It takes a world champion to show real calibre when Ironman World Champion, Jan Frodeno battled a virus to win the Ironman Austria in Karnten recently.

Despite only resumed training two week prior to the race, but managed an impressive 7:57:20 to complete the 3.9km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run some 15 minutes ahead of his closest rival, Eneko Llanos and Viktor Zyemtsev (UKR) who completed the podium. Local favourite Eva Wutti narrowly beat Brit Corinne Abraham to claim her second Ironman Austria title, a great comeback after having her first child.

In the men’s race, Frodeno exited the water first in 46:29, 1:55 ahead on fellow former ITU pro Raña. The trailing pack emerged from the water 4 minutes later, when ‘Frodo’ was already asserting his dominance on the bike. The gap a whopping 13 minute advantage by the end of the 180km bike leg, while his closest rival on the bike, Raña had suffered a mechanical early on and fell back.

There was no stopping Frodeno on the marathon point, where his increased his lead to 17 minutes by the 21km mark, and crossed the line in 7:57:20, recording a 2:46:09 marathon. Exhausted and in a heap on the floor after finishing, Frodeno told Ironman Live he was “really hurting” towards the end and only crowd energy pulled him through.

Women’s race

In the women’s pro race, Michelle Vesterby (DEN) started with an early 6 minute lead after coming out of the 3.9km swim at 53:52. The Dane held onto pole position throughout the bike leg, and suffered a crash towards the end.

Behind her, Brit Corriene Abraham had made up huge ground while local Austrian favourite, Eva Wutti lay in third place. However, Wutti ran the first half of the run in blistering pace making up 2mins on Abraham and Vesterby in the first 5km and took the lead just before the halfway mark, 21km on the run course.

Wutti finished the 42km marathon in a sterling time of 2:57:43 and clinched the overall title in 9:06:25, mightily impressive considering she just had her first child less than a year ago. Abraham finished second in 9:08:03, while Vesterby completed the podium.

Read more at 220Triathlon.