Sub-9, First Full Distance, National Champion

Challenge Almere-Amsterdam 2026. What a magnificent weekend! I have worked so hard towards this race. After learning that the course for Ironman Frankfurt was shortened, I decided to sign up for this race in order to still complete my first full-distance triathlon. It happened to be the European and national championships as well. I had set my sights on a time under nine hours in Frankfurt, and this target seemed more realistic in Almere due to the flat bike profile. So for my final race this season, it was time to leave it all out on the course.

8:46:15. First full-distance triathlon. Dutch national champion, age group.

Before the gun

Friday was registration day. We drove to Almere to register, pack the transition bags, and check in the bike. I quickly ran through transition to memorize where to enter, how to run through T1 and T2, and where to exit, so I wouldn't have to figure it out during the race. Back home I made a simple pasta bolognese, a light but high-carb meal. All that was left to do was lay out my kit for the next morning.

Saturday morning the alarm went off at 3:15. I began with a bit of activation to get the body loosened up, got a few double espressos in, and ate my rice porridge for breakfast. Containing 219g of carbs at under 1000kcal, it's the best race-day breakfast for me. Then it was time to kit up and head out to Almere. Arriving at around 5:30, I made my way to the transition area to place my bottles on my bike, pump my tires, and put in the shifter batteries. I put my Garmin Edge in sleep mode in my T1 bag, and we headed to the info point since I'd only gotten one age-category tattoo when I was supposed to get four. Turned out not to be a problem, and I put the age-group tattoo on with my wetsuit. After the final preparations it was time to head to the swim start and take my final pre-race gel.

The swim

This was my first mass start in triathlon, but I didn't experience it as anything bad. I found it fun, and I just minded my head and where the other competitors were so I wouldn't get kicked. The water was cold at 18 degrees Celsius, and it felt like a long swim. In the second lap, someone behind me wasn't really watching where he was going and tried to swim straight ahead while we had to make a turn, swimming over me. I didn't lose much time, just perhaps 5 seconds, but I got a good cramp in my right calf. I stopped kicking for a bit and tried to stretch and shake it out, which helped. A few minutes later my left calf cramped up too, and I got rid of it the same way. No real issues there. I came out of the water at 1:05:52, almost a minute slower than my set goal. But of course I didn't let that stop me.

T1

Into transition one, I sat down quickly at the bags to put on my shoes and helmet. My visor fogged up almost immediately, so as I started running towards my bike I took it off for a bit to see clearly. While doing so I took a gel to get some carbs in as quickly as possible, having swum for over an hour without any. Running with bike shoes through a grass field isn't great for your ankles either, but they survived it. I grabbed my bike and put my Garmin on. The other two competitors in my age group for the EC division were already on the bike. I just didn't know how far behind I was yet. I completed transition one in 4:30.

The bike

The bike leg started off pretty well. Heart rate was relatively low and settled quickly. I tried to hold myself to 230W, and had previously calculated that should land me at about 41 kph average. From the athlete briefing I knew we had some bumpy areas on course where we could lose a bottle, and sure enough, at the first bump I lost my first bottle. I stopped, and a volunteer was kind enough to run over and grab the bottle and hand it to me, perhaps costing me about one minute since the speed over those bumps was pretty low.

On we went onto the dike. This first lap the wind speed was quite low, and I held a good steady speed. Seeing my average reach around 40.7 kph at the end of the long dike made me pretty hopeful. Turning land inward we had some headwind, not too bad yet, but I did see the average speed get knocked down. Power-wise I was still on target, and the leg was going as planned. Trying not to overdo it was the most important part. I already noticed some stomach issues, my stomach filling up with carbs pretty fast. Burping a bit here and there made it a bit uncomfortable to get more fuel in, but I had to. Somewhere between 50 and 60 kilometers I found myself passing one of my competitors in my age group, knowing I was at least in second place at that moment. I held my power and continued riding as efficiently as possible.

Then in the second lap, of course at the second bump, I lost my bottle again, apparently, and this one had the most carbs in it for me. Quickly improvising, I moved my fourth bottle up and grabbed an ISO bottle from the aid station. Less carbs, but I had to do with it. Onto the long dike once more, the wind had picked up quite a bit this second lap, which made for a fast ride. Probably riding 47-48 kph for several kilometers, I saw my average speed picking up. Still holding the right power without any heart rate drift made me realize I was in a good position. I passed my girlfriend, who was in her bike leg for the middle distance, and gave her a few good cheers. At 150km I started feeling a bit fatigued and told myself I was in for one hellish marathon. On the last bit back to transition we had some side and tail wind, which let me finish the bike leg with slightly lower watts while maintaining the average speed I had at that moment.

I came into transition after a 4:26:21 bike, averaging 40.48 kph and 235W normalized power at a heart rate of 144 bpm. A bit slower than I would have liked, but with these winds and sticking to my power plan, I knew I couldn't have gone any faster without risking blowing up.

T2

Into transition two, having a smooth dismount, I started running with my bike and told myself to slow down a bit. Running comfortably towards my spot I noticed both of my competitors' bikes weren't there yet, putting me in first position going into the run leg. In the transition tent, my socks were still wet from the first transition, so getting my socks soaked while putting my running shoes on wasn't all that pleasant. I grabbed my plastic bag with my running cap, sunglasses, and gels, and started heading towards the run course, putting everything on and in my pockets while running. I completed transition two in 2:55. Again, blazing fast.

The run

On the run I found myself starting a bit fast and managed to settle into my rhythm quickly. Running just a tiny bit faster than my set goal pace, I went into the marathon hopeful, as it felt better than expected, especially after telling myself it was going to be a hellish marathon while on the bike. My stomach felt good too, and I got my first few gels in according to plan, which made me even more hopeful. But I knew I was going to hit a wall at either 20km or 30km.

My dear supporters were there again, and after not having seen them for four and a half hours it was also a good feeling. They asked how I was feeling, and I said: "Very good! Just a small marathon left." About 20km in I still held a steady pace, not having drifted from it at all, and I knew I could continue until at least 30km before hitting that wall. One of the competitors in my age group passed me in the second lap. After a very small conversation he carried on running away from me. I knew I wasn't going to keep up with him. All I could do to get that first place was continue running steady and hope he would hit the wall. There wasn't anything else I could do. Gels still went in according to plan, without any issues. And again, at 30km, the same story: steady pace, no lapses whatsoever.

At this point I again found myself passing my girlfriend, who was in her last run lap about to finish. I gave her a few more good cheers and told her she did great, that I was proud of her. She gave me some good cheers back as I headed out into the last lap. Trying to maintain pace, my heart rate did get a little higher, but nothing overly hard. Going into the last kilometer with so many people was an insane feeling. I rang the bell and crossed the finish line shouting.

Having run such a flat marathon was insane, and I still don't know how I did it. I completed the run leg in 3:06:31 at an average heart rate of 147. The thing I haven't quite figured out yet is the distance. According to the organization the course was 43.1km, which would mean my average pace was 4:20/km. I don't believe that's within my capabilities just yet. My Garmin told me I ran 41.7km, just shy of a marathon, at an average pace of 4:28/km.

Crossing the line

No matter the exact distance, I had just finished my first ever long-distance triathlon in 8:46:15. Insane. Across the EC and Open division I was the fastest Dutch athlete, making me national champion in my age group. I don't take that lightly. I'm still in disbelief days later, still not entirely sure how I did it. I fully believed I was going to hit a wall somewhere, but I didn't, and I conquered my nine-hour goal.

The morning after

I watched some other athletes I knew finish, then headed over to the transition area to check out my bike. It was time to head home and eat a well-deserved pizza with my girlfriend, who did a magnificent job in her own race, and our supporters. I slept terribly, waking up bright and early at around 5:50. At this point I didn't really have any problems with my legs yet, and I got up in time to watch the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Nice. But it was soon time to head back to Almere for the award ceremony.

This is where the two results get slightly confusing to explain. I raced in the EC (European Championship) age-group division, where I finished second. But across the entire event, EC and Open divisions combined, I was the fastest Dutch athlete in my age group, which makes me Dutch national champion. In the open field though, two athletes were still faster than me overall, so I don't consider myself on the podium for the European Championship itself. National champion, second in the EC division. Both true at once.

Looking ahead

And with that, the race weekend comes to an end. It was one for the ages for me, one I will surely remember for a long time to come. Onto next season, for which I'll announce the race calendar later this year. But first, a well-deserved off-season.

Thank you

Thank you to all my supporters who were there for me, again. And thank you to the organization of Challenge Almere-Amsterdam and its volunteers. And one special thank you to the volunteer who ran over to give me my lost bottle. You are a hero.