Search
shop

Jan Frodeno “speechless” after powering to record

Jan Frodeno was left "speechless" after overcoming a fall and poor conditions to set a new iron-distance best time in Germany on Sunday.
Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Jan Frodeno was left “speechless” after powering to a new record iron-distance time in Sunday’s Zwift Tri Battle Royale in Germany.

Frodeno overcame the pain of a fall during the closing run to storm home in a new best of 7:27:53. He was more than 15 minutes clear of rival Lionel Sanders, who himself clocked a personal best of 7:43:28.

Everything pre-event had been set up with the aim of chasing a new iron-distance record – Frodeno already owned the previous standard with 7:35:39 at Challenge Roth back in 2016.

The weather did not play ball however, with cold and wet conditions in the Allgäu region hampering the two combatants.

Advertisement

Unbelievably hard – Jan Frodeno

Frodeno admitted afterwards: “That was hard, so unbelievably hard. You haven’t done an ironman for two years and you race it like a 70.3, that’s a mistake in the beginning.

“Massive thank you to everybody who came out It was so tough because it was cold and it was rainy. Everybody was out and It was really quite something. I’m speechless but I’m a broken man right now.

“The truth is, it’s not exactly what’s referred to as Frodeno weather – so I’m sorry to everybody who came out and endured the conditions – it’s amazing. I have to say it got quite cold on the bike, but really it was just amazing to do this kind of thing.”

While the physical pain was significant for Frodeno, he also recounted the mental stress of constantly calculating where he was from a time perspective.

Jan Frodeno Zwift Tri Battle Royale 2021
A moment of reflection for Jan Frodeno after clocking 7:27:53 (Photo Credit: Joern Pollex)

Doing the math

“It was so clinical because you never had to look up, you could just try to go as fast as possible,” he said.

“I was doing the maths in my head, I don’t think I’ve ever calculated so much – 1 minute 20s, one kilometre at 45km/h. I don’t know how many times I’ve worked that out.

“Same thing on the run, trying to keep the time as fast as possible of course. We dreamt of this but I didn’t have a time in my head. Lionel said he wanted to go 7:29 and I’m like ‘I’ve gotta go faster than that if he’s going 7:29’.”

Frodeno also paid tribute to his valiant opponent, saying: “Lionel is a great athlete who has pushed me further and further over the last two years and who was on for a world record here for a long time, which many people certainly did not expect of him.”

Graham Shaw
Written by
Graham Shaw
Graham has been involved with TRI247 & RUN247 since the summer of 2021. Since then he has provided strategic direction for all news and is passionate about the growth of triathlon as a fan sport.
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumHow to pace a triathlon to leave it all out there WITHOUT blowing up
FORM Smart Swim 2 PRO lens close up
FORM Smart Swim Pro 2 Goggles review: can these high tech goggles actually help you to train smarter and swim faster?
Premium‘The difference from triathlon is so big – there’s no comparison’: Maya Kingma on life in the Women’s WorldTour peloton
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
TRIFIT VORTEX tri suit
The small but mighty tri brand you NEED to know about: Why TRI-FIT are on a mission to disrupt the triathlon apparel scene
latest News
Sam Laidlow bike IRONMAN Leeds 2025
Laidlow and Skipper hail anti-drafting progress – but highlight bigger issues
Julia Skala end of Norseman 2025
“A fight for self-worth, strength and healing,” Julia Skala on world’s toughest triathlon
Steve McKenna got the win at the 40th edition of IRONMAN New Zealand.
Star IRONMAN athlete clocks a sub-2:20 marathon – and says there’s more to come
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘Yo Yo Yo – London is calling’ – Sam Long the latest big name added to stellar T100 start lists
Kristian Grue wins Norseman 2025
Norseman 2025: Grue and Skala conquer ‘Zombie Hill’ and the world’s TOUGHEST triathlon
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...