F.For him, starting in Hawaii was a childhood dream. After a bicycle accident, she told herself: “Life is too short not to do something”. And from then on I wanted to go to Ironman Hawaii. Both not only arrived on the island, but also impressed with phenomenal performances and could be celebrated by several thousand spectators in Kailua-Kona during the awards ceremony on Sunday evening: Henrike Güber, 29, from Hamburg and Christian Störzer, 41, from Nuremberg. Germany won Hawaii in 2022, even though Güber took the wrong turn and ran almost two kilometers too many.
So while professional athletes Anne Haug, Laura Philipp and Patrick Lange’s hopes of winning Ironman Hawaii this year were not met, two age-group German athletes celebrated a World Cup triumph. Störzer was also the fastest Age Grouper ever. And it would have been Güber if she hadn’t gotten lost.
It’s an unforgettable day in Kailua-Kona for both of us: while Güber made his Hawaii debut, Störzer fought for the second time on the triathlon dream island. After all, not everyone who wants to can compete here. The oldest long distance race in the world is (with a few exceptions) reserved for only the best – this applies to both professionals and age groups. Anyone can sign up for other long distance races, but you must qualify for Hawaii. This is possible worldwide in all Ironman Series competitions. Depending on the category of participants, a different number of starting places will be assigned, sometimes only to the winner, sometimes to the first four.
“The whole family is behind”
The word amateur athlete is a euphemism for many long distance age group athletes: they all do triathlon as a lifestyle, as a passion. And if you want to qualify for Hawaii, you have to go through a lot to make your dream come true. In the most intense phases, Güber trains up to 20 hours a week, Störzer up to 25, in addition to his work. She’s a federal police officer, he’s a pilot, down to 75 percent two years ago. Yet: this is only possible if family, life partner or friends come with you.
Christian Storzer
Source: Melanie Haack
“We have the whole family behind us. Otherwise such a performance would not be possible, ”says Stefanie, Störzer’s wife, who traveled with her 12-year-old daughter to encourage them; the younger daughter stayed at home. The couple met when they were young, because they both run triathlons in a club (RWO Endurance Team). “Today I’m more of a supporter,” she says. Last year, however, they competed together in a middle distance relay. A friend as a swimmer, he as a cyclist, she as a runner. “It was really nice to be on the podium as a family,” says Stefanie Störzer.
While some athletes try for years, even decades, to qualify and even then only very few succeed, Güber has succeeded in her first long distance. In 2015 she discovered triathlon on her own, in 2019 she made her long distance debut in Italy and there she secured the slot in Hawaii. Güber does not come from swimming, cycling or running. She played soccer. After a biking accident in 2018, she bought a new bike, hired a trainer, and she set the goal of qualifying for Hawaii right away. She succeeded.
That it took them from 2019 to 2022 to get on the plane is because the 2020 and 2021 Hawaii races were canceled due to the pandemic. Now was the time.
Creative training as a preparation for heat
Störzer, who had temporarily stopped triathlon due to his job and knee problems and then rode racing bikes intensively for ten years, has returned to the sport since 2017. Acupuncture, among other things, has helped the knee. It all happened very quickly since his long-haul debut at Roth in 2018: another long-haul, then Hawaii 2019 (10th place after illness) and the age-group win at the Recovery World Championships in Utah in May. “Honestly,” says the 41-year-old, “in secret, it was my big goal to be the best grouper here.”
Henrike Guber in Hawaii
Source: Melanie Haack
Both prepared for the heat with sauna sessions, Störzer also with hot baths after training, and Güber took it one step further: running sessions in the summer with warm sportswear, roller training with the windows closed and the slightly raised heating. “The preparation was tough and it also meant giving up,” he says. But for the dream of ending up in Hawaii, giving up everything that gives you joy? No, he didn’t want it. “Allow yourself a glass or two of wine,” says Güber. “And I eat sweets too. It should be fun.”
Training, heat adaptation – it helped. Güber triumphed in the 25-29 age group with a time of 9: 40.14, which was also the second best time of the day for any athlete in the age group. His divisions: 1:09:54 hours for the 3.86km swim, 4:59:03 hours for the 180km bike ride and 3:24:56 for the final marathon. For comparison: the winner of the professional race, Chelsea Sodaro (USA), took 8:33:46, Anne Haug as third 8:42:22. “I never expected the time and placement,” says Güber. “All in all, it was great here in Hawaii, a unique experience.”
“Lamps out. I was at the limit”
Even the absolute victory of all the athletes of the age group would have been possible, had it not been lost. 300 meters from the finish. Güber turned left into Alii Drive – as at the start of the marathon route – instead of turning right towards the finish. She ran and ran. “Then someone I know ran after me,” she says. “Then I turned around, but I was completely disoriented and made a mistake again.”
In the end it was only 2:45 minutes away and the Hamburg native would have been the fastest age-group athlete ever. He not only ran 1.8 kilometers too many and wasted time. His body was at the end: “I’m so glad I did. I collapsed right after the finish. Lamps out. I was on the edge.” The last rescue station was 40.4 kilometers away, so Güber ran 3.6 kilometers without cooling off, without drinking. And this with the heat and after all the time she has been traveling. “My body couldn’t take it anymore. It was all a matter of willpower, “she says.” I also threw up several times later. “However, she recovered quickly.” Fortunately. “
… and then the tears almost come
Störzer also looks pretty fit the day after his race. And that at this end time: 8:31:26 (split: 0:57:10; 4:29:06; 2:59:05). Professional winner Gustav Iden from Norway needed 7:40:24 hours, Sebastian Kienle as best German 7:55:40 hours. Störzer talks about the last few kilometers: “You run, you focus, then you feel a flurry of emotions – I almost had tears in my eyes. So focus again, run, ”he describes. Redemption has come to the finish. Now he is considering trying it as a pro for a year.
Also on the podium were these German athletes:
- Philipp Stadter (TV 1848 Erlangen) missed the win in the 30-34 age group by just 20 seconds after 8:41:31 hours and finished second.
- Lukas Stahl (TG Viktoria Augsburg) finished third in AK 18-24 with 9:13:27.
- Wilhelm Schweiger from Blaichach in Bavaria celebrated third place in the AK 60-64 with a time of 10:43:50.
