Search
shop

‘Dude is legit’: Lionel Sanders says Iden the man to beat for years to come

Lionel Sanders heaped praise on Gustav Iden after IRONMAN Florida, saying the Norwegian will be the man to beat for many many years.
Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Lionel Sanders didn’t need to race at IRONMAN Florida on Saturday, but he had one very special reason for doing so – he wanted to be there on the day Gustav Iden did his first Ironman.

The 33-year-old Canadian had already wrapped up spots for next year’s two IRONMAN World Championship races in St George (May) and Kona (October). The lure and “privilege” of racing Iden on his full-distance debut though was too big to turn down.

In the end the pair produced a great battle, racing together until around 17 miles into a blistering marathon. Then Iden pulled clear as Sanders slowed, and claimed a convincing victory by just under six minutes.

Both men delivered great run times – Iden an eye-popping 2:34:51 on his full-distance debut, Sanders a 2:40:43. Gustav also broke the race record time of 7:46:28 set by Joe Skipper in 2019, clocking 7:42:57.

Afterwards Sanders, now coached like Gustav by Iden’s brother Mikal, paid tribute to his rival – saying “dude is legit” – and reflected on “a great battle”.

Sanders ‘thought he had’ Iden

He said: “I was all in, I was going for the win and I was either gonna win or I was gonna walk the second half and I went for it, I didn’t walk the second half but I also didn’t win.

“It was a great battle, this guy is tough as nails and to be honest with you, I thought I had him. I thought I had you Gustav, were you faking me? Were you faking me a little bit?

“This guy is moaning and groaning for the first 10 miles, I was like ‘this guy’s gonna drop in two seconds’ – no, it didn’t happen.”

It absolutely didn’t happen, and post-race Sanders lavished high praise on the two-time 70.3 World Champion.

“I wanted to see Gustav first-hand, I didn’t really need to come – I have my Kona spot, I’ve got my St George spot. But I could not miss the opportunity to race this guy – this is the guy who we’re going to be racing for many many years to come. I don’t know why he wants to do ITU – I don’t get it.

Gustav the one to beat now

“This is definitely the guy who is going to be the one to beat for many years to come in long-course. I had the privilege to see his first one and they’re only gonna go up from here so I got a lot of work to do.”

Saturday’s race had begun with challenging conditions for the swim, and without that Iden and Sanders would have gone even faster.

Lionel admitted: “Tough day out there so congrats to everyone who started and finished! If you didn’t make the swim cutoff, props to you as well, that was probably the hardest swim of my professional career!”

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
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
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
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Triathlon superstar Hayden Wilde to make shock comeback at London T100
Lionel Sanders wins 70.3 St George 2025 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘Intimidating’ to go into Worlds after four months off – but Lionel Sanders up for the challenge
Georgia Taylor-Brown Alex Yee Super League Triathlon Malibu 2021
Triathlon’s most decorated Olympic duo now honoured by their former University
Olav Aleksander Bu Photo credit: Roj Ferman | Surpas
Top triathlon coach Olav Aleksander Bu says it’s all about the team after Uno-X bag first Tour de France win
Danielle Lewis (USA) takes the win in Lake Placid.
IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025: Date, start time, how to watch and who’s racing
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...