Patrick Lange went into IRONMAN Frankfurt on Sunday dreaming of a first victory in an iconic race on home soil, but things did not go according to plan.
The 37-year-old German superstar, twice IRONMAN World Champion at Kona, has been trying to win Frankfurt for a long time now – the race takes place in his home state and before this running he admitted it holds a special place in his heart.
But any thoughts of a huge battle with Norwegian superstar and eventual winner Kristian Blummenfelt were dashed almost from the start as Lange fell behind early on the swim. The gap to the leaders grew on the bike, and then Patrick endured cramps on the run as he came home eighth in a time of 7:39:10.
Lange on painful day in Frankfurt
Recapping a painful day in a post on his Instagram account, he bemoaned: “My Frankfurt curse continues. 😢 In the end I leave with my chin up, because I tried my hardest to get a somehow decent result.
“I completely messed up the swim and don’t have an answer why that happened (again). On the bike I took responsibility and worked hard to somehow close the gap but also that didn’t work. Starting the run my lower back and glutes were completely cramped up and it took 17km to finally find some run legs again.”
Despite his own personal pain, the ever classy Lange spoke of his pride at complete the race and never giving up, and congratulated the athletes who finished in front of him.
“I am proud to have never given up, proud of my team for pushing me. The crowd has been amazing!! Thank you all especially on the run course for screaming and cheering !!! ❤️”
Lange classy as ever
“Last but not least a massive congrats to the 7 guys in front of me. What a race. Crazy times!
“Legs up for now and make a plan to come back stronger in Kona.”
In finishing, Lange provided a mantra that can always be remembered by any athlete – Pro or Age Grouper.
“Sometimes the biggest victories aren’t measured by the podium, but by the strength it took to keep pushing forward. This race wasn’t perfect, but it was a testament to resilience and heart. Proud of the fight, and ready for what’s next. 💪”
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