Kristian Blummenfelt is the new European Ironman Champion

Zurich, Switzerland, August 19, 2024 - Less than two weeks after a disappointing Olympic performance, Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) has rebounded in spectacular style, returning to the top of the podium with a dominant victory at IRONMAN Frankfurt. After a two-year absence from full-distance Ironman racing, Blummenfelt made his presence felt by setting a new course record of 7:27:21 and securing the title of European Ironman Champion.

While Blummenfelt only needed to finish the race to validate his qualification for the Ironman World Championships in Kona this October, he went above and beyond, turning the race into a powerful statement that he is the man to beat in Kona.

The race began with Blummenfelt emerging from the swim in seventh place, trailing leader Wilhelm Hirsch by just 15 seconds. Despite losing additional time during the first transition (T1), Blummenfelt joined the chase pack on the bike. The cycling segment was particularly challenging due to wet roads, leading to several crashes, but Blummenfelt remained focused and unscathed.

As the race approached the second transition (T2), Blummenfelt found himself in third place, nearly five minutes behind the leader, Magnus Hogenhaug. However, once the marathon began, it was clear that Blummenfelt had one goal in mind: victory. He quickly passed second-place finisher, Robert Zepunkte, and within the first 10 kilometers, overtook Hogenhaug, showing no signs of fatigue despite recently focusing on short-distance triathlon.

Even a brief toilet break around the 18-kilometer mark and struggles with nutrition just 10 kilometers from the finish couldn’t derail Blummenfelt’s momentum. He continued to build his lead, ultimately crossing the finish line in a remarkable 7:27:21, highlighted by an extraordinary 2:32:29 marathon.

Speaking after the race, Blummenfelt was surprised at how well he had done:

“I’m quite surprised. I felt I came in with really not much preparation, really lack of riding the TT bike, barely done any long runs. I was realistically thinking go out as normal and expect the wall to hit me quite early on the bike.”

Victory on Home Soil

Petra Kuříková was not going to miss the first-ever IRONMAN race in the Czech Republic. To the joy of the home fans, Kuříková took home the victory, completing the 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride, and 21km run in 4:06.20. Finishing four minutes ahead of the second-place finisher, Kuříková spoke after the race:

“I knew I was in good shape physically because of training for the Olympics. It didn’t quite work out there, so I’m very happy that I was able to succeed here.” 

In the men’s race, Andi Dreitz of Germany claimed second place with a 3:36.00 finish time on a full German podium. 

Third Place Finish for Kate Waugh in Boston

At the inaugural SuperTri event in Boston and her first race back after Paris, On triathlete Kate Waugh (GBR) delivered an impressive performance, finishing third behind her teammate Taylor-Brown and winner Lehair. The race, consisting of three laps of 300m swimming, 4km cycling, and 1.6km running, saw Waugh consistently stay with the lead pack throughout.

About On

On was born in the Swiss Alps in 2010 with the mission to ignite the human spirit through movement – a mission that still guides the brand today. Fourteen years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, training, all-day activities and tennis. On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design and groundbreaking strides within the circular economy have attracted a fast-growing global fan base – inspiring humans to explore, discover and Dream On.

On is present in more than 60 countries globally and engages with a digital community on www.on.com.