The women’s race at Ironman 70.3 Westfriesland had all the makings of a thriller, and Dutch triathlete Marlene de Boer delivered a sensational performance to take the win in front of a home crowd. Despite strong competition and soaring temperatures, De Boer executed a composed, confident race to claim the win in the first-ever pro race at Ironman 70.3 Westfriesland.
Earlier this year, De Boer acknowledged that she needed more time to find her best form after she finished second at Challenge Salou, and that patience appears to be paying off. Today she most of all showed an improvement in the water. While Australia’s Natalie van Coevorden led the swim with a time of 27:26, De Boer exited just 59 seconds behind in fifth place – comfortably in the mix.
Once on the bike, De Boer wasted no time taking control. She surged past the likes of Katharina Krüger, Maaike Vooren, Molly Savill, and Van Coevorden to take the lead. From that point forward, she never looked back.
However, the race was anything but easy. De Boer was relentlessly chased by Denmark’s Maja Stage Nielsen and France’s Solenne Billouin, both of whom closed the gap on the bike. As they hit T2, Stage Nielsen was just 18 seconds back, with Billouin trailing by a minute. Behind them, the rest of the field had already fallen more than three minutes behind.
What followed was a tense and tactical run in the sweltering heat of Hoorn. For nearly 10 kilometers, the gaps remained stable, keeping the pressure high. But De Boer never cracked. In fact, she found another gear, gradually extending her lead in the final kilometers to secure a well-earned victory in 4:12:25. Stage Nielsen crossed the line 1:39 minutes behind for second place, with Billouin rounding out the podium 3:15 minutes back.
Petersen Powers to Victory in men’s race
The men’s race looked for a long time like it might also end in Dutch glory, with Tristan Olij mounting a bold charge for the win. After emerging from the swim in 20th place, nearly three minutes behind the leaders, Olij put together a blistering bike leg to power his way into contention. By T2, he had even taken the lead, though a pack of around 11 athletes sat within a minute behind him.
Olij held on during the early stages of the run, defending his lead with grit. But as the kilometers ticked by, the effort began to take its toll. The pace proved just a bit too much, and Olij was eventually reeled in by the chase group.
Denmark’s Mathias Lynsgo Petersen took full advantage, running strongly to capture the men’s title in 3:43:38. Belgium’s Dieter Comhair came through for second in 3:44:06, with Great Britain’s Thomas Bishop claiming third in 3:45:55. Olij finished just off the podium in fourth, with a time of 3:47:05 – a valiant effort, but not quite enough on the day.
