Ironman Frodeno completes home triathlon in coronavirus fundraiser

Berlin (dpa) – Three-time world champion Jan Frodeno completed a full Ironman at his home on Saturday to raise more than 200,000 euros (218,000 dollars) to help the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

Frodeno managed the triathlon event of swimming, cycling and running in 8 hours 33 minutes 40 seconds.

“Sometimes you need crazy ideas,” the 38-year-old triathlon star from Germany said of the Tri@home effort.

The money will go to medical staff and people fighting the coronavirus pandemic at his home town in Girona, Spain and to the charitable organization Laureus Sports for Good.

A lockdown in Spain, one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic, means Frodeno, like many top athletes around the world, has been unable to train outdoors.

He began shortly after 8 am, swimming 3.8 kilometres in 47 minutes in his small pool with a counter current unit, and cycling 180.2km in around 4 hours 15 minutes on a bicycle trainer, before the 42.2km marathon run on a treadmill.

The home triathlon was streamed live by Germany’s Bild website and on his own Facebook page. Also taking part were some 1,000 athletes, including Swiss former cycling star Fabian Cancellara, using a virtual circuit on an online training platform.

Unlike his customary outdoor event, Frodeno could call on some home comforts including banana bread, fresh coffee and the occasional kiss from his wife, Emma, like Frodeno an Olympic triathlon champion.

“This is the first Ironman in which I have consumed more calories than I have burned,” he said.