug was able to make up a little time, after 3:57:09 and almost 177 kilometers he was the first to push his bike into the second transition zone. Around 2:45 minutes later Ruben Zepuntke followed. The Düsseldorfer’s bike split: 4:00:53 hours. The showpiece discipline did not go according to plan, he explained in an interview with Hessischer Rundfunk in the transition tent. “Lost food, lost bike computer, missed the front,” was the summary. The seven-strong chasing group was led by Kristian Blummenfelt, just under five minutes behind. Also there: Gregory Barnaby, Wilhelm Hirsch, Mattia Ceccarelli, Kieran Lindars, Finn Große-Freese and Maurice Clavel.
Big gap for Lange and Long
Patrick Lange finally led a larger group into the second transition zone, just under twelve minutes behind – with a promising line-up for the final marathon. Top runner Matt Hanson was one of Lange’s companions. The American Sam Long did not seem to have managed his usual rapid catch-up, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The gap in the second transition zone was more than 17 minutes, but the targeted Kona slot was still not out of reach.
Just one finish? No thanks
For Kristian Blummenfelt, meanwhile, it did not look as if validation through a finish was the plan. Minute by minute, the Norwegian made up ground on Kristian Høgenhaug, and just before the ten-kilometer mark, the time had finally come for Blummenfelt to take the lead. Høgenhaug was also overtaken by Briton Kieran Lindars. He initially came dangerously close to Blummenfelt. The Norwegian evidently did not want to expose himself to this danger and increased the pace again. With an average speed of 3:28 minutes per kilometer, the forecast indicated a marathon of under 2:30 hours. Patrick Lange soon had to say goodbye to this goal for good. Due to problems in the lumbar region, he was unable to reach his potential when running and tried in vain for a long time to fight his way forward. On the third of four running laps, the low seemed to have been overcome and he caught up with one athlete after the other. It was no longer about winning, but about the points in the Ironman Pro Series, and therefore every second counted.
Exciting position battles in the pursuit
It remained exciting at the front and in the pursuit. Jonas Hoffmann’s pursuit caused a stir, as he kept pushing himself further ahead in his favorite discipline. Blummenfelt had to make a porta potty stop and vomited several times while running, but he didn’t slow down and showed no signs of weakness – even in the last ten kilometers? Yes. The Norwegian managed to extend his lead to almost five minutes.
Two more German Hawaii qualifiers
After 7:27:21 hours, Kristian Blummenfelt held the finish banner at the Römer as the new Ironman European Champion. Kieran Lindars followed in second place after 7:32:14 hours, securing the first of the six slots for the Ironman World Championships. Gregory Barnaby completed the podium after 7:33:44 hours, also securing a ticket to Hawaii. The other places for the World Championship qualification were taken by Kristian Høgenhaug, Menno Koolhaas and Jonas Hoffmann in fourth to sixth place. Patrick Lange finished eighth (7:39:10 hours) behind the Pole Kasper Stepniak (7:38:47 hours). Since both athletes have already qualified, Finn Große-Freese was happy to take the last Hawaii slot in ninth place. Felix Hentschel and Wilhelm Hirsch made it into the top 20. For Sam Long, the spontaneous project “Kona 2024” did not work out and he crossed the finish line in 22nd place.
Ironman Frankfurt 2024 | Professional Men
18. August 2024 | Frankfurt am Main
| Platz | Name | Land | In total | 3,8 km Swim | 177 km Bike | 42,195 km Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
