3:39:48. That’s how long Denmark’s Thor Bendix Madsen needed to take the gold at Challenge Herning. He wasn’t the only one racing fast today, because while Germany’s Boris Stein and Denmark’s Tobias Dahl Thomsen settled for second and third, they finished within three minutes of the winner. In the women’s race, it was Germany’s Lisa Gerss who was first to cross the line. She needed 4:18:58 to claim the win. Norway’s Julie Aspesletten (+0:32) and Denmark’s Shiva Leisner (+2:40) completed the podium.
Men’s race
With a sixteen-second deficit to the fastest swimmer of the day – Germany’s Jesse Hinrichs – Bendix Madsen left the water to get onto the bike. On the bike Madsen quickly moved up in the ranking, but so did Stein, who notched the fastest bike split, but was quite far behind after the swim as he only reached T1 in tenth place. That meant Bendix Madsen had to give it his all on the run if he wanted to stay ahead of Stein. With the fastest run split of the day – 1:13:35 – he managed to do so. After 3:39:48 hours, it was therefore Bendix Madsen who broke the tape. Stein finished 2:10 later, and Dahl Thomsen crossed the line 2:54 after the first man.
Women’s race
While Terss was still behind on Leisner in the water and on the bike, she killed it on the run. Running seven minutes faster than Leisner, she managed to chase her down and take the lead. Terss needed just 1:20:26 to complete the 21 km. That was more than enough to make up the five-minute deficit that she had to Leisner after the swim and bike.
