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Victory at IRONMAN South Africa, new course (and bike) record, qualification for Worlds in Nice
Press release from Magnus Ditlev’s team - March 30, 2025
27-year-old Danish triathlete Magnus Ditlev had a phenomenal Sunday at this year’s first race, IRONMAN South Africa. His goal was clear: victory and a guaranteed qualification for the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice this September. Mission accomplished, thanks to a dominant performance and a finishing time of 7 hours, 44 minutes, and 55 seconds across the 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, and 42.2 km run. Ditlev shattered the course record by over 12 minutes and set a new bike course record by 9 minutes at the 20th edition of IRONMAN South Africa.
Reigning T100 World Champion, Marten van Riel of Belgium, finished second, 4,5 minutes behind, while Ironman debutant Jonas Schomburg claimed third place, nearly 7,5 minutes back.
With this win, Magnus Ditlev has now secured his spot at the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice on September 14. The Worlds in Nice is his primary target for the year, where he finished 2nd in 2024 and 3rd in 2023. Additionally, he now leads the IRONMAN Pro Series, earning 5,000 points from his victory. The standings are based on an athlete’s three best full-distance IRONMAN results and their two best IRONMAN 70.3 performances.
Tough swim, superb bike, and solid run
Swimming at IM South Africa is always challenging due to strong winds, big waves, and ocean currents. Ditlev had hoped to stay with the front pack out of the water, but with a few exceptionally fast swimmers accustomed to rough seas, he found himself exiting the swim 2,5 minutes down. However, he emerged alongside many strong swimmers and immediately began his pursuit on the 180 km bike leg.
The Danish powerhouse delivered a true masterclass, methodically closing in on the front duo without dragging other athletes along on his quest. Around the halfway point, he made his move, surging ahead solo and quickly building a significant lead on the rugged, windswept roads around Nelson Mandela Bay.
Over the final 80 km, Ditlev continued to push the pace, obliterating the previous bike course record by approximately 10 minutes with a blistering 4:07 bike split—9 minutes faster than the next-best competitor on the day.
On the run, the towering Dane controlled the race, losing just one minute to his closest competitors over the first 30 km, despite their aggressive pacing in an attempt to close the gap. Over the last 10 km, fatigue set in, forcing him to slow down, but he still crossed the finish line comfortably with a 2:40 marathon and a 4:32 lead over second place.
10 IRONMAN races, 5 wins
Out of the 10 IRONMAN races Magnus Ditlev has completed, he has secured 5 victories, 3 podiums, and finished 5th and 8th in the others.
“It’s amazing to win here today because the Pro Series is a big goal for me this year, alongside the World Championship, which is my main target. It’s great to have my qualification locked in early, allowing me to structure my build-up optimally ahead of Nice on September 14,” said Ditlev.
