Lots of races, lots of success

ZURICH, Switzerland 20 May, 2024 - A weekend filled with races across the globe left many On athletes with podium finishes, Olympic standards, PBs, and season bests.

Silver for George Mills at Dimond League

Traveling to Rabat, Morocco, for the third Diamond League meet of the year, George Mills, Charles Grethen, and Amin Mohamed Jhinaoui had hopes of success as they laced up their spikes. Mills (GBR) came away with a great result, taking home second place in the 1500m event in a time of 3:33.47 and a new season best. Sitting in the back of the pack, Mills slowly made his way forward and with a lap to go, pushed to remain with the leaders and managed to overtake fellow British runner, Eliott Giles in the last second of the race to claim silver. Grethen finished ten places behind teammate Mills, crossing the line in 3:40.90, also with a season's best time. In the 3000m steeplechase, Jhinaoui sat in with the pack as the race took off, edging forward slightly and becoming part of the lead group in the last two laps. As the final bell rang, Jhinaoui struggled to keep up with the leaders, eventually crossing the line in 8:13.86 and eight place.

Olympic Standard, National Record and PB for Joselyn Brea

More than 10 athletes represented the Swiss sportswear brand at the USATF LA Grand Prix this weekend. Joselyn Brea opened up the success gates with a new national record, Olympic standard, and personal best across the 5k distance, crossing the line in second place in a time of 14:36.59. Morgan McDonald from the global OAC team continued the celebrations, finishing in 13th of the men’s 5000m race and achieving the Olympic standard as well. Olli Hoare of Australia took home the gold medal in the 1500m distance in a near-foto finish with second place Reynold Kipkorri Cheruiyot. Across the other races, six athletes achieved new season best results, and Dylan Jacobs secured a shiny new PB in the 5000m distance, crossing the line in 13:10.66. 

Course Record for Matt Hanson 

There was no stopping On athlete Matt Hanson (USA) at the Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga. Overcoming a four-minute deficit on the run, he earned his first Ironman Pro Series victory and secured the overall lead in the series. On his way to victory, Hanson broke the existing course record, finishing the race in a time of 3:41.21, with second and third-place finishers finishing less than a minute behind him. 

Speaking on the race and the run section, Hanson said: “I cut the lead just about in half right at the beginning of the second lap. I knew that I had a chance if I was able to even split, and I think I negative split (on the run portion). I pushed pretty hard and made a move right before the hill onto the bridge and that is where I could see first and second and gave it a little boost to catch them.”

Bike Record for Funk in Samorin

At the Challenge, Samorin Frederik Funk found himself in a large lead pack group as 18 men left the water within 20 seconds of each other, and all left T1 within 30 seconds of each other. The cycling portion of the challenge provided fierce racing until Kristian Hogenhaug (DEN) made his move. On athlete Frederic Funk (GER) didn’t let him go easily, managing to break his own bike course record from 2023 as he headed into T2 with a two-minute lead. Despite a strong start to the run, Funk couldn’t hold onto the lead as Kyle Smith from New Zealand overtook him and crossed the line two minutes ahead of Flunk. Hogenhaug rounded out the podium in third. 

On athlete, Fenella Langridge (GBR) was second out of the water and onto the bike in the women's race. But a strong field of competitors was soon on Langridge’s heels, leaving her little chance to defend her strong start. As the race continued, she fell back, eventually crossing the finishing line in eighth place in a time of 4:06.08. 

No stopping Patrick Kipngeno

Patrick Kipngeno continued to shine in top form for his third victory on the trails this year. At the Kolitza Balma Trail race in the Basque country in Spain, he stormed to victory across the 12km course with 720m of elevation. Crossing the finish line in 49:07 minutes, Kipngeno took down the previous course record and continued to show his excellent form on the trails. Joyce Muthoni of the Run2Gether team that On supports also shattered the course record, completing the race in 1:00.24. 

At the Alsace by UTMB 50k race, Meg Mackenzie of South Africa delivered a near-perfect race, coming in second after 04:38.15 minutes on the trails in the east of France. With almost 2000m of elevation, she only had to concede to French trail runner Maric Goncalves, who took the win with a 10-minute lead. 

In the men’s race, On teammates Antonie Charvolin (FRA) and Paul Mathou (FRA) remained close to each other during the 50k and almost 2000m of elevation. Mathou finished in seventh place, just over 10 minutes before Charvolin, who crossed the finish line in ninth place and a time of 4:03.59. 

16 On athletes lace up in Rehlingen 

At the Pfigstsportfest in Rehlingen, Germany, 16 On athletes laced up their spikes to take to the track and do what they do best: race. In the 1500m women’s final, Marta Garcia (SPA) and Gesa Krause (GER) finished in second and third place, respectively, with Garcia finishing in 4:06.23 and Krause in 4:06.71. In the women’s 800m final, newly announced On athlete Valentin Rosamilia (SUI) took home bronze, completing the two-track laps in 2:01.29. On the men’s side, Frederik Ruppert fought his way through the field in the 3000m steeple chase race, claiming the sliver medal at 8:17.46. In the men’s 5000m final, Morgan Le Guen (SUI) rewarded himself with the bronze medal after a great race and finish time of 13:24.16. 

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.