IRONMAN Frankfurt 2024: Blummenfelt goes back into the unknown, ‘Big Unit’ says Ja Ja Ja and Lange has unfinished business

IRONMAN Frankfurt on Sunday sees full-distance racing back in the spotlight after all the excitement generated by the Paris 2024 Olympics, and we should get a beauty of a race too.

A very strong field will line up for the iconic German race with some tantalising storylines in play for a race you can watch live from 0625 local time on Sunday August 18. That is 0525 in the UK or 0025 Eastern in the United States.

More than 80 pro men are set to line up, headed by superstars Kristian Blummenfelt, Patrick Lange and Sam Long.

Blummenfelt’s return to Ironman combat will be eagerly awaited after he devoted the past 12 months to his bid to defend the Olympic title he won in Tokyo in 2021. That bid ended with a 12th-place finish in Paris, and now ‘Big Blu’ has Hawaii in his sights as he validates his Kona slot.

Blummenfelt facing mighty task

The 30-year-old Norwegian, who was 2021 IRONMAN World Champion, is under no illusions about the task facing him, and unsure about how it may play out.

“I’m sort of jumping a little bit back into the unknown again, so hopefully I can have a good day out there on Sunday as preparation for Kona in October. So it’s going to be tricky to not go too hard on the gas, but sort of pace myself wisely. That’s not that easy where you’re lining up with these lads and another 80 plus out there.” 

Under two weeks ago Blummenfelt was racing over the Super Sprint distance in the Mixed Relay at Paris 2024, now he goes all the way over 140.6 miles against a stellar field. The change, and the challenge, could not be greater.

“Last week we had a mixed relay in Paris. So, it’s like almost 10 days ago, and that’s like a 20-minute race versus seven hours, 40 minutes or eight hours – it’s a completely different energy system.

“It’s one thing to race, you can just pace yourself. But to be in this pack dynamic, when we have to be aware of the guys in front, behind and not getting within the draft zone, but also close enough, so people don’t slide it in between. It’s more tricky in the World Championship races, and the same will be on Sunday.”

Sam Long dreaming of Kona

While Frankfurt was the expected starting point towards Kona for Blummenfelt, the late inclusion of Long in the field was much more of a surprise. But ‘The Big Unit’ could not resist the chance to battle for a spot on the ‘Big Island’ in October.

He admitted: “I love the IRONMAN, I love the full distance. I want to return to Kona; it is absolutely what dreams are made of.” 

“I am so glad to be here I’m so happy to be here; I’m so grateful for IRONMAN for letting me be on the back of that waitlist…and it’s just such a great start field. It’s going to be my 24th IRONMAN finish on Sunday.”

Unfinished business for Lange

The home crowd on Sunday will be roaring for another Ironman great in the shape of Lange – two-time champion in Kona. Frankfurt is a race he holds dear, and he’s excited about the opportunity to finally top the podium here.

Lange revealed: “The race is really deeply in my heart. It’s my fourth time racing here, and I definitely have some unfinished business here. My best position was third, and we had some great battles here with Frodo [Jan Frodeno] and Sebi [Sebastian Kienle] back in the good old days.

“I really, finally want to, want to be able to take the top spot. I know it’s going to be a really tough one. I said, I think we said it enough times now that is a really stacked field, no question about it. But no, this is my home race. This is the race of my heart, and I finally want to take to top spot.” 

When asked about the German passion for triathlon, Lange reasoned: “I think six wins in a row [IRONMAN World Championships, 2014-2019] definitely created a hype in Germany, and definitely elevated the races around here. So, I’m proud to be part of this generation who was able to create this passionate, thinking about triathlon.” 

Uncharted territory for Foley

There are threats to the big guns in this stacked field, including rising US star Trevor Foley. He is coming off a trio of impressive wins – a brilliant victory at IRONMAN Lake Placid and 70.3 successes in Boulder and Maine.

The 25-year-old literally heads into uncharted territory this weekend – this is the first time he has ever travelled to Europe.

He said: “I was scared to fly nine hours and come race all these guys and you know, it’s intimidating. It’s only my third season, and the longest plane ride I’ve ever taken to a race is like three hours. So, yeah, this is a big step up, but eventually, if I want to be competing for Kona and the Pro Series, this is just a necessary step. You know, no struggles, no growth.”