There were some truly hilarious scenes at the T100 weekend in Qatar, where a casual 5K run turned unexpectedly viral. Belgian runner Jente van Bos suddenly found himself the star of the internet – not for winning, but for being outsprinted by none other than Jan Frodeno, without having any idea he’d been shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the greatest triathletes of all time.
Let’s get the facts straight: despite being long retired from professional racing, Frodeno is still outrageously fast. He clocked the 5K in a sharp 15:48, with Van Bos finishing twelve seconds later in an even 16:00 flat.
The two ran side by side for much of the race, and – even at that pace – were chatting regularly. Frodeno kept the conversation flowing right up until the final straight, when he casually said goodbye, shifted gears, and pulled away to the finish.
What followed was pure comedy: an interview in which Van Bos admitted he didn’t recognize the world-famous superstar who had just dropped him in the final meters.