Anne Reischmann and Magnus Ditlev dominate at Ironman South Africa Championship

The second Ironman Pro Series race doubled as the South Africa Championship. In severely windy conditions, Germany’s Anne Reischmann and Denmark’s Magnus Ditlev delivered stunning victories. Both athletes overcame early deficits to claim well-earned victories in Nelson Mandela Bay.

It was a back-to-back win for Reischmann, who won her last Ironman race in 2024 at Cozumel. On the men’s side, Ditlev obliterated the bike course record on his way to a commanding win, while Belgium’s Marten Van Riel and Germany’s Jonas Schomburg also dominated early in the race up at the front on the bike and onto the run.

It was an extraordinary Ironman debut for Schomburg, who held onto seasoned pros Ditlev and Van Riel on the bike and run.

Women’s race: Reischmann’s patience pays off

As expected, Marta Sanchez from Spain led out of the water, just as she had done the previous year. But this year’s rough conditions challenged all the athletes leaving Sanchez with a swim five minutes slower than last year. That was the first glimpse into just how serious the winds were on course.

Sanchez exited the water with a 1:34 lead over Chloe Lane from Australia, with Denmark’s Maja Stage Nielsen third out of the water and just over four minutes down. Reischmann, farther back and with some work to do, exited the water eight minutes back with the chase group.

Sanchez initially extended her lead on the bike, gaining a three-minute lead at the halfway mark over Lane and Reischmann, who were battling for second.

However, disaster struck for Lane when her rear tire punctured, costing her over 15 minutes and dropping her out of the top 10.

Reischmann remained patient, and eventually made her move late in the final loop, cutting into Sanchez’s lead before making the decisive pass just before T2. With a quick transition, she started the run 30 seconds ahead of Sanchez.

Behind them, Denmark’s Katrine Graesboll Christensen was holding steady in third, five minutes back.

Reischmann runs to victory

Reischmann ran strong, extending her lead by 90 seconds on the first lap, then three minutes by the halfway point.

Sanchez battled hard and briefly cut the gap to 2:19 with 10km to go, but Reischmann found another gear, extending her lead once more to claim victory in 8:51:39 for her second straight Ironman win.

Sanchez finished second, three minutes behind, while Christensen secured third place, four minutes further back.

Men’s race: Ditlev dominates with record-breaking ride

Short-course and T100 star, Van Riel, led the swim alongside Schomburg and South Africa’s Jamie Riddle, with Great Britain’s Andrew Horsfall-Turner also in the front pack.

Van Riel exited the water first, but the biggest surprise was Ditlev’s swim deficit, over two minutes behind the chase group.

Early in the bike leg, Schomburg took the lead, but Ditlev’s renowned biking performance soon raised the stakes.

By the halfway mark, he had closed the gap and was locked in battle with Van Riel and Schomburg. Once in the lead, Ditlev was unstoppable.

He stormed ahead, beating the previous bike course record by over seven minutes, arriving in T2 with a 6:30 lead over Van Riel and Schomburg, who remained together in second and third.

Ditlev seals the deal on the run

With such a big advantage, Ditlev only needed to keep stay on top of his game to run it in first. Van Riel passed Schomburg early on, but never managed to catch Ditlev.

At the halfway mark, Ditlev still had six minutes in hand. Even as the gap closed slightly, his 2:40:38 marathon ensured a comfortable victory.

Van Riel secured second place, 4:30 behind, earning his Ironman World Championship qualification, while Schomburg’s debut ended with a remarkable third-place finish.

Germany’s Jonas Hoffmann finished fourth a little over 20 minutes later, while Jamie Riddle top the final top five spot.

The long games begin

Reischmann and Ditlev lauch their Ironman Pro Series debuts with standout performances, establishing themselves as heavy hitter this season.

Reischmann’s calculated performance and Ditlev’s powerful bike leg were the standout moments of the race, while Van Riel and Schomburg also turned heads with their strong results.

It sets the stage for more exciting performances and intense competition for the 2025 season.