On a day when Dutch star Marlene de Boer animated much of the race with fearless attacking, it was Denmark’s Katrine Graesbøll Christensen who ultimately delivered the decisive blow to claim a brilliant victory at Ironman Kalmar. With a blistering marathon, the Dane overhauled De Boer to take the win in 8:27:49—her latest statement in a season where she continues to establish herself as one of the strongest all-round athletes on the Ironman circuit.
De Boer had looked unstoppable for much of the race. After exiting the swim within striking distance of leaders Hannah Munday and Chelsea Sodaro, she surged to the front on the bike and dominated the 180km course. By the time she entered T2, the defending champion held a gap of nearly four and a half minutes on Graesbøll Christensen and over six minutes on Sodaro.
But the marathon would prove decisive. Calm, composed, and relentless, Graesbøll Christensen began methodically reeling in her rival. Within the first 10 kilometers she had cut two minutes from the deficit, and by the halfway point the gap was under a minute. A few kilometers later, she surged past De Boer and never looked back. While De Boer dug deep to limit her losses, the Dane’s superior run form carried her to a commanding victory.
Graesbøll Christensen’s performance underlined the growing strength of Danish Long Distance triathlon, and it also reinforced her reputation as a clutch racer who knows exactly when and how to deliver. For De Boer, there was consolation in securing the final Kona slot available in the 2025 qualification cycle – since Graesbøll Christensen had already booked her ticket. Sodaro, meanwhile, faded in the final stages but held on for third.
Graesbøll Christensen won the race in 8:27:49, De Boer finished second in 8:33:02 and Sodaro finished third in 8:45:42.