IronMan Hamburg 2024: Full Race Recap

Coach Dave crossing the finish line at IronMan Hamburg 2024

IronMan Hamburg 2024: Full Race Recap Swim Recap 🏊‍♂️ ⏱ 51:08 (01:21 / 100m)

🥇 1st male

Before the swim even started, I was trapped behind a wall of eager triathletes who had all guesstimated their swim time as sub 50 minutes. Starting after the first 300 athletes, I had to fight my way through a long line of swimmers. But the lake was beautiful and warm and looking around the Alster and the shore it’s really a stunning view and the buildings in Hamburg are special.

By the halfway mark, I had found my way through to swimmers closer to my speed and began drafting, enjoying the sunny day and clear water. Coming out from under the final bridge, I realised I had made up enough places to be near the front again.

But the real challenge? After a 4am wake-up, two cups of coffee, and multiple unsuccessful throne room visits before the race, my sweet potato and quinoa dinner was now ready to exit. I had to stop kicking to avoid any incidents, saving my legs for the dash out of the water.

I exited the water, being pulled out by volunteers (which tends to make me grumpy), I sprinted to the transition area, battled with my wetsuit and trisuit and then had 3 minutes of peace inside the plastic throne room. Upon exiting, I completely lost my bearings and added another 20-30 seconds, looking for the correct rack with my transition bag. Finally, after grabbing all my gear, I ran for what felt like an eternity, grabbed Beatrix (my bike), and crossed the mount line, ready for the next stage of the race.

Bike Recap 🚴‍♂️

⌚ 4:49:23

Race Target: 3 watts/kg

Race Average: 2.6 watts/kg ⚡

The bike starts through the technical part of the city, and there were a couple of moments where I was confused about which side of the road to be on. In the city, there are a few small hills and fast descent, but Hamburg’s course is generally very flat. It was quite a windy day, so everyone formed pace lines, keeping the required 12m apart, which helped shelter those taking turns at the back from the wind.

It wasn’t particularly hot, and I over-hydrated, meaning I had to pee a record seven times on the bike! Don’t worry, I made sure I was at the rear of the pace line before doing so, haha. Towards the end of the bike, the wind picked up, and I started to flag a little.

Nutrition during the bike:

You should take on the bulk of your nutrition during the bike. Here’s the breakdown of what

I did on the day:

105g carbs per hour

- Hours 1 & 2: @maurten_official 320 drink mix per hour + two cubes of @clifbar caffeine bloks every 30 minutes

- Hours 3 – 5: @scienceinsport Beta Fuel jelly every 30 minutes + two cubes of @clifbar caffeine bloks every 30 minutes

Coming off the bike, I actually remembered to get my feet out of my shoes, so I didn’t have to run in my clip-clops for a change! I had another over-hydrated pee in transition and then headed out onto the run!

Overall, I feel like the bike went well - it was under control and really enjoyable. Run Recap🏃🏼‍♂️

⌚ 3:57:09

I started off strong on the run and felt great during the first lap. IronMan’s new partner, @precisionfandh , provided the electrolyte drink for this race and that was a game changer, with 4-5 times more electrolytes than what I’ve had in past races. Low electrolytes can make you feel sick and put you in a dark place mentally, but I felt amazing and super hydrated, so I stuck to Precision and flat Coke from the aid stations.

The run course along the Alster is stunning. My support team found a perfect spot where they could see me three times on each lap, which gave me a real boost. By the third lap, I had hit a massive low and couldn’t figure out why. I had a gel and came back to life for the final lap—I just hadn’t had enough sugar on the run, mainly out of fear of another bathroom stop.

On the last lap, I felt great again until about 2 km from the finish line. I realised I was so close to going sub-10 but had started to get a sharp pain in my knee. I knew I wouldn’t make sub-10 if I had to walk, so I slowed my run down to manage the pain. Finally, I turned onto the red carpet and realised I would break 10 hours! I was really happy and couldn’t stop smiling.

Ten hours might not be ground breaking for some, but for me, it was a goal I always wanted to achieve. That’s what triathlon is all about—not necessarily being the best, but achieving your personal targets! 🎯🦾🎉

Finish ⌚ 9:50:41