Search
shop

Triathlon superstars Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden confirm plans for US race double

Iden and Blummenfelt have confirmed their upcoming race schedule
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

The Norwegian Hype Train is about to steam off to the United States ahead of the seasonal debuts of former IRONMAN World Champions Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden.

The pair are currently training in Sierra Nevada in the South of Spain, alongside fellow Norwegian Casper Stones. It was known the trio would be competing at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside on the Pacific Coast on April 5.

However, speaking on the latest edition of the Norwegian Method podcast (which you can listen to at the bottom of the article), Iden detailed the group’s plans after the April half-distance effort, with a full-distance Stateside jaunt on the agenda.

Advertisement

IRONMAN Texas and 70.3 Aix-En-Provence

“April 1 we are leaving to go to the US and we are going to stay there until the end of April,” explained Gustav.

“First we’ll go to IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside, then we will go in train in Texas ahead of the full-distance there, and then we’ll head home. After that, the next race would be May 18 in France – IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-En-Provence.”

Blummenfelt and Iden both admitted that training so far has been centred around their IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside efforts, with full-distance-specific training set to begin when the unit heads to Texas ahead of the April 26 race.

“After we have finished Oceanside we will do as much as we can to prepare for IRONMAN Texas, so that is going to be some tougher IRONMAN-specific sessions. It will also be interesting to see how Casper will responds to training heading into his first IRONMAN,” said Blummenfelt.

“We do want to get a lot of training done as we haven’t done anything IRONMAN-specific – that will come after Oceanside,” Iden added.

Avoiding altitude

Having spent a four-week block in the Spanish mountains ahead of Oceanside, Iden confirmed that the plan ahead of the full-distance race in Texas will be to acclimatise to the race location rather than spend more time at altitude.

Iden Blummenfelt run kona 2022 photo credit Tom Pennington Getty Images for IRONMAN
Blummenfelt and Iden will conduct IRONMAN-specific training in Texas [Photo credit: Tom Pennington / Getty Images for IRONMAN]

“We don’t think it’s smart to go to altitude to do preparations for an IRONMAN,” added Iden when explaining why the group were heading straight to Texas.

“You need the muscular load more than you need more then then physical improvement of the blood at altitude, so I think this block of altitude now is smart (ahead of Oceanside) and then focusing on the muscular load heading into Texas.

“Not that the half IRONMAN is that intense – racing for four hours takes quite a lot out of you, so recovering in altitude is a bit slower – so I think it’s smart to go to the race location to limit your travel, especially with three weeks in between races.”

The latter half of the 2025 schedule for Blummenfelt and Iden has also been confirmed, with IRONMAN posting on Instagram that the duo will take on IRONMAN Frankfurt (June 29), IRONMAN World Championships in Nice (September 14) and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella (November 9).

Stuart Dick
Written by
Stuart Dick
Stuart is a graduate of the University of Sunderland with a masters' degree in Sports Journalism. He spends a lot of his time running and cycling around West Yorkshire, England.
Discover more
TRI247 podcast
What is it really like to be a professional triathlete? NEW TRI247 x Challenge Family podcast takes you beyond the start lines this race season
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Let’s race… French Riviera T100
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Gustav Iden aero position body rocket
How to get better at holding your time trial position – Expert tips from former PRO time trial cyclist Alex Dowsett
latest News
Challenge Barcelona 2023 - Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hourcade
‘It’s going to be an absolute firecracker’ says Cam Wurf after booking IRONMAN World Champs spot
Maya Kingma Karlovy Vary win 2024
Two-time Olympic triathlete joins top pro cycling team – and is set to race in Giro d’Italia
Oliver Conway World Triathlon Cuo win Saidia 2025
Breakthrough World Cup win – and Brownlee Racing spot – in memorable week for British youngster
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
Triathlon superstar Lionel Sanders moving again but taking it step by step in injury battle
Magnus Ditlev - T100 San Francisco 2024 run
“I lost it mentally” – Magnus Ditlev reveals why he was shown red card at IRONMAN Frankfurt
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

Share to...