IRONMAN Frankfurt 2025 results: Blummenfelt defends title on drama-packed day

Kristian Blummenfelt produced another masterclass display as he repeated last year’s victory at IRONMAN Frankfurt against a stacked field in the men’s European Championship.

The brilliant Norwegian had to overcome a toilet stop and some projectile vomiting when he won the race in 2024 but there was none of that this time as a superbly calculated all-round display saw him chase down Kristian Høgenhaug on the marathon.

The drama instead came with a flurry of high-profile penalties, including a red card which was later rescinded for Magnus Ditlev.

Høgenhaug had surged clear of the field on the bike and led by over eight minutes at the start of the run and although he had no answer to his namesake, he kept on well to finish a fine second having made the race.

And on a memorable day for Norway, Blummenfelt’s training partners Casper Stornes and Gustav Iden finished third and fourth respectively.

Blummenfelt’s win – his third in succession following IRONMAN Texas and 70.3 Aix-en-Provence – means he has a perfect score at the top of the IRONMAN Pro Series standings ahead of the two World Championships.

Here’s how an absorbing day played out…

Swim – Fast start for Schomburg

There were near perfect conditions for the swim and much of the early part of the race would revolve around Jonas Schomburg (GER).

He led a pack of six out of the Aussie exit midway through the swim but the second time they exited the water it was Andrea Salvisberg (SUI) who was in front with a time of 47:42.

Kacper Stepniak (POL), Schomburg and Ben Kanute (USA) were under 10 seconds behind.

And many of the big favourites, including the Norwegian trio, Ditlev, reigning IRONMAN World Champion Patrick Lange (GER) and Rudy Von Berg (USA) were around two minutes back.

Bike – Høgenhaug powers clear

Early on the bike and it was Schomburg who powered clear and quickly built up a two-minute gap on the rest.

However disaster was then to strike as his entire TT bar / setup came off when he climbed the cobbled roads.

And things went to bad to worse for him as, after initially having it repaired, it came off again and he withdrew from the race after being advised by the referees that it was no longer safe for him to race given his bike’s state.

Another to suffer was last year’s runner up Kieran Lindars (GBR) who lost all his nutrition bottles and would later make an early exit.

With Schomburg out of the race it was now Høgenhaug who came to the front and started to put distance between himself and the rest.

Before the halfway point he was more than three minutes to the good on the first chase pack but the big news was that Ditlev, Blummenfelt, Iden, Von Berg, Daniel Bækkegård (DEN) and German dup Jonas Hoffmann and Leonard Arnold had broken away from the rest of the second big group – including Lange.

The two chase groups came together with just under 50km remaining but that actually didn’t do them any favours as things were a little chaotic and inefficient, meaning that Høgenhaug’s advantage ballooned.

Everything looked to be going perfectly for him heading towards T2 but then two mini blows just disrupted his rhythm – and who knows how expensive they proved to be.

The first was an issue with his chain, which was quickly resolved, and he still had 8:33 in hand of Bækkegård in second place leaving T2.

Next came Ditlev at +8:48, with Stornes at +8:57, Cameron Wurf (AUS) +8:58, Von Berg +9:04, Iden +9:07, Blummenfelt +9:08, Stepniak +9:13, Arnold +9:23, Kanute +9:32 and then double figures to the rest, with Lange at +15:52.

Run – Blummenfelt just relentless

Penalties were then to the fore – Lange was first to serve a one-minute sanction for failing to remove his swimskin in T1.

And then early on his run Høgenhaug was halted by a 60-seconds stop-go penalty for what had been deemed “outside assistance”.

What followed with Ditlev was the one that really made the headlines and you can read more about that here.

Ultimately though he was able to run on – and his disqualification would later be rescinded – and he emerged as the closest threat to Høgenhaug on the first of four run laps.

Approaching halfway Ditlev was joined – and then passed – by Blummenfelt and Stornes and all the while the gap to Høgenhaug was coming down.

No one was running faster than Blummenfelt and the inevitable catch came relatively early on the final lap.

But there was no letting up from the former IRONMAN and 70.3 World Champion and for a long while it looked like he was going to be only the second man to go under the 2:30 mark for a marathon in a full-distance race.

He just missed out on that but it was another statement success and he crossed the line in 7:25:57, just over two-and-a-half minutes in front of Høgenhaug.

Kristian Blummenfelt wins IRONMAN Frankfurt 2025 [Photo credit: IRONMAN]

Stornes rounded out the podium in third and Iden showed he is getting back to close to top form in fourth.

There were contrasting fortunes for Ditlev – who faded into eighth – and Lange, who ran his way up to seventh on what was a hugely encouraging return from injury.