Allgäu triathlon

Great Alpsee near Immenstadt in the Allgäu

The Allgäu Triathlon , which has been held in Immenstadt im Allgäu in the southernmost district of Germany since 1983, is the most traditional German triathlon event, in which a world championship, two European championships and eleven German championships (nine times middle distance, two times cross triathlon) have been organized.

History of the Allgäu Triathlon

On June 25, 1983 the first triathlon started in Immenstadt im Allgäu, the distances were 1.5 km swimming, 112 km cycling and 25 km running. The initiator was German Altenried, who had been running a sports shop in Immenstadt since 1961 and was given the idea in autumn 1982 by a television report about the Ironman Hawaii . Altenried had expected twenty to thirty interested parties, in the end there were 225 participants on this cool Saturday and there was nationwide coverage on television. In the following year, the first German Triathlon Championships were held here over a distance of 1.9 km swimming, 113 km cycling and 29 km running. An anecdote from this time is how the top group, led by Hannes Blaschke , who took over the organization of the race 30 years later, got lost and only found its way back on the right track after crossing a stream.

One of the big differences between the Allgäu Triathlon and the model in Hawaii were the water temperatures in the cold Alpsee: At first, Melkfett was the agent of choice for the participants, in 1984 Altenried created the first wetsuits for triathletes, which he obtained from a diving suit specialist at Mondsee near Salzburg finished. In 1985 the European Triathlon Union (ETU) awarded the first European championship to Immenstadt (1.3 km swimming, 59 km cycling and 12 km running). In 1989 the Allgäu Triathlon over 2.0 km swimming, 91 km on the bike and 21 km running within three weeks was booked out for 600 participants.

In 1992 the DTU again awarded the German championships to Immenstadt, but the championship schedule required the traditional date to be postponed from the end of July to the beginning of September. The participants received catastrophic weather conditions: the water temperature was 16.1 ° C, the outside temperature was 8.2 ° C at the lake and below 5 ° C in the mountains, there were also rain showers and gusty winds, and there was snow on the Ettensberg. After a long consultation, the judges and the organization management decided to shorten the swimming distance to 1000 m due to the weather and to reduce the bike distance by one lap corresponding to 30 km. Of a total of 830 registered (580 at the Allgäu Triathlon and 250 at the German Championships with their own start), 326 started and 253 athletes finally crossed the finish line.
The unanimous conclusion was: never again an Allgäu triathlon in September.
The anecdote of the race was provided by last year's winner and local hero Marcus Wucherer, who immediately got on his bike in a wetsuit and later admitted in front of the television cameras that it was not a good idea - he stopped the race because of overheating.

Sebastian Kienle , the winner of the 2015 Olympic distance

Daniela Ryf , the winner of the middle distance 2017

1993, two competitions were held back at the same time: in addition to classic middle distance this time with 2.0 km swimming, 97 km bike and 21 km run was as a test competition together with the DTU the Allgäu Special (2.9 km swim, 138 km cycling and 29 km run). For four years, this distance was advertised in addition to the classic middle distance, the Allgäu Classic . In 1996 Lothar Leder competed with the starting number 757 - two weeks earlier he was the first person in the world to beat the eight-hour mark in an Ironman in 7:57 hours. He was second behind Norman Stadler - who later won the Ironman Hawaii twice in 2004 and 2006. In 1997 the Allgäu-Triathlon was the third race of the four-event series “Best of the Alps” - together with the Kalterer See Triathlon , the Triathlon in Spiez and the final of the Trans Vorarlberg Triathlon . In 1997, for the first time, a pure competition only for women took place: the Allgäu Lady over the Olympic distance.
Another novelty in 1997: for the first time in a triathlon, chip timekeeping was carried out across all three disciplines. For 1999, the ITU awarded the world championships over the short distance to Immenstadt and thus to Germany for the first time, but the organizational team around German Altenried withdrew from an orientation in 1998, since in addition to high taxes to ITU and DTU, the economic risk would have remained completely on site and the Associations no sponsors were available.

In 2000, for the first time after an 8-year break, a German championship over the middle distance was held and the Allgäu Triathlon was selected as the event by the DTU. In an additional event a few days later, the first German championship in cross triathlon took place. In order to make the swimming course on the middle distance more attractive for the spectators, it was divided into two rounds with a shore leave in between. In 2001 German Altenried introduced the “chase start”: he had evaluated fifteen international triathlon events and came to the calculation that the first women would need 33 minutes longer than the first men. The reason was that in the previous year there were protests by female top athletes because of the uneven distribution of the prize money for women and men: the first woman received 2,500 DM, the first man 6,000 DM, prize money for women up to third place, for men however, it was paid up to tenth place. Even if the number of male starters was considerably higher than that of women, the female athletes referred to the training effort required for a victory, regardless of gender. The women therefore started 33 minutes before the men in 2001; the prize money of 23,000 DM at the time was awarded in the order in which they crossed the finish line regardless of gender. The advantage is at the same time that the finish of the fastest women does not get lost in the attention of the audience because the fastest women and men arrive together.

In 2001 there were also considerations to convert the Allgäu Triathlon into a qualifying race for the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona . In 2003 there was the “Berg-König-Sprint” on the Kalvarienberg - an additional 750 € were given to those who conquered the 15 percent climb over 800 m near the old town of Immenstadt the fastest. In 2004 the Allgäu Triathlon was again the venue for the European Championships - this time on the long distance (4 km swimming, 136 km cycling and 29 km running).

In 2010 the Allgäu Triathlon hosted the ITU World Championships over the long distance. The prize money at the World Cup totaled € 50,000, and the city of Immenstadt supported the event with € 95,000.

Since 2011 - for the first time since 1999 - a triathlon over the Olympic distance has been organized in Immenstadt in addition to the middle distance. For this purpose, the bike route was shortened by 12 km so that one lap at the Allgäu Classic is 40 km. In 2012 the German Triathlon Union (DTU) awarded the German triathlon championships over the middle distance to Immenstadt for the eighth time.

On August 21, 2016, German championships took place in Immenstadt for the eleventh time.

organization

In 2013, one day after his 75th birthday and thirty editions of the Allgäu Triathlon that he had organized, German Altenried announced his resignation from the organization in front of around 700 event volunteers. He transferred the responsibility to Hannes Blaschke , who had completed his first triathlon in Immenstadt in 1983 and whose fourth place at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 1985 as the best place for a German was only topped in 1993. Hannes Blaschke, who in 1987 at the suggestion of German Altenried a u. a. founded a travel company specializing in trips to Ironman Hawaii, works in the organizational team with Altenried's son-in-law Michael Rathke, who has been race director with Altenried's children Stefan and Petra since 2011, and two employees from Blaschke.

Since 2014 the finish area, which until then was in the Auwaldstadion, has been in Bühl , so that the second transition area in the stadium was omitted. In 2015, Sebastian Kienle , Faris Al-Sultan and Thomas Hellriegel were also three winners of the Ironman Hawaii at the start. With 1600 participants there was a new attendance record. Among the participants were snowboarder Selina Jörg and ex-professional soccer player Thomas Berthold .

In 2017, the German champions were honored for the eleventh time in Immenstadt. In 2020, the planned event as part of the corona pandemic was canceled.

stretch

Alphorn blowers , traditionally dressed in traditional Allgäu costume, set the mood for the start of the Allgäu Triathlon .

• The swimming starts at the adventure jetty at the boat harbor and leads over a circuit in the Großer Alpsee with a short shore leave in the Bühl canal , exit to the transition area is at the Bühl water rescue service

The canal, which the participants swim through only a few meters away from the spectators, the footbridge with the athletes' shore leave and the eastern shore of the Alpine lake are particularly crowd-pullers.

• The cycle route leads through the pre-alpine landscape in the north-west of Immenstadt via Bräunlings, Niedersonthofen , Diepolz , Missen , turning point Sibratshofen, Missen and Bühl. On the Olympic distance the route has to be driven once, on the middle distance twice. One lap is 650  meters in altitude .

After approx. 5 km the participants reach the Kalvarienberg, where they can expect an up to 18 percent incline through a dense spectator trellis in the immediate vicinity of the old town. The cowbells- swinging spectators have a long tradition on the hilly bike course.

• The running route leads from the transition area towards Strandbad Hauser and through a railway underpass to the first turning point in front of Trieblings. From there the athletes run to Bühl and then up a short, crisp ascent, the Kuhsteig. Past the Hotel Rothenfels, the route leads over the bathing path to the second turning point in the middle of the historic old town of Immenstadt on Marienplatz. On the same way back, the running route runs past the outdoor pool “Kleiner Alpsee” to Bühl and over the Trieblingser Weg to the transition area, where the finish line begins for the participants in the Olympic distance and the second round begins for those in the middle distance.

Results

Sprint distance

0.5 km swimming, 30 km cycling and 5 km running as part of the "Allgäu Sprint"

Olympic distance

The races over the Olympic distance of 1.5 km swimming, 42 km cycling and 10 km running were held in 2017 for the eighth time as the "Allgäu Olymp" .

Men

Women

year First place Second place third place   2021 18 Aug 2019 Jan Frodeno Philipp Bahlke Sven Eckers 19th Aug 2018 Maurice Clavel Robert Wimmer Sven Eckers 20 Aug 2017 Markus Stöhr Samuel Grill Sven Eckers Aug 21, 2016 Johannes Hinterseer Lukas Schuessler Thomas Capellaro 16 Aug 2015 Sebastian Kienle Nils Daimer Daniel Wienbreier Aug 24, 2014 Nils Daimer Niclas Bock Wolfgang Teuchner 20th July 2013 Lukas Schuessler -2- Marius Schuhmann Thomas Capellaro July 21, 2012 Lukas Schuessler Thomas Seitz Reto Schawalder July 23, 2011 Stephan Bergermann Ralf Eggert Valentin Krehl July 24, 1999 Oliver Presser Klaus Zanker Sebastian Reiter

year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 2021 2019 Verena Walter Sigrid Mutscheller Katharina Kruger 2018 Sigrid Mutscheller Maria Paulig Lea Wevelsiep 2017 Melanie Mack Sigrid Mutscheller Theresa Wild 2016 Leonie Konczalla Julia Ertmer Sara Baumann 2015 Julia Vernier Tamara Hitz Corinna Nuber 2014 Ricarda Gümmer Laura Zimmermann Anine Hell 2013 Bettina Lange Beate Speiser Nicole Klingler 2012 Stefanie Schmölz Monika Schalla Monika Goldberg 2011 Nina Eggert Carolin Lorenz Dagmar Gard 1999 Ute Schäfer Stefanie Kahn Marija Gavrilova

In 1997 and 1998, the short-distance triathlon (1.3 km swimming, 53 km cycling and 10 km running) was announced exclusively for women under the name "Allgäu Lady" .

Men	Women
year First place Second place third place 1998 - - - 1997 - - -	year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 1998 Ulrike Blank -2- 1997 Ulrike Blank Petra Kuhtz Tina Christ

Middle distance

In the middle distance of most recently (2017) 1.9 km swimming in the Großer Alpsee , 80 km cycling and 21.5 km running, the German Triathlon Championships have already been held nine times as part of the Allgäu Classic .

In 1985 the first European Triathlon Championships took place here. The route lengths varied depending on the route in the individual years by ± 10%.

Men

Women

Date / year First place Second place third place 18 Aug 2019 Nick Kastelein Nan Oliveras Christian Störze 19th Aug 2018 Niclas Bock Martin Bader Samuel Böttinger 20 Aug 2017 Jan Frodeno Roman Deisenhofer Christopher Hettich Aug 21, 2016 Roman Deisenhofer Fabian Rahn Lukas Krämer 16 Aug 2015 Jaroslav Kovačič Sebastian Neef Tobias Heining Aug 24, 2014 Maurice Clavel Faris Al-Sultan Lukas Krämer 20th July 2013 Sebastian Neef Johannes Moldan Stephan Bergermann July 21, 2012 Boris Stein Daniel Wienbreier Markus Unsleber July 23, 2011 Stefan Schmid -2- Matthias Buxhofer Reto Stutz July 31, 2010 Bert Flier Martin Joost Peter Nowak July 25, 2009 Stefan Schmid Matthias Bergermann Stephan Bergermann July 26, 2008 Jan Wainer Stephan Bergermann Matthias Bergermann July 21, 2007 Andreas Böcherer -2- Felix Schumann Nils Goerke July 29, 2006 Andreas Böcherer Jan Wainer Klaus Zanker July 23, 2005 Nils Goerke Jens Koefoed Stefan Werner July 18, 2004 Andreas Wolpert Sacha Richter Thomas Braun July 20, 2003 Frederic Kohl Urs Walter Koni Schelbert July 27, 2002 Jarrod Brewer Faris Al-Sultan Marino Vanhoenacker July 23, 2001 Michael Brucker -2- Rolf Lautenbacher Matthias Klumpp July 22, 2000 Michael Brucker Peter Meinhold Rolf Lautenbacher July 24, 1999 Siegi Ferstl Markus Sager Jason Shortis 1998 Chris Legh -2- Thomas Hellriegel 1997 Chris Legh Ingo Sabatschus Axel Reusch 1996 Normann Stadler Lothar leather July 22, 1995 Lothar leather Vassilis Krommidas Seppi Neuhauser 1994 Thomas Hellriegel Sven Riedesel Achim Leiss 1993 Marcus Wucherer -2- *  Sep. 1992 Jürgen Zäck Michael Heiligenthal Holger Lorenz *  Sep. 1992 Teemu Vesala Andreas Gross Gernot Rupp 1991 Marcus Usurer -1- 1990 Gordon Nowak 1989 Matthias Giez 1988 Sven Riedesel -2- 1987 Sven Riedesel 1986 Thomas Jeltsch -2- July 27, 1985 Rob Barel Klaus Klaeren Jörg Hoffmann 1984 Klaus Klaeren 1983 Thomas Jeltsch

year First place Second place third place 2019 Els Visser Anne Reischmann Anna-Lena Pohl 2018 Anne Reischmann Tamara Hitz Sara Baumann 2017 Daniela Ryf Lena Berlinger Anna-Lena Pohl 2016 Nina Kuhn -2- Katrin Esefeld Rebekka Stübs 2015 Bianca Steurer -2- Franziska Scheffler Carina Brechters 2014 Julia Gajer Tamara Hitz Alexandra Hagspiel 2013 Nina Kuhn Tamsyn Hayes Monique Burger 2012 Bianca Steurer Eva Boehrer Julia Vernier 2011 Nina Eggert Bianca Steurer Stefanie Menter 2010 Alexandra Raddatz Evi Neuscheler Ulrike Blank-Peters 2009 Ina Reinders -2- Susan Dietrich Julia Wagner 2008 Nicole Klingler Eva Novakova Nicole Schneider 2007 Ina Reinders Katrin Esefeld Mariska Kramer-Postma 2006 Eva Novakova Britta Martin Manuela Ianesi 2005 Mariska Kramer Karin Salzmann Ulrike Blank 2004 Ulrike Blank -2- Kathrin Luxenhofer Svenja Bazlen 2003 Christine Leising Ulrike Blank Inge van den Broeck 2002 Ines Estedt Fiona Docherty Heidi Jesberger 2001 Ute Schäfer Nina Fischer Heidi Jesberger 2000 Katrin Friedrich Susanne Niemayer Claudia Hille 1999 Ulrike Blank Dr. Antje Burg Iris Walser 1998 Monika Lidmilla 1997 Ursula Lutzenberger Sophie Berkmiller Silvia Vaupel 1996 Marijke Zeekant 1995 Wanda Schlotterer Sophie Berkmiller Carola Muller 1994 Ute Mückel Iris Walser Monika Bösing 1993 Katja Mayer 1992 Katjana Quest old rye Anneliese Weber Carina Henning 1992 Daniela Wegele Simone Siebenborn Edith Heinrich 1991 Bärbel Mees 1990 Brigitte Röllin 1989 Silvia Hüttner 1988 Silke Spankus 1987 Martina Kiesel 1986 Anette Böe 1985 Alexandra Kremer Anna-Lena Fritzon Sarah Coope 1984 Hanni Zehendner -2- 1983 Hanni Zehendner

ETU European Championship Triathlon

DTU German Triathlon Championship middle distance

^* In 1992 the German championship had a separate start, the route was shortened to 1.0 km swimming, 66 km cycling and 21 km running due to the weather.

Long distance

From 1993 to 1996, parallel to the middle distance, a long distance competition (2.9 km swimming, 138 km cycling and 29 km running) was held as an Allgäu Special . In 2004, the day before the middle distance, the ETU European Championships on the long distance with 4 km swimming, 136 km cycling and 29 km running took place in Immenstadt.

In 2010, the 17th ITU World Championships with a distance of 4 km swimming, 130 km cycling and 30 km running were held one day after the middle distance as part of the Allgäu Triathlon.

Men	Women
year First place Second place third place 1 Aug 1, 20100 Sylvain Sudrie Timothy O'Donnell François Chabaud 2 July 17, 2004 Gerrit Schellens Nils Goerke Petr Vabroušek   1996 Sven Riedesel July 22, 1995 Holger Lorenz -2- Sven Riedesel Ulrich Porsch   1994 Holger Lorenz Harald Glaser Peter Brandmüller   1993 Lothar leather	year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 2010 1 Caroline Steffen Yvonne van Vlerken Virginia Berasategui 2004 2nd Lisbeth Kristensen Stefania Bonazzi Françoise Wellekens 1996 1995 1995 no women at the start 1994 Wiltrud Bandle Edith Heinrich Martina Lang 1993 Lenie Gerritzen

¹ ITU World Championship long distance

² ETU European Championship long distance

Cross triathlon

Under the name "Allgäu Cross TriLenium" (1.5 km swimming, 28 km mountain bike and 10.5 km running), the German Cross Triathlon Championships were held on separate dates in 2000 and 2001.

Men	Women
year First place Second place third place Aug 18, 2001 Claude Eksteen Ronny Dietz Daniel Hechenblaickner July 29, 2000 Chris Legh Uwe Widmann Marc Pschebizin	year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 2001 Ulrike Blank Angela Huy Claudia Frank 2000 Sigrid Lang Imke Schiersch Anneliese Weber

Web links

• Event website .
• Special for the Allgäu Triathlon . In: tri2b.com .
• Allgäu Triathlon 2015 program ( German , PDF) August 16, 2015.
• Program World Championships 2010 ( German , PDF) July 31, 2010.
• TV report from the Allgäu Triathlon 1985 on YouTube (ARD)
• TV report from the Allgäu Triathlon 1992 on YouTube (Bayerischer Rundfunk)
• TV report from the Allgäu Triathlon 1994 on YouTube
• TV report from the Allgäu Triathlon 1997 on YouTube (Bayerischer Rundfunk)
• TV report from the Allgäu Triathlon 1997 on YouTube (Eurosport)
• TV report from the Allgäu Triathlon 2001 on YouTube

Individual evidence

1. ^ Josef Gutsmiedl: German Altenried hands over the "official business" to the triathlon enthusiastic team - Sonthofen . In: Kreisbote.de . January 21, 2013.
2. ↑ Jan Sägert: Blaschke and Altenried - Triathlon legends about tradition and modernity . In: tri-mag.de . January 30, 2013.
3. ↑ The shark with tradition . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
4. ↑ German women protest unequal money at Champs ( English ) In: slowtwitch.com . July 1, 2000. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011.
5. ↑ Tobias Schuhwerk: German Altenried organizer of the Allgäu Triathlon Immenstadt. . In: Allgäuer Zeitung . July 18, 2001.
6. ↑ Steffen Gerth: Ironman in Germany: Will Frankfurt now switch to Roth? . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . July 6, 2001.
7. ↑ Harald Eggebrecht: We are waiting for the surprise winner . In: tri2b.com . July 17, 2003.
8. ↑ ^{a b} Harald Eggebrecht: ITU Long Distance World Championship: Distances are fixed in Immenstadt . In: tri2b.com . November 8, 2009.
9. ^ ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships 2010 . In: ITU .
10. ↑ Werner Kempf: Sponsors for the World Cup urgently wanted . In: Allgäuer Zeitung . February 10, 2009.
11. ↑ ^{a b} Werner Kempf: The endurance three-way battle is booming at the Allgäu Triathlon in Immenstadt . In: Allgäuer Zeitung . July 22, 2011.
12. ↑ ^{a b} Jonas Konrad: Worthy DTU DM in the beautiful setting of the Allgäu . In: German Triathlon Union . November 25, 2015.
13. ↑ Volker Boch: Hannes Blaschke: The emotions stay forever. . In: tri-mag.de . October 9, 2013.
14. ↑ Jan Sägert: Triathlon legends about tradition and modernity . In: tri-mag.de . January 30, 2013.
15. ↑ Johannes Fischer: Thomas Berthold about his first experiences as a triathlete . In: Sport1 . August 14, 2015.
16. ↑ Results Allgäu Lady 1999 (PDF) July 24, 1999. Archived from the original on February 28, 2001.
17. ^ Allgäu Triathlon: Bert Flier and Alexandra Raddatz win 28th edition . In: tri2b.com .
18. ^ Allgäu-Triathlon 2009: German championship title for Reinders and Schmid . In: triathlon.de .
19. ↑ Allgäu Classic Siege for Blank and Wolpert . In: tri2b.com . July 19, 2004.