Search
shop

Nick Kastelein reflects on ‘special’ IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz win

Hugely significant victory as Aussie confirms his comeback from a series of injuries in style in Northern Spain
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Sunday’s IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz proved to be as special as it was dramatic for winner Nick Kastelein.

After coming out of the water first in Northern Spain, Kastelein would then find himself out of the top 10 by the end of the bike, as fellow Aussie Cameron Wurf powered out in front – with his closest competitor Tobias Dahl Thomsen (DEN) 9:32 behind in second place.

Kastelein, who now lives in Girona, Spain, had prepared well for the run however, doing two-hour training runs during the heat of the day and with around 5km remaining – caught up to Wurf.

Setting a 2:43:28 marathon, Kastelein posted an overall time of 7:52:50 on his way to securing a spot at Kona – two years on from sustaining a fractured pelvis and broken ribs.

Advertisement

‘I needed it’

Kastelein, whose only other IRONMAN win came in Switzerland in 2017, had only returned to racing last year after he was involved in a bike crash with training partner Jan Frodeno while descending Montseny, near Barcelona, in 2020.

Since then, the Aussie has admitted he has struggled to put together a run of consistent performances, which have included a third place finish at Challenge Mogán-Gran Canaria and DNF at IRONMAN Lanzarote in 2021.

Despite this however, Kastelein managed to dig deep on Sunday, showcasing his ability on the run, and now has a place at the IRONMAN World Championship in October.

nick kastelein cameron wurf podium vitoria gasteiz photo credit IRONMAN
Kastelein celebrates a famous win [Photo credit: IRONMAN]

He said: “It’s very special because I fractured my pelvis in 2020 and I’ve had a year of bad form, you know trying to find this new form, new way of racing and it’s my second ever win at the IRONMAN distance and I needed it.”

Finding his feet

Despite posting a best-of-the-day run, Kastelein says he was slow at the start of the marathon and knew he had a lot of work to do after coming off the bike outside the top 10 positions.

“I didn’t know a lot of the times and I knew I was a long way back and I didn’t know how long,” he said.

“I just ran my own pace and I think the first few kilometres were quite slow, like 4:30s, I just needed to find my feet and then it’s a 42km run and I needed all 42km today.”

And runner-up Wurf was among those pay tribute to Kastelein’s persistence, saying: “This was a very classy performance by him.

“I know he’s had a really tough few years and has worked really hard this year and I’m really happy to be on the podium with him and to qualify for Kona alongside him is really special.”

Written by
Joe Duckers
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Taylor Knibb 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupo New Zealand
US triathlon phenom Taylor Knibb hails great rival Kat Matthews for record-breaking IRONMAN Texas win
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
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...