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Looking for your future long-distance triathlon among the Ironman International? Between towering skyscrapers, charming German villages and lush green countryside, Ironman Frankfurt has something to appeal to! Supporting event of the Ironman European Championship, this Germanic competition is an unmissable race that we suggest you discover in detail. Direction Frankfurt!
The Frankfurt Ironman: where and when?
The largest Ironman event in Europe, Ironman Frankfurt takes place in Germany in Frankfurt am Main, the country's economic capital. A true urban playground, the region also promises the most pleasant countryside environment, especially during the swimming and biking events.
Every summer, the city prepares to host some 3,000 athletes and spectators by the thousands who travel to this Mainova-sponsored sporting event. A well-oiled and refined organization since the first edition in 2002, for a unique experience carried by an inordinate Germanic craze!
The Ironman European Championship
With Ironman Europe once held in Roth, Germany is the cradle of Ironman triathlon on the Old Continent. Logical, then, that the country has hosted the Ironman European Championship since 2005!
The Frankfurt competition thus brings together the elite of long-distance triathlon, who compete for the titles of Ironman European champion and champion. But the race is also open to amateurs: a chance to rub shoulders with the best of the chained discipline. Triathletes competing in the amateur category are subject to separate rankings organized by age groups.
Ironman Frankfurt distances
An XXL triathlon, Ironman Frankfurt is a triple effort to be completed over a total distance of 226 km. To triumphantly hold up your finisher medal, you'll need to complete this circuit in less than 15 hours and meet the time thresholds discussed below.
Of course, it is good to remember that an Ironman cannot be improvised. A specific and rigorous preparation proves to be essential to approach this challenging race in the best conditions.
The following is a breakdown of the race
Here is the breakdown of the distances according to the components:
- swimming: 3.8 km;
- cycling: 180 km;
- marathon: 42.195 km.
Does it take more to scare you? Then it's time to study the profiles of each of the courses!
The Swim Event
The race begins in the Lake Langener Waldsee, a few miles outside of Frankfurt, following a wave start. The swimmers take off into water around 23 degrees amidst a hubbub of splashing and clamoring from the audience. Depending on the actual water temperature, wetsuits are either allowed or prohibited.
The course consists of a single loop and must imperatively be completed in less than 2 hrs 20 min. An Australian exit spices up the event and adds extra difficulty. At the halfway point, triathletes must exit the lake and run a very short portion on dry land.
The cycling event
After the swim, it's time for the bike! The two loops first pass through Frankfurt, nicknamed "Mainhattan". The roads taken are flanked by countless vertiginous towers that stretch as much toward the sky as along Frankfurt's arteries. Then the urban setting gives way to bucolic countryside and quaint villages speckled with stimulating fans.
Bref, a rather rolling circuit to be finished maximum 10 hours after the Ironman Frankfurt start.
The running event
Once the bike is set down, it's off to a titanic run! Paced by three laps, the marathon is set in the heart of Frankfurt, on flat terrain. Triathletes tread the banks of the Main River to the applause of the public before heading into the historic center. Finally, the finish line takes shape in front of the Römer, the medieval town hall. Something to vibrate with emotion for sure!
The Ironman Frankfurt prize list
This is a true German domination among the men who regularly share the top of the ranking, especially in the last edition.
The men's podium of the 2019 edition:
- European Ironman champion: Jan Frodeno (Germany) in 7 h 56 min 2 s;
- silver medal: Sebastian Kienle (Germany) in 8 h 1 s ;
- Bronze medal: Franz Loeschke (Germany) in 8 h 17 min 24 s.
The female podium of the 2019 edition:
- European Ironman champion: Skye Moench (USA) in 9 h 15 min 31 s;
- silver medal: Imogen Simmonds (Switzerland) in 9 h 26 min 1 s ;
- Bronze medal: Jen Annett (Canada) in 9 h 36 min 25 s.
The record on the Frankfurt course is held by Jan Frodeno with a time of 7 h 41 min 42 s performed in 2017. In the women's race, Switzerland's Daniela Ryf retains her record time of 8:38:44 from 2018.
The Ironman Frankfurt has no more secrets for you! How about learning more about other Ironmans such as the Ironman Barcelona or the legendary Ironman Hawaii?
