The Ironman Germany is a triathlon race, part of the Ironman series. It is owned and organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). In 2005, Frankfurt became the new site of the Ironman European Championship.
The first Ironman race in Germany was held in Roth in 1988. The race began with the swimming portion (3.8 kilometers) in the Main-Danube Canal, part of the Rhine river. Before the race, samples of the water are collected and tested to make sure it is safe to compete in. On race day, the Shipping Authority closes off the river for the day in order to keep the athletes safe from ships and pollution. After the swimming portion is finished, athletes change into their cycling attire and begin the 180 kilometer ride, 8 kilometers south of Roth. The ride goes down to Greding, where they turn and finish back at Roth. After the cycling portion is finished, athletes change into their running attire and begin the 40 kilometer run to the finish. In 2001, the WTC ended its Ironman contract with Roth. The annual triathlon still goes on but it is no longer part of the Ironman series. [1]
Since 2005, the Ironman European Championship is held annually in Frankfurt and more than half a million spectators gather to watch the race every year. [2] The race starts in two different waves, the first wave consists of 100 elite level athletes and the second start consists of the remaining athletes. An average of 2500 people compete per year. [3] The first part of the race, the 3.86 km swim event, takes place in the lake Langener Waldsee about 15 km south of Frankfurt. The subsequent 180 km bike course first goes to central Frankfurt, then through two laps through Frankfurt and the surrounding region Wetterau. Northernmost point of the route is in Bad Nauheim. The final marathon running goes four laps on a course on both sides on the River Main in Frankfurt. The finish is at the Römerberg square in the historic center of Frankfurt. In 2010 the maximum time was reduced from 16 to 15 hours, in spite of a 5 km extended cycling course.
In 2003, the WTC decided to hold their annual race in Frankfurt creating the Opel Ironman Germany Triathlon. Stefan Holzner, from Germany, won with a time of 8:12:29.1 and Nina Kraft, also from Germany, won for the women with a time of 9:03:11.5. [4] In its ten-year span, the record has been broken numerous times. In 2008, Chrissie Wellington, from England broke the record for the women with a time of 8:51:24.7 [5] and in 2009 Timo Bracht, from Germany, with a time of 7:59:15. [6] [7] In 2005, the Ironman European Championship was brought to Frankfurt. [1] As of 2018, the course record for men is 7:41:42, set by the Sebastian Kienle from Germany in 2017, [8] and for women is 8:38:44, set by Daniela Ryf from Switzerland in 2018. [9] The championship is an annual accumulation of the best athletes from all around Europe. In order to race in the championship, one of four qualifications must be met.
The Ironman lottery system was designed in 1983 by Ironman Cofounder John Collins. [10] His idea was to give all athletes the chance to compete in this monumental race. The lottery system now accepts 100 athletes from all different age groups and 5 physically challenged athletes. If selected, completion of an Ironman series race is required one year prior to the championship race.
In 2002, the Ironman Auction allowed people to bid on six spots in the championship race. [11] Each week one slot is posted with a starting bid of $10,000. Over the past 11 years, the auction has raised over $2 million. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to different charities and organizations supported by the Ironman Foundation. The charities supported by the Ironman Foundation are both national and international. Some of the charities include: American Red Cross, American Heart Association, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, World Bicycle Relief, Peoples Advocacy for Trails in Hawaii and The County of Hawaii Parks & Recreation Department.
The top finishing males and females are given a spot in the championship race. In order to accept the championship invitation the athlete must be present at the awards ceremony. Many of the top finishers believe that they already qualified or someone else is handling their invitation but that is not always the case. WTC managing director of global race operations Steve Meckfessel says "just cracking the top 10 can sometimes punch the ticket". [12] When people are absent, the next available spot is given to the next finisher in the age group. [13] This is known as rolldown.
The Ironman Legacy Program is another lottery system that accepts 100 athletes. A number of criteria must be met to qualify for this program. First, completion of at least twelve Ironman series races before the actual championship race is required. Second, have never participated in the Championship race. Third, must have completed an Ironman race in each of the two years prior to the Championship. And finally, be registered to compete in an Ironman race later in that year. [14]
The World Anti-Doping Agency conducted a study to see if athletes were doping. They surveyed 2997 athletes that have participated in triathlons in Germany, including the Ironman European Championship. The survey consisted of both physical and cognitive doping. Physical doping is taking any illegal substance to improve your race performance and cognitive doping is taking any illegal or legal substance to improve your mental health. The survey found that 13% physically doped, 15% cognitively doped, and 20% used both. [15]
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A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the disciplines included. The word is of Greek origin, from τρεῖς or treis (three) and ἆθλος or athlos (competition).
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Nina Kraft was a German professional triathlete from Braunschweig.
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Jan Frodeno is a German triathlete who is the gold medal winner in men's triathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 3-time winner of the Ironman World Championship in 2015, 2016, and 2019, and 2-time winner of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in 2015 and 2018. He had set the world record for the long distance in Roth, Germany in 2016 with 7:35:39 hours. In 2021, he broke his own world record during the Tribattle in Allgäu, Germany against Lionel Sanders, with a time of 07:27:53, setting a new world best for the long-distance triathlon.
The Ironman World Championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978, with an additional race in 1982. It is owned and organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. It is the annual culmination of a series of Ironman triathlon qualification races held throughout the world.
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Mirinda Carfrae is an Australian professional triathlete and an Ironman Triathlon world champion. Carfrae has achieved podium positions in six of her seven attempts at the Ironman World Championships: 1st-place finishes, three 2nd-place finishes and a 3rd place. She also won the 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
Challenge Roth is a triathlon race organised by in and around Roth bei Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany. It is held annually in July.
The 2011 Ironman World Championship was held on October 8, 2011, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and won by Craig Alexander of Australia and Chrissie Wellington of England. It was the 35th such Ironman Triathlon World Championships, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978, with an additional race in 1982. The championship is organised by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).
The 2013 Ironman World Championship was a long distance triathlon competition that was held on October 12, 2013 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The event was won by Belgium's Frederik Van Lierde and Australia's Mirinda Carfrae. It was the 37th edition of the Ironman World Championship, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978. The championship is organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).
The 2014 Ironman World Championship was a long distance triathlon competition that was held on October 11, 2014 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The event was won by Sebastian Kienle of Germany and Australia's Mirinda Carfrae. It was the 38th edition of the Ironman World Championship, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978, with an additional race in 1982. The championship was organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and awarded a total purse prize of $650,000.
The 2015 Ironman World Championship was a long distance triathlon competition held on October 10, 2015 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and won by Jan Frodeno of Germany and Daniela Ryf of Switzerland. The race was the 39th edition of the Ironman World Championship, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978. The championship was organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and awarded a total purse prize of $650,000.
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Timo Bracht is an Athlete from Germany, who competed in triathlon. Several times Ironman champion and European Long Distance Triathlon Champion (2012). Timo Bracht is in the list of the Bestenliste deutscher Triathleten auf der Ironman-Distanz
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The 2018 Ironman World Championship was a long distance triathlon competition held on October 13, 2018, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii that was won by Patrick Lange of Germany and Daniela Ryf of Switzerland. It was the 42nd edition of the Ironman World Championship, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978. The championship was organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). For Ryf it was her fourth consecutive Ironman World Championship win. For Lange it was his second consecutive. They set a new overall course record previously set by them in 2016 and 2017 respectively.