IRONMAN South Africa: Magnus Ditlev and Marten Van Riel set for EPIC Pro Series clash

The second event of the 2025 IRONMAN Pro Series – and the first this year over the full Ironman distance – is set to provide epic action in South Africa this weekend.

Scheduled for Sunday March 30, stellar Pro fields will take on the IRONMAN South Africa course around Nelson Mandela Bay with some of the world’s best triathletes set to feature.

T100 World Champion Marten Van Riel headlines the men’s start list alongside IRONMAN World Championship runner-up Magnus Ditlev – the pair are currently ranked number one and two in the world respectively by the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO).

The women’s event includes a handful of worthy contenders including Dutch star Els Visser (PTO 18), Spain’s Marta Sanchez (PTO 19), Germany’s Anne Reischmann (PTO 24), Sweden’s Anna Bergsten (PTO 33) and Denmark’s Maja Stage Nielsen (PTO 36).

Pro Men start list

It will be compulsory viewing as the top two in the world go head-to-head. Van Riel has been a demon over the middle-distance with seven wins in eight races dating back to 2019.

However, on his single previous full-distance appearance in Cozumel last November, he led deep into the bike leg before crashing, costing himself over 20 minutes. He ended the race in seventh place.

He goes up against the Danish juggernaut Ditlev, who has spent the past four years ranked in the world’s top five. He is vastly more experienced over the full distance – boasting four victories in his career. The Dane also finished third at the 2023 IRONMAN World Championship in Nice before going one better in Kona in 2024.

France’s Leon Chevalier is the next best ranked athlete at 27. He bested van Riel in Cozumel as he secured third place and has three successive top-10 finishes at the IRONMAN World Championship. He also has experience on the South African course, winning the event in 2023.

Last year’s race winner can not be overlooked, with Sweden’s Rasmus Svenningsson set to don the number one bib after his success 11 months ago. He also finished in third at the event in 2021 and fourth in 2023 – so Nelson Mandela Bay is a happy hunting ground for him.

In fact there are a plethora of triathletes who have earned podium finishes at the race ready to contend again. 2024 runner-up Mathias Petersen boasts back-to-back podiums in South Africa, Australia’s Cam Wurf has three top-five finishes in four starts and Bradley Weiss has a pair of runner-up medals in his home country.

Elsewhere, New Zealand’s Mike Phillips won IRONMAN New Zealand in early March and USA’s Matt Hanson is a six-time IRONMAN race winner.

The full start list for Pro Men is as follows:

• M1 – Rasmus Svenningsson (SWE)
• M2 – Magnus Ditlev (DEN)
• M3 – Marten Van Riel (BEL)
• M4 – Leon Chevalier (FRA)
• M5 – Bradley Weiss (RSA)
• M6 – Matthew Hanson (USA)
• M7 – Stenn Goetstouwers (BEL)
• M8 – Cameron Wurf (AUS)
• M9 – Mike Phillips (NZL)
• M10 – Mathias Lyngsø Petersen (DEN)
• M11 – Jamie Riddle (RSA)
• M12 – James Teagle (GBR)
• M13 – Jonas Hoffman (GER)
• M15 – Mattia Ceccarelli (ITA)
• M17 – Matt Burton (AUS)
• M18 – Joshua Lewis (GBR)
• M19 – Michael Weiss (AUT)
• M20 – Pamphiel Pareyn (BEL)
• M21 – Florian Angert (GER)
• M22 – Nicholas Chase (USA)
• M23 – Jon Breivold (NOR)
• M24 – Cody Beals (CAN)
• M25 – Paulin Philippe (FRA)
• M26 – Jacobi Erwan (FRA)
• M28 – Vincent Clavel (FRA)
• M29 – Timo Schaffeld (GER)
• M30 – Julien Hagen (FRA)
• M31 – Denis Chevrot (FRA)
• M32 – Matthew Collins (GBR)
• M33 – Sven Wies (GER)
• M34 – Pello Osoro (ESP)
• M35 – Cameron MacNair (RSA)
• M36 – Andrew Horsfall-Turner (GBR)
• M37 – William Mennesson (FRA)
• M38 – Milosz Sowinski (POL)
• M39 – Jonas Schomburg (GER)
• M40 – Niek Heldoom (NED)
• M41 – Juan Ignacio Villarruel Curra (ESP)
• M42 – Georg Enzenberger (AUT)
• M43 – Kit Walker (GBR)
• M44 – Mikel Txopitea (PAL)
• M45 – Lukas Schnoedewind (GER)
• M46 – Keegan Cooke (RSA)
• M47 – Per Van Vlerken (GER)
• M48 – Michael Hesse (RSA)
• M49 – Thomas McManners (FIN)
• M50 – Michiel Stockman (BEL)

Pro Women start list

The women’s race appears to be wide open with six triathletes ranked in the PTO’s top 50 all set to compete.

Defending champion Sanchez claimed victory 11 months ago in a time of 9:15:36. The Spaniard raced three full-distance races in 2024 – winning at IRONMAN Barcelona in addition to her South Africa success and finishing sixth at the World Championship in Nice.

2021 winner Ruth Astle will also be on the start line, with the British star looking for better days ahead after a tough couple of years. She was able to finish only one race in 2024 and three in 2023 with injuries taking their toll. However she does boast a trio of IRONMAN race victories.

Visser meanwhile ranks fourth in the field on the swim, first on the bike and fourth on the run. She raced 16 times in 2024 and owns three full-distance victories in her career.

2024 IRONMAN Cozumel winner Reischmann will eager to back up that November performance with a Pro Series win. The German defeated the field in Mexico by over six minutes, recording the fastest bike leg and marathon on the day.

The full start list for Pro Women is as follows:

• F1 – Marta Sanchez (ESP)
• F3 – Maja Stage Nielsen (DEN)
• F4 – Els Visser (NED)
• F5 – Anne Reischmann (GER)
• F6 – Anna Bergsten (SWE)
• F7 – Katrine Græsbøll Christensen (DEN)
• F8 – Magda Nieuwoudt (RSA)
• F9 – Jana Uderstadt (GER)
• F10 – Henrike Güber (GER)
• F11 – Charlène Clavel (FRA)
• F12 – Ruth Astle (GBR)
• F13 – Laura Jansen (GER)
• F14 – Svenja Thoes (GER)
• F15 – Nikita Pasklewlez (FRA)
• F16 – Johanna Ahrens (GER)
• F17 – Laura Kessler (SUI)
• F19 – Olivia Dietzel (USA)
• F20 – Laura Addie (GBR)
• F21 – Chloe Lane (AUS)
• F22 – Jamie Besse (SUI)