It’s last chance saloon for Kona slots for the men’s IRONMAN World Championship this weekend.
The very last qualifying race is IRONMAN Frankfurt – also designated the European Championship and with a whopping six places up for grabs.
And the good news for those yet to seal their spots is that no fewer than 18 [per IRONMAN pre-race briefing on 14 August] of the massive 80+ strong PRO field already have their Hawaii berths booked.
There’s also the not-insignificant aspect of this being the latest stop in the IRONMAN Pro Series – and 12 out of the current top 20 are taking part in what’s a male-only PRO race, with a maximum 5,000 points up for grabs.
You can watch it all live, as the race makes its way from the Langener Waldsee swim to finish outside of the historic Römer. And in our preview piece below you can find all the information you need, including a full rundown of the leading contenders…
Start times and how to watch live
IRONMAN Frankfurt takes place on Sunday 18 August 2024.
The race will start at 0625 local time (CET). That corresponds to 0525 in the UK and 0025 Eastern.
You can watch live via the YouTube stream, which is embedded below so you don’t have to leave this page.
And the essential IRONMAN Tracker app is the perfect data addition to support your viewing.
In addition to the YouTube livestream, the race will be broadcast in the US and Canada exclusively on Outside TV and for international audiences across multiple platforms, including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN, hr-fernsehen in Germany, and L’Équipe in France.
Pro Men
We’re guaranteed a new men’s IRONMAN European Champion, with the absence of defending two-time winner Denis Chevrot (FRA).
And there are a plethora of contenders to take his place.
Perhaps most intriguing is the 2021 IRONMAN World Champion Kristian Blummenfelt.
The Norwegian finished 12th in Paris last month as he looked to defend his Olympic title and is hoping to validate his start at this year’s IRONMAN World Championship in Kona and the 70.3 Worlds in Taupō.
He says it’s a long time since he’s ridden his time trial bike and even with his incredible record, it will be a huge ask to get in the mix.
Two-time IMWC Patrick Lange (GER) is the big home favourite and will be seen by many as the man to beat.
He was reportedly in prime form for Challenge Roth but a rib injury in the swim brought him to an abrupt halt.
It’s been a frustrating 2024 so far for Lange, with second at IRONMAN Texas his only top 10 so far.
And despite this race being in his home state, it’s an event where he has a surprisingly low-key record with 11th, third and sixth in his three appearances, the latest coming back in 2019.
Much was made of his attempt at going sub 2:30 in the marathon at Roth – could that be back on the cards here?
It’s a flat and fast run course and there are other speedy runners also in the field.
Not least the current IRONMAN Pro Series leader, Matt Hanson (USA).
Hanson has already raced five IRONMAN Pro Series races (including two at full distance), so will be looking to boost his points by replacing his previously lowest scoring performance from earlier in the year.
A strong cohort of other USA athletes also travel to Germany – and that now includes Sam Long.
He’d all but given up on a Kona slot but a late rolldown of a starting berth came his way on Tuesday this week and he’s decided to make the short hop from his current training base in Trieste, Italy.
It’s an unconventional prep but he says he’s working on the mindset that “literally anything is possible” this week as the IRONMAN slogan goes.
Another American lining up is Trevor Foley who, after Long, is highest in the latest world rankings after his impressive victory at IRONMAN Lake Placid recently.
Jackson Laundry (CAN), currently second in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings, is also slated to race, while Clement Mignon (FRA) and Braden Currie (NZL) are others with designs on the podium.
The Frankfurt course
The 2.4-mile swim takes place in one of the largest lakes in the region, the Langener Waldsee, with the two laps separated by an Australian exit.
They will then embark on the 112-mile bike course which gives a scenic tour of the villages surrounding Frankfurt and has around 1,100 meters of elevation.
On the four-lap run course, the athletes will run along the banks of the river Main, with the backdrop of the Frankfurt skyline. The finish line is in Frankfurt’s most historic square, the Römerberg.
For more details check our in-depth course guide here, both for the pros and both female and male age-group triathletes for whom this is their European Championship.
Prize Money: What’s on the line?
The prize purse on offer this weekend is $87,500 – with the winner collecting a $28,000 share of that total.
As part of the IRONMAN Pro Series, athletes will also earn points as they seek to become the IRONMAN Pro Series Champion and win a share of the $1.7 million bonus prize purse.
The maximum possible score will be 5,000 points for 1st place, with points for all remaining professional finishers diminishing based on the time deficit to first place, at a rate of 1 point per 1 second deficit to the winner’s finishing time.
In addition to money and series points, there will be those six MPRO qualifying slots for the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice and Kona later this season.
The total funds will be paid ten-deep, as follows:
- $28,000
- $17,500
- $11,000
- $8,500
- $6,500
- $5,000
- $3,500
- $3,000
- $2,500
- $2,000
