BMC Pro Tri's Høgenhaug ninth in Kona's IM worlds
Kristian Høgenhaug finished the Ironman World Championship in 9th place after a well-executed race. A strong swim put him in the mix from the start. The BMC athlete excelled on the bike, making a decisive move in the final stages to begin the run in 3rd place.
After a brutal marathon with many position changes, Kristian ultimately crossed the finish line on Ali’i Drive with a time of 7:53:37, boosting his standing in the IM Pro Series. Patrick Lange (GER; 7:35:53) was crowned World Champion for the third time, with Magnus Ditlev (DEN; 7:43:39) and Rudy Von Berg (USA; 7:46:00) joining him on the podium.
In contention for a podium finish well into the marathon
Before the race, Kristian Høgenhaug had two goals: achieving a strong result on race day and using that result to advance in the IM Pro Series standings. He started with an excellent swim, keeping pace with the front group until halfway. At that point, the pace intensified, so Kristian maintained his own rhythm and exited the water in 23rd place, only a minute behind the main group.
On the bike, Høgenhaug played it smart. He managed his efforts without rushing to the front but still moved up through the field. Around the 60 km mark, the Dane joined the first chase group and was battling for podium positions, trailing leader Laidlow by three minutes. Kristian positioned himself in the middle of the pack to conserve energy. With about 40 km to go, he increased his pace, riding to the front of the group and creating a gap. After a blistering final 40 km, Høgenhaug racked his bike in 4th place and moved up to 3rd in T2, just 1:15 behind 2nd place.
Starting the marathon in 3rd, Kristian followed his race plan, managing his pace as he did on the bike. By the top of Palani Road, 12 km into the run, Høgenhaug was in 7th place, only 20 seconds behind 5th. As the heat and humidity set in, especially through Energy Lab, he maintained a close distance to his competitors. With less than 10 km to go, Kristian solidified his hold on 9th place, keeping the athletes behind him at a safe distance of at least 2:30. Giving his all to score maximum points for the IM Pro Series standings, Høgenhaug crossed the finish line in 7:53:37, securing a fantastic 9th place in the world.
Struck by Illness
In addition to Kristian Høgenhaug, Thor Bendix Madsen, Chris Leiferman, and Clément Mignon also competed in Kona.
Thor made his debut on the Big Island, finishing 40th. He faced stomach issues 10 km into the marathon but persevered to complete his first race in Hawaii, gaining valuable experience for his long-distance career.
Chris Leiferman felt powerless in the latter stages of the bike. Though he continued through the bike course and started the run, he experienced severe chills and ultimately withdrew.
Clément Mignon had a strong start, exiting the water with the lead group. However, he developed a headache and began vomiting 15 km into the bike. Due to illness, he also had to withdraw from the race.
