Svenja Thoes chasing the Ironman Hawaii legend

On Saturday (14 October 2023), Saarland triathlete Svenja Thoes will be taking part in the legendary Ironman Hawaii for the third time in her career. At 6:25 a.m. local time (6:25 p.m. in Germany), the town of Kalua-Kona on the Pacific island will hear the canon blast that serves as the starting pistol for the 2023 women’s Ironman World Championship.

The legend of Ironman Hawaii

The Ironman Hawaii is more than just a triathlon – it is a legend. Since its very first edition in 1978, it has become one of the hardest endurance competitions in the world. Since 1982, the competition has been held on the main island of Hawaii under the title ‘Ironman World Championship’. The famous 226-km Kona route is a dream for all triathletes and is often known as the ‘holy grail’ of triathlon. For more than four decades, this region on the Pacific Island has been the ultimate dream destination for many triathletes from all over the world.

Participants must swim 3.86 kilometres, cycle 180.20 kilometres and run a 42.195-kilometre marathon. The challenge is posed not just by the distance, but also by the extreme conditions in Hawaii. Athletes have to contend with the high temperatures, strong winds and brutal lava deserts of Kona.

The swim is in the open sea, where the waves, currents and underwater world can have a major impact on athletes. The cycling portion is along a hilly route with steep ascents and descents, tackling 1700 metres of altitude. Sudden gusty cross winds, the notorious Ho’o Mumuku winds with speeds of up to 80 km/h, can fundamentally change the course of a race. The marathon run through the monotony of the desert landscape, generally in extremely hot and humid conditions and largely without any shade to cool athletes down, represents a huge physical and mental challenge for competitors.

German success is part of the Hawaii legend

German athletes have performed impressively well at the Ironman Hawaii in the past. Jan Frodeno, Olympic champion and three-time winner of the Ironman Hawaii, has established himself as one of the best triathletes of all time. He won the competition in 2015, 2016 and 2019, setting multiple records in the process. In 2019, Anne Haug became the first German woman to win the Ironman Hawaii.

Alongside Frodeno and Haug, other German athletes have shaped and in some cases dominated the Ironman Hawaii, especially since the turn of the millennium. Thomas Hellriegel was the first German winner in 1997, followed by Normann Stadler (2004 and 2006), Faris Al-Sultan (2005), Sebastian Kienle (2014) and Patrick Lange (2017 and 2018).

2023 Ironman WC for women only

2023 marked a major change in the history of the Ironman Hawaii: for the first time ever, the women’s competition will be held in Hawaii whilst the men crowned their Ironman World Champion in Nice at the beginning of September 2023. This change was made necessary by increasing participant numbers and the logistical challenges in Hawaii. The coronavirus pandemic had a major impact on how competitions are organised. The cancellations in 2020 and 2021 mean that the number of starters has more than doubled since the last race before the pandemic, to around 5500! The 2022 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii were particularly chaotic, with the men’s and women’s races held on two different days in the same week, leaving the island completely overloaded by the influx of participants and supporters. To mitigate these crowds, the event organisers decided to hold the women’s and men’s races separately in different locations and at different times, alternating between Hawaii and Nice.

This Saturday, more than 2100 triathletes from 73 countries will be lining up in Hawaii, including 145 from Germany: seven professionals and 138 amateurs. The World Championship title in the professional category will be decided from among 53 starters – and the Saarland athlete will be putting up a good fight.

A passionate thoroughbred athlete

Svenja Thoes is a two-time world champion in her age category and a four-time Ironman winner. Her sporting career began rather late and somewhat by accident in 2012, when she won a place on the starting line of the Ironman 70.3 Mallorca in a competition. After just a few months of intensive preparations, she managed to come second in her age category. This success meant that she qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas, where she won her age category at the first attempt.

In 2014 in Spain, the Saarland athlete became middle-distance triathlon European champion for her age category. Two years later, in October 2016, she won the 25-29 age category at the Ironman Hawaii (Ironman World Championships) and came fifth in the overall field, including professionals.

This sometime Condor Airlines flight attendant has been a professional athlete since 2017 and has since won various medium-distance and long-distance races. In November 2018, the then 27-year-old triathlete won her first of four Ironman races at the Ironman Mexico (Cozumel) and qualified for the 2019 Ironman World Championships (coming twentieth after stomach problems!).

In 2022, her most successful year so far, Thoes won the first ever Challenge Malta and the Ironman France in Nice. She also won the Ironman Ireland and Ironman Italy in the same year, the latter securing her qualification for this year’s Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. It has been eleven years since her first triathlon. Now, behind German Hawaii favourites Anne Haug and Laura Philipp, she is one of the best Germans on the triathlon scene and prepared to throw her skills and talent into the mix for her third time on the Hawaii starting line.

The countdown begins

The Saarland athlete has been staying on the volcanic Pacific island since 4 October and preparing with purpose and focus for Saturday’s big showdown. She is accompanied by her parents, who not only offer moral support but are also actively involved in her training, and play a vital tactical role on the competition day in particular, aiding Svenja by providing regular time updates during the race and helping her adjust her race strategy if necessary.

We are delighted to be able to support Svenja Thoes at this key event. We are convinced that her skill, ambition and talent will drive her to achieve great things.

Good luck, Svenja! We are proud to be supporting you on your journey!