IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore 2026: Van Riel Six for Six
In the shadow of Kronborg castle, the same castle where Shakespeare set “Hamlet,” the Danish stop of the IRONMAN Pro Series played out. There was no “to be or not to be” about it. Marten Van Riel won his sixth 70.3 race out of six this season, and Kat Matthews closed a three minute gap on the run as if it were an easy jog. Sunday 21 June, over the 1.9 km / 90 km / 21.1 km distance.
Van Riel: a course record and a ticket to Nice
The Belgian came to Elsinore for one thing: a last chance to qualify for the 70.3 World Championship in Nice. He delivered it in a style that left no doubt. He was with the front of the field out of the water, and on the bike, alongside home rider Valdemar Solok (DEN), he broke the course record, both men riding a low 1:58 over the 90 km bike leg.
On the run Van Riel pulled away calmly and finished in 3:36:03, a new race record, 1:14 clear of Solok (3:37:18). Simon Vlain (FRA, 3:39:00) took third after the fastest run of the day, 1:09:25. Jamie Riddle (RSA, 3:39:37) was fourth and Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN, 3:40:14) fifth.
Six 70.3 starts this season, six wins. That is not a streak, it is dominance. For an amateur chasing one personal best a year, a record like that sounds like science fiction, but it shows what form built on years of consistent work looks like.
| Pos. | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marten Van Riel | BEL | 3:36:03 |
| 2 | Valdemar Solok | DEN | 3:37:18 |
| 3 | Simon Vlain | FRA | 3:39:00 |
| 4 | Jamie Riddle | RSA | 3:39:37 |
| 5 | Kristian Høgenhaug | DEN | 3:40:14 |
Matthews: a lesson in running from the champion
The women’s race belonged to Kat Matthews. After a puncture at IRONMAN Texas cost her a shot at a third straight Pro Series title, and the $200,000 bonus she had taken the previous two seasons, the Briton added an extra 70.3 to her calendar two weeks before her Challenge Roth debut, and took the full 2,500 points on offer.
She was ninth out of the water, 1:48 down. The gap grew to almost three minutes after the bike. Then the running began: it took her just 8.4 km of the run to close the entire gap. She high-fived spectators through the rest of the half marathon and still posted 1:16 for it, winning by 35 seconds.
Katrine Græsbøll Christensen (DEN, 4:03:33) was second despite a 30 second transition penalty for unracking her bike before fastening her helmet. Lena Meißner (GER, 4:04:55) took third.
| Pos. | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kat Matthews | GBR | 4:02:57 |
| 2 | Katrine Græsbøll Christensen | DEN | 4:03:33 |
| 3 | Lena Meißner | GER | 4:04:55 |
| 4 | Audrey Merle | FRA | 4:05:58 |
| 5 | Marta Sanchez | ESP | 4:06:33 |
The lesson from this race
Two wins, one lesson: the run off the bike wins a half-distance race. Van Riel and Matthews took different tactics, he controlled from the front, she came from behind, but both decided the race with their legs on the final leg. For anyone training for a 70.3, it is a reminder that the bike is not the place for heroics. Matthews said she felt terrible on the bike, and still ran away from the field because she had not burned herself out earlier.
Second point: transitions can cost a podium. Græsbøll Christensen lost 30 seconds over a helmet, and lost the race by 35. In an age group race that will not draw a judge’s penalty, but seconds lost in a rushed transition count just the same.
What’s next
Elsinore also had qualifying slots for the 70.3 World Championship in Nice at stake. Van Riel secured his. Among the women, the remaining slots went further down the field. The half-distance season now moves into its decisive phase.