IRONMAN Pro Series Start Lists Announced For IRONMAN 70.3 Zell Am See-Kaprun

August 20, 2024

– IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun triathlon in Salzburg, Austria, offers a maximum of 2,500 points towards the IRONMAN Pro Series Standings and a total event pro prize purse of $50,000

– Defending champion Daniela Bleymehl (DEU) returns to the start line in the women’s race hoping to improve on her sixth position in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings, and is joined by nine other women currently in the top 20 of the standings

– German athletes start as favourites in the men’s race, with Jan Stratmann (DEU) returning to the event hoping to improve on his second place finish from last year, while Nicholas Mann (DEU) is in great form with two IRONMAN Pro Series race wins to his name

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LONDON, UK / TAMPA, Fla. (August 20, 2024) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Next week, over 100 professional triathletes are anticipated to compete in the Austrian lake town of Zell am See for the 15th stop in the IRONMAN Pro Series™. The IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Zell am See-Kaprun triathlon, taking place on Sunday 1 September 2024, will also be the final event before the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship^® racing gets underway first in Nice, France for the women and then in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i for the men.

The IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun event offers a maximum of 2,500 IRONMAN Pro Series points, a total event pro prize purse of $50,000, and three qualifying slots per gender to the 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon in Marbella, Spain. The race will be broadcast for free across multiple platforms for global viewers including proseries.ironman.com, Outside TV, DAZN, L’Équipe in France, and YouTube among others.

In the women’s professional race, 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun champion Daniela Bleymehl (DEU) wears bib number one as she returns to the start line to defend her title. The German currently sits sixth in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings and a strong result here could further elevate her up the table. Sitting one place above Bleymehl in the standings is Kylie Simpson (AUS), who has raced consistently so far this season with four top 10 finishes in IRONMAN Pro Series races, including third at the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns race. Simpson will no doubt be hoping for a good performance that further cements her top five placing.

Kat Matthews (GBR), who is currently on a winning streak after first places at the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN^® North American Championship Texas and IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz triathlons, will also be racing in her bid to climb to the top of the IRONMAN Pro Series standings.

Looking to give Matthews a run for her money will be middle distance specialists Ellie Salthouse (AUS) and Laura Madsen (DNK), the former sitting 17th in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings after finishing on the podium in all three of her IRONMAN 70.3 races this year, while the young Danish athlete Madsen has two IRONMAN 70.3 wins to her name, one at the IRONMAN 70.3 Les Sables d’Olonne-Vendée triathlon, an IRONMAN Pro Series race, and one at the IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia triathlon.

Three athletes looking to add a strong IRONMAN 70.3 score to their IRONMAN Pro Series tallies are Lotte Wilms (NLD), Hannah Berry (NZL), and Els Visser (NLD), who sit 10th, 11th and 12th in the standings respectively. All three athletes have two IRONMAN scores counting towards their IRONMAN Pro Series totals to date.

Other notable female professionals taking to the IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun start line are Daniela Kleiser (DEU), who finished second in this event last year, and Lauren Brandon (USA), currently sitting 14th in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings. Local Austrian interest comes in the shape of Sabrina Exenberger, Lisa-Maria Dornauer and Tanja Stroschneider.

In the men’s professional race, Jan Stratmann will be hoping to continue the German dominance at the IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun triathlon. Stratmann finished second in this race last year and has already collected a second-place finish at the IRONMAN 70.3 Alcúdia-Mallorca triathlon, an IRONMAN Pro Series race, so far this year.

Perhaps the athlete to beat in the men’s race, however, is Nicholas Mann (DEU). The 24-year-old German has competed in two middle distance IRONMAN Pro Series races this year, winning both, and is placed 50th in the Pro Series standings.

Other athletes racing and finely poised in the IRONMAN Pro Series include Gregory Barnaby, currently in 10th position after a podium position at the Mainova IRONMAN European Championship race in Frankfurt, Arnaud Gilloux (FRA), in 11th position, Stenn Goetstouwers (BEL), who finished third at the 2023 Zell am See-Kaprun race and currently sits in 18^th position, Robert Kallin (SWE) in 22^nd, and Clément Mignon (FRA), in 26^th.

Other contenders include Anthony Costes, (FRA), Denis Chevrot (FRA), Jelle Geens (BEL), Mika Noodt (DEU), Mike Phillips (NZL), Bradley Weiss (ZAF), and fan-favourite Cameron Wurf (AUS).

Alongside the professional athletes, there will be nearly 2,500 age-groupers battling it out to earn age-group qualifying slots for the 2025 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon in Marbella, Spain.

All athletes will take on a one-loop 1.9km (1.2-mile) swim in Lake Zell set to the spectacular backdrop of the glacier-covered Austrian Alps, before continuing their race along the one-loop 90km (56-mile) bike course around mountains offering steep climbs and fast descents with a total of 860m altitude. The 21.1km (13.1-mile) two-loop run course follows the shores of the stunning Lake Zell and takes runners through the charming old town of Zell am See in the heart of the Austrian Alps.

Below is the pro start lists (subject to change):

For more information on the IRONMAN Pro Series visit here.

For more information about the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun triathlon, please visit ironman.com/im703-zell-am-see. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About IRONMAN Pro Series

The IRONMAN Pro Series™ is a year-long performance-based world series that will see professional triathletes earn points at 20 select races in 19 locations globally to vie for the title of IRONMAN Pro Series Champion and a share of the lucrative USD $1.7 million year-end bonus prize pool. Athletes will also continue to battle for each individual event’s prize money equating to over USD $2.5 million and coveted world championship qualifying slots. The IRONMAN Pro Series will consist of six full-distance IRONMAN^® triathlons and 10 half-distance IRONMAN^® 70.3^® triathlons in addition to the split location women’s and men’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship^® triathlons and two-day women’s and men’s VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlons. Open to approximately 1,000 eligible professional triathletes worldwide, the IRONMAN Pro Series will usher in a new era of IRONMAN racing where Every Second Matters with every second behind the race winner equating to a point earned or lost. Incorporating iconic distances, challenging courses, and stunning destinations, every IRONMAN Pro Series race will be broadcast live and free to a global audience. An additional 18 events throughout 2024 will also offer IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 professional racing and world championship qualifying opportunities, as well as over USD $1.6 million in prize money to create a total 2024 professional prize purse of nearly USD $6 million. For more information, visit proseries.ironman.com.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 14,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.