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20. Februar 2013

IRONMAN World Champion Pete Jacobs to race at the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship

A duel of World Champions at the Main river: Current Hawaii-Champion Pete Jacobs of Australia will face off against Germany’s IRONMAN 70.3 world title holder Sebastian Kienle on July 7th 2013 in Frankfurt.

It’s a done deal: IRONMAN World Champion Pete Jacobs, whose winning time of 08:18:37 beat German Andreas Raelert (2nd) and Belgian Frederik Van Lierde (3rd) to the top podium spot at the 2012 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, will reach for the European crown at the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship in July.

The race will not only feature Europe’s top triathletes but also reigning IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Sebastian „Sebi“ Kienle of Germany, who announced his start three weeks ago at the IRONMAN European Headquarters in Hanau.

„Frankfurt is one of the biggest and best-known IRONMAN events in the world. I am really looking forward to racing there“, says the 31-year-old Australian simply called „PJ“ by his friends. „Frankfurt is a major goal on my way to this year’s race in Kona and a great marker to make sure that my training and tapering before Kona are timed right.“

„Spectators here in Frankfurt can look forward to fierce competition between the two World Champions we have in the world of IRONMAN“, says Kai Walter, the World Triathlon Corporation’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). „Pete and Sebastian are in top shape. They both have a champion’s mindset and they both want to cross the finish line on the Römerberg first.“

Jacobs, married to Jaimielle Marsh since 2010, has won races around the world over the past year: Before he crowned himself IRONMAN World Champion 2012, he finished 2nd in the IRONMAN World Championship 2011 and won IRONMAN Australia the same year. From 2009 to 2011 he won IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines three times in a row, placed 3rd in the 2009 IRONMAN Western Australia and 2nd in the 2009 IRONMAN Australia.

Jacobs however, who has competed in Germany before, stays realistic when thinking about his race in Frankfurt: „It’s going to be a very strong field and I’d love to show them how I have always performed well in Germany. The atmosphere, the spectators, the Germans, all make it a great environment for me to enjoy travelling and racing there. And when I’m happy, I race well.”

FACTBOX PETE JACOBS

Born: Oct. 27th 1981
Nationality: Australia
Residence: Sydney, Australa
Notable Results: IRONMAN World Champion 2012, 2nd place IRONMAN World Championship 2011, Winner 2011 IRONMAN Australia, Winner IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines 2010-2012.

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February 4, 2013

Dear athlete,

some important information to your “longest day of the year” on July 7, 2013.

Swim Start – First Wave

As in the past years we will have an early swim start at 6.45 a.m. in the 2013 event. This wave is for pro athletes and approx. 350 age-group athletes. The second wave with the rest of the field starts at 7 a.m.

Athletes wishing to apply for the first wave may send documentation of their IRONMAN finisher times (until March 4, 2013) to info@ironman.de. The start times will be announced on our website www.ironmanfrankfurt.com in June.

The final decision about the start times is made by the race director.

Speaking of the start groups: It´s not like – even if that opinion popularly circulated – that in the first start group only “fast” athletes will be placed. There will be also athletes with slower times (swim and finish times). These divisions have proved themselves over the years.

For your information: In 2012 36 Starter of the second group received a Hawaii slot (total was 75 slots). 4 of these finisher finished with a total time under 9:15 hours.

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December 5, 2012

Additional slots for the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship to be released on January 15, 2013 at 10 a. m. CET

“We are delighted to announce that due to the high demand we will open the registration for the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship on July 7, 2013 again for a limited amount of slots,” says Kai Walter, Chief Operating Officer EMEA of World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).

Registration will be possible only via online registration with Active Network (Active.com). The link to the registration on www.ironmanfrankfurt.com will be activated at 10 a.m. CET. In addition the deadline for the regular entry fee will be extended to January 15. The entry fee for the “longest day of the year” is 495 € plus 5% Active fee. Payment is possible only via credit card (MasterCard, American Express, Visa).

Registrations are confirmed when the athlete’s name appears on the online start list of the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship.

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November 20, 2012

Qualification slots for IRONMAN World Championship 2013 in Wiesbaden, slots in Frankfurt are stocked up to 100

Sparkassen Finanzgruppe IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship in Wiesbaden is the only European IRONMAN 70.3 with Hawaii qualification

HANAU. The 2013 triathlon season kicks off with great news for athletes: At the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship (July 7, 2013) 100 qualification slots for the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii will be awarded to age group athletes. The Sparkassen Finanzgruppe IRONMAN European Championship in Wiesbaden (August 11, 2013) will be the only European IRONMAN 70.3 qualification race for Kona, offering 30 slots to athletes. At the race this year in Frankfurt 75 slots were awarded to age group athletes, for 2013 there will again be 100 slots up for grabs.

“After having to take IRONMAN Regensburg from our race calendar due to difficulties in finding a race date, we are happy to have been able to keep the Kona slots in Germany. This emphasizes the value of the IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship in Wiesbaden”, says Kai Walter, Managing Director Germany of the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).

“I am very happy about the allocation of 30 qualification slots for our IRONMAN 70.3. This once again proves the significance that our event in Wiesbaden has in the international race calendar. I am convinced that this decision will have an additional positive impact on the race and the interest in the event”, declares the Lord Mayor of Wiesbaden, Dr. Helmut Mueller.

The race in Kailua-Kona is the highlight of their athletic career for many athletes. The slots are as sought after as they are limited: besides the best triathlon pros in the world, 1,700 age group athletes line up at the start in Hawaii, all having qualified at one of the IRONMAN races worldwide. A limited amount of slots are awarded through the “IRONMAN Kona Lottery” and the “IRONMAN Legacy Program”.

“For now, the increased amount of slots is only for 2013. We consider this a unique chance for athletes in both races”, concludes Walter.

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July 25, 2012

Two weeks after the race 2012, the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship 2013 is expexting a new record participation.

Registration is now closed – the Ironman European Championship 2013 is fully booked!

Ironman race director Kai Walter: “We are pleased with the great feedback. Nearly 3,000 athletes have expressed an interest in a Frankfurt-start. To ensure that our capacity is reached, so that we have closed the registration.”

Here is the Ironman TV Show: Ironman TV-Show

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July 8, 2012

Vanhoenacker crowns himself IRONMAN European Champion

Sebastian Kienle places second, Clemente Alonso third. Caroline Steffen defends title in women’s race. WTC’s Kai Walter: “A great race full of surprises.”

A Belgian has conquered Germany crowning himself new IRONMAN European Champion as Marino Vanhoenacker wins the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship and takes the top podium in front of German Sebastian Kienle and Clemente Alonso of Spain.

It took Vanhoenacker 08:03:31 to complete the race course consisting of a 3,8 km swim, a 180 km bike ride and a marathon run. Vanhoenacker put more than six minutes in between him and Kienle who finished in 08:09:55. Clemente Alonso placed third in a surprisingly strong race. German Andreas Raelert who was supposed to battle for the victory with Vanhoenacker came in fourth finishing the race in 08:17:36.

In the women’s race Swiss Caroline Steffen defended last year’s European Champion title winning the race in 08:52:33 while German Anja Beranek delivered the day’s biggest surprise by placing second finishing in 09:05:41. The third place went to UK athlete Corinne Abraham who turned in a great 09:21:03.

“It was an exciting race with a lof of surprises including Anja Beranek. The top contenders turned out to be also champions. I’m quite happy that nobody was seriously injured on the bike track. We are aware that there were some crashes due to the slippery track. The weather improved during the course of the race and made it a great day for athletes, fans and media”, said Kai Walter, the World Triathlon Corporation’s Managing Director International Operations.

“With today’s performance Marino has showed that he’s a true champion and amongst the world’s best triathletes. Sebastian Kienle confirmed he’s one of our sports risings stars. He’ll be one of our countries hopefuls in Kona”, Rold Aldaf, the WTC’s Managing Director for Germany added.

“Today’s race showed the fascination that IRONMAN has become. Pros and age-groupers alike inspired the hunndreds and thousands of fans along the race track. At the the end of this day all these great athlete can proudly claim – Yes, I am an IRONMAN”, said Herbert Hans Gruender, CEO of title sponsor Frankfurter Sparkasse.

Top 10 Male
1 Vanhoenacker Marino BEL Finish 08:03:31
2 Kienle Sebastian GER Finish 08:09:55
3 Alonso-McKernan Clemente ESP Finish 08:14:04
4 Raelert Andreas GER Finish 08:17:36
5 Raphael Jan GER Finish 08:18:17
6 JURKIEWICZ Jérémy FRA Finish 08:23:24
7 Vuckovic Stephan GER Finish 08:31:37
8 Widmann Uwe 42 GER Finish 08:37:40
9 Santamaria Alejandro ESP Finish 08:38:45
10 Colpaert Bart BEL Finish 08:40:18

Top 5 Female
1. Steffen Caroline SUI Finish 08:52:33
2. Beranek Anja GER Finish 09:05:41
3. Abraham Corinne GBR Finish 09:21:03
4. Dietrich Susan GER Finish 09:22:07
5. Goos Sofie BEL Finish 09:28:03

Photos can be found here.

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IRONMAN stars looking forward to the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship

The clock is ticking: Three days before their big day at the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship the top pros met at the traditional pre-race press conference. Most importantly: Andreas Raelert, Marino Vanhoenacker, Sebastian Kienle, Horst Reichel, Jan Raphael, Caroline Steffen, Yvonne van Vlerken, Nikki Butterfield and Kristin Möller are healthy and in great shape. „I might have to wait for my turn here at the press conference but there’s no way I will do the same on race day“, chuckled German Sebastian Kienle when called up onto the podium after the race’s top stars Andreas Raelert and Marino Vanhoenacker had their say. While the stage is set for an epic race both Vanhoenacker and Raelert kept their strategy a closely guarded secret: „Because I either pass him on the swim, bike or run“ Vanhoenacker quipped when asked how he was going to beat Ralert.

With temperatures expected to be around 20 degrees Celsius things look like they’re falling into place for a great race and a dramatic showdown between the two fastest athletes in the IRONMAN world. „It’s a stressful time before the race but the whole team is really looking forward to this year’s competition“, said Kai Walter, the WTC’s Managing Director International Operations. In the ladies field things are looking like a tough battle between Swis Caroline Steffen and Dutch Yvonne van Vlerken. The former having won the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship last year, the latter having placed 2nd, 3rd and 4th in Frankfurt. Steffen who was plagued with cramping legs after putting up a commanding lead on the bike course last year has returned to Frankfurt to repeat her success but forget the way she achieved it: „It was a tough race and I am here to put something in between me and all those really bad moments.“

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June 8, 2012

Registration for the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship 2013

 

Online-Registration for the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship on July 7, 2013 is open.

On July 9, (Monday after this years event) the online-registration will re-open at 06:00pm (CET).

Registration will only possible online!

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March 20, 2012

New bike course at this years edition of the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship

Winter is over and spring almost here. Finally we can return with our bikes back on the roads.

Speaking of roads: in this years edition of the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship 2012 we´ll have a modification on the bike course.

From the city of Friedberg, the course is not leading to Bad Nauheim (like the previous year).

The new bike course for download as a PDF-Document: Bike Course Describtion IRONMAN European Championship 2012

The new bike course for download (PDF file): Bike Course 2012

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March 16, 2012

Marino Vanhoenacker has confirmed he will be racing at the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship. The race on July 8th 2012 now features the world’s two fastest triathletes over the IRONMAN distance.

It’s been an unwritten rule forever: The top triathletes in the world try to avoid each other in races before they meet at the IRONMAN World Championship in October. Until now. Belgian Marino Vanhoenacker, who has won the IRONMAN Austria six times and has already taken two titles in the Southern Hemisphere at this year’s IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa and IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand races, has confirmed that he will race at the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship on July 8th 2012 where he will face local hero Andreas Raelert. It will be Vanhoenacker’s first race on German soil.

Over the span of his career the 35-year-old Vanhoenacker has won nine IRONMAN races in total, most notably setting an IRONMAN record time of 7:45:58 hours at the IRONMAN Austria 2011. Only a week later Raelert set a new long-distance record finishing in 7:41:33.

“Marino and Andreas competing against each other at the Frankfurter Sparkasse IRONMAN European Championship is a dream come true for all IRONMAN fans. To have the two fastest athletes in long-distance Triathlon in the same race will be an amazing thing to watch. Plus we have upcoming star Sebastian Kienle in Frankfurt too. This will be a race the Triathlon world will follow very closely”, says Kai Walter, the World Triathlon Corporation’s Managing Director International Operations Europe.

“Marino’s decision to race in Frankfurt is also a symbolic one. Now we have him, Andreas and Michael Raelert (the two-times IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion will debut in his first IRONMAN race in Regensburg), Kienle, Ronnie Schildknecht (Zurich), Faris Al-Sultan and Markus Fachbach (Klagenfurt) competing in IRONMAN races this season. These guys are the best male Triathletes in Europe and we’re thrilled to have them in our series”, says Stefan Petschnig, WTC’s Executive Manager Europe and South Africa.

“Of course it’s hard to see Marino go but we expect him to return to Klagenfurt as both the European and World Champion. He built his success story with six wins in Klagenfurt but now he’s ready to tackle Raelert in Frankfurt”, says Helge Lorenz, WTC’s Managing Director Austria.

“Marino is one of the most constant athletes around. Seeing him race against Andreas in Frankfurt will be the most thrilling duel to watch in Triathlon outside the World Championships in Hawaii. This just shows that athletes perceive the Frankfurter Sparkasse European Championship as a premier race to compete in”, adds WTC’s Managing Director Rolf Aldag.

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March 6, 2012

World-class triathletes Andreas Raelert, Sebastian Kienle and Caroline Steffen to race at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship on July 8, 2012 / Kai Walter: “Appreciate commitments of these top athletes and their commitment to Ironman” / Michael Raelert to debut on long-distance course at Ironman Regensburg

Thousands of amateur triathletes from around the world have already signed up for the various European Ironman events this year. Now the first prominent professionals have also added their names to the start lists of the German Ironman events. World-class triathletes Andreas Raelert (Rostock), Sebastian Kienle (Karlsruhe) and Caroline Steffen (Switzerland) will race at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship on July 8. Michael Raelert, younger of the two Raelert Brothers, will race at the Ironman events in Regensburg and Wiesbaden.

Kai Walter, Managing Director of International Operations of the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), says: “We are very excited about the commitments of these top athletes to our races and to Ironman. They guarantee first-class sports and hopefully great media interest. Andreas Raelert and rising star Sebastian Kienle duelling at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship will be a highlight for all triathlon fans.”

Rolf Aldag, Managing Director Germany of WTC: “Having the Raelert Brothers at the races is an upgraded to every event. Michael will also compete at the Thomas Cook Ironman 70.3 Mallorca and is making his long distance debut at Ironman Regensburg, which I’m particularly excited about. Andreas Raelert is certainly one of the top favorites to win the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.”

Andreas Raelert, Sebastian Kienle and Caroline Steffen will start at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship on July 8. Swiss Caroline Steffen, currently living in Australia, is defending champion in Frankfurt.

Michael Raelert will race at Ironman Regensburg (June 17) and the Sparkassen Finanzgruppe Ironman 70.3 European Championship in Wiesbaden (August 12).

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Existing News

 

02-16-2012	Age Group Ranking System	(PDF-Document)
02-14-2012	Berlin to host 5150 and IRONMAN 70.3	(PDF-Document)
12-16-2011	Guaranteed Slot IMEU 2013	(PDF-Document)
12-12-2011	75 Slots for Hawaii 2012	(PDF-Document)
11-24-2011	Race Transfer Policy	(PDF-Document)
11-02-2012	2012 Lottery and new Legacy Program	(PDF-Document)
07-24-2011	Winner IMEU 2011	(PDF-Document)