Sensational. Electrifying. Decided only in the final meters. That’s the best way to describe today’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, where Jelle Geens successfully defended his world title after an unforgettable showdown.
An Epic Battle on the Run
The run leg of this year’s World Championship IM 70.3 turned into one of the most thrilling half marathons we’ve seen all season. In a head-to-head duel between Geens and Kristian Blummenfelt, the two athletes pushed each other for the full 21 kilometers, running shoulder to shoulder almost the entire way. It all came down to an all-out sprint – and what a sprint it was.
But as always, there was plenty of drama before that final battle.
Crociani Leads the Swim, Iden Falters
The day started with Alessio Crociani leading the swim, opening up a 30-second gap on a large chase pack that included nearly all the favorites. One notable exception was Gustav Iden, who exited the water two minutes down and saw his deficit grow as the day went on. The Norwegian clearly wasn’t having his best day.
Crash and Mechanical Issues for Geens
On the bike, an enormous group of about 40 athletes quickly formed, with drafting penalties looking almost inevitable – even the race commentators voiced their frustration. On the first major climb, Jamie Riddle attacked hard, blowing the field apart and reducing the front to a leading group of ten: Riddle, Jonas Schomburg, Magnus Ditlev, Mathis Margirier, Rico Bogen, Kristian Blummenfelt, Simon Westermann, Panagiotis Bitados, Casper Stornes, and Jelle Geens.
That Geens was even there was remarkable. The Belgian had already suffered mechanical problems coming out of T1, reportedly struggling to get onto his bike and later forced to ride much of the course stuck in a single gear. To make matters worse, he also crashed mid-race – yet somehow managed to remount, refocus, and stay in contention.
The front group of ten eventually dropped Bitados, leaving nine riders who stayed together until T2.
Thrilling Run Duel and a Perfect Finish
The run was where things truly came alive. Within the first kilometer, Geens and Blummenfelt were side by side, quickly dropping the rest of the contenders. Riddle and Schomburg tried briefly to hang on, but the relentless pace of the two leaders proved too much.
Geens dictated much of the tempo, with Blummenfelt occasionally testing him with short surges. Neither gave an inch – right up to the final 200 meters.
That’s when Blummenfelt launched first, opening a full sprint. But Geens responded immediately, matching and then surpassing the Olympic champion’s acceleration. The two brushed shoulders in the final stretch, but Geens held his line and powered to victory.
With that, Jelle Geens became back-to-back Ironman 70.3 World Champion, confirming his place among the sport’s greats. He won the race in 3:42:52, with Blummenfelt closely following in 3:42:55. Stornes finished third in 3:43:52.
Full top ten:
- Jelle Geens – 3:42:52
- Kristian Blummenfelt +0:03
- Casper Stornes +1:00
- Jonas Schomburg +1:45
- Rico Bogen +3:37
- Magnus Ditlev +3:58
- Jamie Riddle +5:50
- Simon Westermann +5:58
- Vincent Luis +7:15
- Miguel Hidalgo +7:34