Ironman World Championship 2019 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii: Jan Frodeno reaches for the stars – supported by Mercedes-Benz

• The German star athlete has his third victory in the legendary Ironman Hawaii in his sights
• Preparations have been accompanied by an EQ model from Mercedes-Benz
• The sustainable crossover SUV marks the premium brand’s departure into a new mobility era

Stuttgart. He has already done it twice: in 2015 and 2016 Jan Frodeno won the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona on Big Island, Hawaii. Now the German top athlete and global Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz is reaching for the title for a third time. Following a break due to injury in 2018 and an average performance because of back problems in 2017, the 38-year-old feels on top form this year and relishes the challenge: “The ‘Legend of Kona’ gets a triathlete’s heart racing”, says Jan Frodeno. “I have an irrepressible urge to launch an all-out attack again here.”

This will not be easy in view of the extreme conditions in which the participants have to swim 3.8 kilometres, cycle 180 kilometres and run 42.2 kilometres on Hawaii. This is because tropical heat with temperatures over 30 degrees and extremely high humidity of 70 percent and above are typical during the Ironman Hawaii. The competition becomes the ultimate heated battle by the time the athletes reach the final marathon stage on the black asphalted and shadeless Queen K . Highway.

Good preparation is everything

“Anyone wanting to win on Hawaii must undertake preparations that are as intensive as they are well balanced”, says Jan Frodeno. “Preparations like this have many facets. The inevitably harsh training, nutrition, mental aspects, as well as optimisation of the equipment and adapting to the heat – everything has to dovetail in the end.” For the German triathlete this targeted focus on the Ironman Hawaii began shortly after his victory at the Ironman European Championships in Frankfurt, which qualified him for Hawaii. Since then, in his adopted home of Girona he has completed an ambitious training programme, supported by his team and, of course, his family. This includes a partner which is reliable and energy-charged in equal measure: the EQC Edition 1886 (combined electrical consumption: 20.8 – 19.7 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km)[1]. Mercedes-Benz provided its global Brand Ambassador with the special edition of the premium electric SUV for the preparatory phase in Girona.

Perfect training partner

Jan Frodeno is putting the EQC Edition 1886 to intensive use in Girona. When he is not at the wheel himself, such as on his morning drive to the sea for swimming training, his physiotherapist accompanies him in it, mostly for cycling training. The EQC is impressive in all disciplines: the electric vehicle offers the familiar high comfort, the dynamism and the quality of a Mercedes-Benz with zero local CO₂ emissions and a range of more than 450 kilometres, which makes it ideal for everyday use. Then there are the avant-garde aesthetics and a multitude of user-friendly services. The EQC thus marks Mercedes-Benz’s departure into a new era of electric mobility. So Jan Frodeno is more than pleased with his climate-friendly training partner: “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the EQC. It offers unadulterated dynamism and driving pleasure with its brilliant acceleration. All this with a good conscience, because thanks to the two electric engines there are zero local CO₂ emissions.” A further advantage from the athlete’s point of view is the lack of background noise. “The EQC is the perfect support vehicle – for instance, you don’t hear it at all when climbing a pass in the Pyrenees.  This means that nothing distracts me from my training and, above all, I can enjoy the landscape and the peace and quiet in the process.” Jan Frodeno has also been impressed by the many useful assistance systems and service functions of his emission-free companion. For example, alongside latest-generation driving assistance systems, the EQC Edition 1886 offers an extensive service package with maintenance service, a collect and return service, a vehicle warranty extension, an optimised navigation system and charging management system.

Final sprint on Big Island

Following training in Girona and four further training weeks on Maui, Jan Frodeno is now in the final phase of preparation. On location on Big Island it is mainly all about giving his body some rest in the last few days so he is in top form to reach for the stars on 12 October and battle it out for his third win in the world’s toughest triathlon. 2500 male and female athletes are competing with him. Mercedes-Benz wishes all the participants a fair and successful competition.