One attempt, one knockout blow. Dutch Menno Koolhaas delivered a flawless performance today at Ironman Arizona, claiming victory and immediately securing his qualification slot for next year’s Ironman World Championship in Kona. Not only was his win on a world-class stage impressive, but his finishing time was nothing short of astonishing: 7:28:52. With that, Koolhaas obliterated his own Dutch Long Distance record and once again demonstrated that he is among the fastest athletes on the planet.
For context, the fastest Long Distance time ever recorded remains 7:23:24, set by Magnus Ditlev at Challenge Roth 2024. Koolhaas came remarkably close to that benchmark today – an extraordinary feat considering the dynamics of a championship-level race. And as if the result itself didn’t speak loudly enough, Koolhaas led the race from the gun. While he didn’t go entirely solo until the marathon, the Dutch powerhouse set the tone early, exiting the swim first in 48:00 and immediately establishing himself at the front of a compact lead pack on the bike.
Four Up Front on the Bike
The lead group eventually solidified into Koolhaas, Andreas Salvisberg, Ben Kanute, and Josh Lewis, with a sizeable chase pack of eight – including Trevor Foley, Colin Szuch, and Sam Long – hovering around four minutes behind. Although the chasers clawed back about a minute over the first 120 km, cracks soon began to appear up front.
At around 150 km, it was Koolhaas and Kanute who broke away from Salvisberg and Lewis, stretching their advantage all the way into T2. Koolhaas hit the dismount line first, with Kanute 16 seconds behind and Salvisberg another two minutes back. Long entered the marathon fourth, trailing by 3:24.
Marathon Magic from Koolhaas
Any suspense was short-lived. Within the opening kilometer of the run, Koolhaas dropped Kanute – although he had already created a small gap coming into transition – and from there the race became a one-man showcase. His lead only grew as the kilometers ticked by.
Clocking a 48:00 swim, a 4:01:26 bike, and a 2:35:47 marathon, Koolhaas stopped the clock at 7:28:52 – a time so fast it strains belief. Long finished second in 7:37:22, with Kanute third in 7:38:57.
With his victory, Koolhaas books his slot to Kona, where he delivered magic last year as well, finishing fifth on triathlon’s most iconic stage. If today’s performance is any indication, he’ll return to Hawaii not just as a contender, but as one of the men to beat.