Looking Back To What Occurred Last Year
With Ironman Hamburg coming up in 2024, I can’t help but to think back to the accident that happened last year and to the motorbike driver who died while following the race. If you want to refresh your memory, I refer you back to Tim Heming’s in-depth look for Triathlete Magazine and a closer look at how I experienced last year’s race.
Following the accident, Ironman has made a number of changes to make a similar accident much less likely, among them
- reduction of the number of press motorbike on the course
- more scrutiny and better education of motorbike drivers
- course changes to avoid traffic going in both directions
Some of these changes were already implemented in the races immediately after IM Hamburg last year (e.g. at Ironman Frankfurt), and some more will be visible this year. For example, a new bike course was only announced four weeks before the race and is apparently not without its own challenges – see this German article by triathlon Magazine. Another issue that is making me a bit uneasy: A few of the early Ironman Pro Series events had huge Pro fields, leading to a lot of athletes in close proximity. For example, the startlist for 70.3 Oceanside had 80 men and 37 women. This potentially makes drafting again a much bigger issue, and it also creates problems for the fairness and integrity of the female Pro race when a small gap between the starts makes the fastest women overtake many Pro men already in the swim. Hopefully, this concern is unlikely to be a factor in this year’s women’s Pro European Championship as no Pro men are racing in Hamburg and the startlist only has 30 females.
I hope that the changes that have been implemented will help to create a safe and fair race in Hamburg 2024!
Previous Winners
| Year | Male Winner | Time | Female Winner | Time |
| 2017 | James Cunnama (ZAF) | 08:00:36 | Daniela Bleymehl (GER) | 09:07:49 |
| 2018 | Bart Aernouts (BEL) | 07:05:26 | Sarah Crowley (AUS) | 08:08:21 |
| 2019 | Kristian Hogenhaug (DEN) | 08:11:26 | Susie Cheetham (GBR) | 08:58:02 |
| 2021 | Laura Zimmermann (GER) | 08:54:30 | ||
| 2022 | Laura Philipp (GER) | 08:18:20 | ||
| 2023 | Denis Chevrot (FRA) | 07:26:20 |
Last Race’s TOP 3
Male Race Results (2023)
| Rank | Name | Nation | Swim | Bike | Run | Time |
| 1 | Denis Chevrot | FRA | 00:46:40 | 04:01:37 | 02:31:38 | 07:26:20 |
| 2 | Pieter Heemeryck | BEL | 00:46:43 | 04:00:24 | 02:37:36 | 07:31:00 |
| 3 | Kristian Hogenhaug | DEN | 00:46:46 | 03:57:00 | 02:40:01 | 07:31:11 |
Female Race Results (2022)
| Rank | Name | Nation | Swim | Bike | Run | Time |
| 1 | Laura Philipp | GER | 00:54:38 | 04:31:14 | 02:45:38 | 08:18:20 |
| 2 | Chelsea Sodaro | USA | 00:54:38 | 04:35:09 | 03:00:20 | 08:36:41 |
| 3 | Manon Genet | FRA | 00:54:40 | 04:47:52 | 03:02:43 | 08:52:01 |
Course Records
| Leg | Gender | Record | Athlete | Date |
| Total | overall | 08:00:36 | James Cunnama | 2017-08-13 |
| Swim | overall | 00:47:38 | Carlos Lopez Diaz | 2017-08-13 |
| Bike | overall | 04:17:29 | Kristian Hogenhaug | 2019-07-28 |
| Run | overall | 02:40:58 | James Cunnama | 2017-08-13 |
| Total | female | 08:18:20 | Laura Philipp | 2022-06-05 |
| Swim | female | 00:47:45 | Lauren Brandon | 2021-08-29 |
| Bike | female | 04:31:14 | Laura Philipp | 2022-06-05 |
| Run | female | 02:45:38 | Laura Philipp | 2022-06-05 |
Course Rating
The Course Rating for IM Hamburg is 17:29.
Race Adjustments for IM Hamburg
| Year | Adjustment | Swim Adj. | Bike Adj. | Run Adj. | # of Finishers | Rating | Swim Rating | Bike Rating | Run Rating |
| 2017 | 05:17 | 00:18 | 00:45 | 04:54 | 18 of 20 | 05:17 | -00:21 | 00:45 | 04:54 |
| 2019 | 07:49 | -02:09 | 09:50 | 00:31 | 21 of 35 | 06:33 | -01:27 | 05:18 | 02:42 |
| 2021 | 18:21 | 01:12 | 14:51 | 03:31 | 10 of 13 | 10:29 | -00:58 | 08:29 | 02:59 |
| 2022 | 23:58 | 00:54 | 17:43 | 05:49 | 10 of 12 | 13:52 | -00:37 | 10:47 | 03:41 |
| 2023 | 31:57 | 01:28 | 24:22 | 07:19 | 36 of 43 | 17:29 | -00:26 | 13:30 | 04:25 |
Nice slots and Prize Money
IM Hamburg has 6 Pro Nice slot(s). It has a total prize purse of 87.500 US$, paying 10 deep.
Female Race Participants
The strength of the field is 20% of a typical Kona field.
| # | Bib | Name | Nat | Expected | Rating | ESwim | EBike | ET2 | ERun | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Katrina Matthews (KQ) | GBR | 08:34:04 | 08:50:15 | 00:55:02 | 04:42:09 | 05:42:11 | 02:51:53 | 78% +0% -22% (8) |
| 2 | 2 | Fenella Langridge (KQ) | GBR | 08:45:09 | 09:04:33 | 00:50:56 | 04:42:15 | 05:38:12 | 03:06:57 | 71% +8% -21% (9) |
| 3 | 4 | Maja Stage Nielsen (KQ) | DEN | 08:49:33 | 09:08:49 | 00:54:56 | 04:46:08 | 05:46:04 | 03:03:29 | 80% +11% -8% (17) |
| 4 | 3 | Daniela Bleymehl | GER | 08:52:21 | 09:21:17 | 00:58:42 | 04:37:41 | 05:41:23 | 03:10:58 | 26% +4% -70% (22) |
| 5 | 9 | Els Visser (KQ) | NED | 08:54:22 | 09:11:52 | 00:58:11 | 04:43:40 | 05:46:51 | 03:07:31 | 91% +9% -0% (15) |
| 6 | 8 | Laura Jansen * | GER | 08:56:11 | 09:22:29 | 00:59:12 | 04:49:56 | 05:54:08 | 03:02:03 | 59% +0% -41% (3) |
| 7 | 7 | Sara Svensk | SWE | 08:57:13 | 09:14:35 | 00:58:56 | 04:41:23 | 05:45:20 | 03:11:53 | 27% +14% -59% (11) |
| 8 | 25 | Katrine Graesboell Christensen | DEN | 09:01:33 | 09:22:57 | 01:03:49 | 04:54:45 | 06:03:35 | 02:57:58 | 100% +0% -0% (4) |
| 9 | 20 | Henrike Gueber | GER | 09:01:41 | 09:39:39 | 01:05:00 | 04:48:11 | 05:58:11 | 03:03:30 | 33% +0% -67% (3) |
| 10 | 31 | Erin Schenkels (KQ) | CAN | 09:02:53 | 09:35:52 | 01:00:59 | 04:54:28 | 06:00:28 | 03:02:25 | 44% +56% -0% (4) |
| 11 | 21 | Dimity-Lee Duke | AUS | 09:11:39 | 09:39:58 | 01:00:14 | 04:58:40 | 06:03:54 | 03:07:45 | 43% +1% -56% (23) |
| 12 | 13 | Alexandra Tondeur | BEL | 09:12:01 | 09:34:46 | 00:59:39 | 05:01:41 | 06:06:19 | 03:05:42 | 37% +2% -61% (14) |
| 13 | 12 | Carolin Lehrieder | GER | 09:12:34 | 09:57:20 | 00:56:08 | 04:45:26 | 05:46:34 | 03:26:00 | 13% +5% -83% (24) |
| 14 | 5 | Joanna Ryter | SUI | 09:12:56 | 09:37:09 | 01:05:43 | 05:03:10 | 06:13:52 | 02:59:04 | 69% +4% -27% (14) |
| 15 | 14 | Kristin Liepold | GER | 09:13:12 | 09:35:27 | 01:08:07 | 04:59:18 | 06:12:26 | 03:00:46 | 83% +15% -2% (34) |
| 16 | 10 | Elisabetta Curridori | ITA | 09:14:02 | 09:37:45 | 00:57:37 | 04:59:10 | 06:01:47 | 03:12:15 | 45% +0% -55% (6) |
| 17 | 17 | Katharina Wolff | GER | 09:16:06 | 09:51:56 | 00:59:10 | 05:01:07 | 06:05:17 | 03:10:49 | 35% +22% -43% (7) |
| 18 | 15 | Margrit Elfers * | GER | 09:26:36 | 09:55:48 | 01:01:22 | 04:50:34 | 05:56:56 | 03:29:40 | 38% +18% -45% (8) |
| 19 | 6 | Jackie Hering | USA | 09:27:35 | 09:51:33 | 00:56:14 | 05:13:21 | 06:14:35 | 03:13:00 | 64% +16% -20% (15) |
| 20 | 22 | Line Borsinski | DEN | 09:34:11 | 10:08:21 | 01:03:33 | 05:00:39 | 06:09:13 | 03:24:58 | 42% +0% -58% (4) |
| 21 | 16 | Rebecca Anderbury | GBR | 09:41:02 | 10:30:55 | 01:05:29 | 04:50:15 | 06:00:44 | 03:40:18 | 48% +52% -0% (2) |
| 22 | 29 | Cathrine Sand | DEN | 09:43:01 | 10:10:57 | 01:01:41 | 05:05:57 | 06:12:38 | 03:30:23 | 100% +0% -0% (4) |
| 23 | 28 | Hannah Arlom | GER | 09:46:22 | 10:21:14 | 01:02:11 | 05:09:06 | 06:16:17 | 03:30:05 | n/a (1 IM Pro race) |
| 24 | 30 | Sabrina Exenberger * | AUT | 09:52:27 | 10:22:40 | 01:12:20 | 05:07:17 | 06:24:37 | 03:27:50 | 100% +0% -0% (2) |
| 25 | 23 | Fabia Maramotti | ITA | 10:12:53 | 10:49:21 | 00:55:04 | 05:03:59 | 06:04:02 | 04:08:51 | n/a (1 IM Pro race) |
| 26 | 27 | Annika Timm | GER | 10:17:53 | 10:48:49 | 01:11:40 | 05:06:48 | 06:23:28 | 03:54:25 | 35% +0% -65% (4) |
| 27 | 19 | Maria Florencia Diaz Philippi | ESP | 10:18:22 | 10:55:09 | 01:11:24 | 05:34:16 | 06:50:40 | 03:27:42 | n/a (1 IM Pro race) |
| 11 | Julie Iemmolo | FRA | n/a | unrated | unrated | unrated | unrated | unrated | n/a (no IM Pro race) | |
| 18 | Stephanie Wunderle | GER | n/a | unrated | unrated | unrated | unrated | unrated | n/a (no IM Pro race) | |
| 24 | Lisa Gerss | GER | n/a | unrated | unrated | unrated | unrated | unrated | n/a (no IM Pro race) | |
| 26 | Sabrina Roth | GER | n/a | unrated | unrated | unrated | unrated | unrated | n/a (no IM Pro race) |
Note: Athletes with a ‘*’ are also registered for another race within 8 days.
Winning Odds
Female Race Participants
- Katrina Matthews: 57% (1-1)
- Fenella Langridge: 14% (6-1)
- Maja Stage Nielsen: 10% (9-1)
- Els Visser: 8% (12-1)
- Daniela Bleymehl: 5% (18-1)
- Erin Schenkels: 2% (62-1)