The race – Ironman Austria

Although newer races like the yet-to-be-run Ironman New York and Ironman Melbourne are maybe now taking a bit more of the spotlight, Europe (and more specifically, Austria and Germany) are really one of the heartlands of Ironman racing. Along with Challenge Roth, IM Austria is right up there as one of the most iconic, well-established and best-supported races on the scene.

I’ve been lucky enough to see quite a lot of Austria in the past few years and have rarely stumbled upon anywhere that is less than spectacular but even by those high standards, the region of Carinthia looks stunning. Austria’s southernmost state, it borders Italy and Slovenia.

Carinthia (all images courtesy of kaernten.at)

The race takes place in the Carinthian capital of Klagenfurt which is a relatively small city (population of 90,000) which is all the better for Ironman racing as, apparently, the town comes alive during IM week, and the locals lap up the experience, the excitement and, of course, the huge boost to the local economy.

Klagenfurt - a bit of a change from Dubai

Although it can rain at this time of year, the past few editions of the race have all been dry affairs, with average highs in Klagenfurt of around 27C (80F) in July – so, if it stays dry, it’s perfect Ironman weather.

Klagenfurt sits on the banks of the stunning Worthersee, a 20km long Alpine lake that plays a central role in the race.

Picture postcard Lake Worthersee - bit like Wadi Adventure, but bigger...

Swim

Swim start

It’s 3.8k, of course, in the crystal clear Worthersee; being an Alpine lake, even in summer it’s a wetsuit swim, and the water is usually flat as a fish pond. 

Not a bad place to swim.

The swim course heads directly out from the start on the east side of the lake, then comes back into the most iconic section of the swim – the last 700m or so is up a narrow canal, so spectators line both banks to cheer on the competitors.

Swimming up the canal.

Swim exit in front of a giant Connect 4 board.

Bike

The 180km bike course is two identical 90km loops which I like the sound of – not so many laps that you get bored, but manageable rides and you can learn from the first loop as you tackle the second. 

Biking along the lake.

The loops head off to the south of Worthersee following its banks, then comes back a little further south. 

Drafting? Us?

Apparently, the first and last 30km of each loop is rolling and can be tackled on the aero bars, with the middle 30km where most the challenging climbs can be found. 

I can almost hear the cow bells!

It’s not an easy course – with a couple of tough climbs in there and more than 2,000m of climbing on the bike – but a lot of the elevation differences are said to be through rolling terrain rather than pure climbs.

Everyone that does the race also talks of the amazing atmosphere, with locals flooding on to the roads Tour de France style and even writing their support across the tarmac.

Run

The marathon course heads out in the other direction, following the lake’s northern shore. It’s a sort of double figure of 8 course, with transition/start/finish located in the very centre – you head north along the shore into the town of Krumpendorf before coming back, passing transition/race village and heading east into Klagenfurt city centre. 

Race village.

You then head back to transition/race village and that’s the first lap completed – you just have to do it all one more time. Again, I like the sound of this course – it has the interest level of a two-looper but the motivation factor of a four-looper – i.e. you only have to see each section of the course twice, other than the transition/race village area which is where most spectators can be found, which you pass through every half loop.

Crowds gathering at the finish line.

It’s pretty much entirely flat on lakeside paths and main roads which, after the non-stop climbs and descents of IM Wales, I’m almost looking forward to!

Can't wait to get to this point!

Almost as much as that big stein of local beer at the end of the race!