The stage itself is epic: 300,000 spectators, 10 hours of live television coverage and a city with over 1,200 years of dramatic history. Since 2002 it’s been the actors—the world’s best triathletes—that have turned the stage, Frankfurt am Main, and the IRONMAN European Championship, into one of triathlon's biggest showcases.
Just ask Sebastian Kienle, who turned 30 on race day last year and decided to kick off the celebrations by crowning himself IRONMAN European champion for the first time with a course-record time of 7:55:14. Three months later Kienle ensured his legacy in IRONMAN history by winning the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship, presented by GoPro in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i.
Kienle will hardly have an easy time defending his title, though, as he faces 2013 IRONMAN world champion, Frederik Van Lierde (Belgium) and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Jan “Frodo” Frodeno (Germany). "It’s going to be one tough, but exciting, day. Winning here in Frankfurt in front of my home crowd meant the world to me. If they want the title they’ll have to give me a good battle for it."
Van Lierde struggled in his title defence of his world championship last year, but proved his 2015 fitness in style at the Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship in Port Elizabeth, South Africa last month with a resounding 14-minute win over a strong field.
Frodeno’s transition to long-distance triathlon has been impressive. In his full-distance debut in Frankfurt last year the 33-year-old overcame a ripped wetsuit, bike punctures and cramping legs to finish third in 8:20:32. Frodeno repeated that feat (despite technical problems again) at the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship, placing third behind Kienle and American Ben Hoffmann.