After the fast times at the end of 2015 there has been some discussion about continental and national “records” over the Ironman-distance. Because of doubts about the accuracy of courses, comparing times from different courses is always a bit tricky, but here is an overview of the data I was able to compile.
Please let me know if I missed some older results that are better than the continental and national records in this list!
Continental Records
Female Athletes
| Continent | Athlete | Nation | Time | Date | Race |
| Africa | McEwan, Dianne | ZAF | 09:37:45 | 14.04.13 | IM South Africa |
| Asia/Pacific | Shiono, Emi | JPN | 09:23:26 | 01.03.08 | IM New Zealand |
| Australia | Carfrae, Mirinda | AUS | 08:38:53 | 20.07.14 | Challenge Roth |
| Europe | Wellington, Chrissie | GBR | 08:18:13 | 10.07.11 | Challenge Roth |
| North America | Corbin, Linsey | USA | 08:42:42 | 29.06.14 | IM Austria |
| South America | Monticeli, Ariane | BRA | 08:59:08 | 31.05.15 | IM Brasil |
Male Athletes
| Continent | Athlete | Nation | Time | Date | Race |
| Africa | Cunnama, James | ZAF | 07:59:59 | 08.07.12 | Challenge Roth |
| Asia/Pacific | Vernay, Patrick | NCL | 08:03:46 | 12.07.09 | Challenge Roth |
| Australia | McCormack, Chris | AUS | 07:54:23 | 24.06.07 | Challenge Roth |
| Europe | Raelert, Andreas | GER | 07:41:33 | 10.07.11 | Challenge Roth |
| North America | Starykowicz, Andrew | USA | 07:55:22 | 02.11.13 | IM Florida |
| South America | Amorelli, Igor | BRA | 07:59:36 | 31.05.15 | IM Brasil |
National Records
Sometimes, the nation of an athlete is not clear – often athletes are listed with their country of residence (e.g. foreign athletes staying in Boulder), and some athletes have dual citizenships. Please let me know if I have mis-attributed a fast result by an athlete to the wrong country!
Female Athletes
| Nation | Athlete | Total | Date | Race |
| AUS | Carfrae, Mirinda | 08:38:53 | 20.07.14 | Challenge Roth |
| AUT | Wutti, Eva | 08:37:36 | 18.08.13 | IM Copenhagen |
| BEL | Goos, Sofie | 08:57:08 | 29.06.14 | IM Austria |
| BRA | Monticeli, Ariane | 08:59:08 | 31.05.15 | IM Brasil |
| CAN | Naeth, Angela | 08:54:55 | 28.09.14 | IM Chattanooga |
| CZE | Reed, Lucie | 08:57:34 | 06.10.13 | Challenge Barcelona |
| DEN | Pedersen, Camilla | 08:56:01 | 07.07.13 | IM Germany |
| FIN | Lehtonen, Kaisa | 08:48:40 | 04.10.15 | IM Barcelona |
| FRA | Collonge, Jeanne | 09:20:51 | 23.06.13 | IM France |
| GBR | Wellington, Chrissie | 08:18:13 | 10.07.11 | Challenge Roth |
| GER | Wallenhorst, Sandra | 08:47:26 | 13.07.08 | IM Austria |
| HUN | Csomor, Erika | 08:47:05 | 13.07.08 | Challenge Roth |
| IRL | Mullan, Eimear | 08:56:51 | 04.10.15 | IM Barcelona |
| ITA | Niederfriniger, Edith | 08:59:45 | 13.07.08 | IM Austria |
| NED | Van Vlerken, Yvonne | 08:43:07 | 02.11.13 | IM Florida |
| NZL | Martin, Britta | 08:56:34 | 07.12.14 | IM Western Australia |
| SUI | Steffen, Caroline | 08:34:51 | 24.03.12 | IM Melbourne |
| SWE | Lundstroem, Asa | 09:02:49 | 22.03.15 | IM Melbourne |
| UKR | Kozulina, Tamara | 09:06:42 | 13.07.08 | IM Austria |
| USA | Corbin, Linsey | 08:42:42 | 29.06.14 | IM Austria |
| ZAF | McEwan, Dianne | 09:37:45 | 14.04.13 | IM South Africa |
Male Athletes
| Nation | Athlete | Finish | Date | Race |
| AUS | McCormack, Chris | 07:54:23 | 24.06.07 | Challenge Roth |
| AUT | Weiss, Michael | 07:57:39 | 03.07.11 | IM Austria |
| BEL | Vanhoenacker, Marino | 07:45:58 | 03.07.11 | IM Austria |
| BMU | Butterfield, Tyler | 08:05:22 | 31.05.15 | IM Brasil |
| BRA | Amorelli, Igor | 07:59:36 | 31.05.15 | IM Brasil |
| CAN | McMahon, Brent | 07:55:48 | 16.11.14 | IM Arizona |
| CZE | Ospaly, Filip | 07:58:44 | 02.11.13 | IM Florida |
| DEN | Henning, Rasmus | 07:52:36 | 18.07.10 | Challenge Roth |
| ESP | Rana, Ivan | 07:48:43 | 29.06.14 | IM Austria |
| EST | Albert, Marko | 08:08:17 | 03.07.11 | IM Austria |
| FRA | Chevrot, Denis | 08:05:58 | 07.12.14 | IM Western Australia |
| GBR | Amey, Paul | 08:01:29 | 19.11.11 | IM Arizona |
| GER | Raelert, Andreas | 07:41:33 | 10.07.11 | Challenge Roth |
| LUX | Bockel, Dirk | 07:52:01 | 14.07.13 | Challenge Roth |
| NCL | Vernay, Patrick | 08:03:46 | 12.07.09 | Challenge Roth |
| NED | Van der Marel, Jan | 07:57:46 | 04.09.1999 | Almere Triathlon |
| NZL | Brown, Cameron | 08:00:12 | 24.03.12 | IM Melbourne |
| POR | Marques, Sergio | 08:05:21 | 06.10.13 | Challenge Barcelona |
| SLO | Plese, David | 08:02:20 | 04.10.15 | IM Barcelona |
| SUI | Schildknecht, Ronnie | 07:59:42 | 05.11.11 | IM Florida |
| SWE | Nilsson, Patrik | 08:08:05 | 15.08.15 | IM Sweden |
| USA | Starykowicz, Andrew | 07:55:22 | 02.11.13 | IM Florida |
| ZAF | Cunnama, James | 07:59:59 | 08.07.12 | Challenge Roth |
Notes
There are a few records that need some explanations.
Female African & South African Record
I have listed Dianne McEwan (now Dianne Emery who became a mom in January) as the African record holder, but she herself considers Annah Watkinson’s 9:31 from IM Austria 2015 as the record. Annah has been racing as an age-grouper then, and because of the different race dynamics from the Pro race I’m not counting her result. But Annah has turned Pro this season, so there’s a good chance we will see a new African record this year, maybe as early as IM South Africa!
Male Canadian Record
Lionel Sanders sent me the following tweet after I posted the fastest times:
Lionel is right that Peter finished in 7:51:56 in 1999. However, it is accepted that the marathon in Klagenfurt was short (Peter ran a 2:35:21!) – probably by more than 1k. With Peter being a great athlete and fast runner, one could speculate if he could have finished faster than Brent’s 7:55:48, but I’ve decided to not accept his time as a record.
Male Dutch Record
Jefry Visier, the Operational Director of Challenge Almere, was going through older Almere results and found four times (three by Jan Van der Marel and one by Frank Heldoorn) that were quicker than the one I had from Bas Diederen.