Challenge Copenhagen Debut

Denmark's very first Ironman distance event set in its jewel of an urban capital, Copenhagen, happily coincided with a celebration of the 500th year of the Royal Danish Navy and fashion week. Triathlon made a big enough splash to draw some 125,000 (police estimate) to the historic and modern touristic draws along its fabled waterfront that hosted a three-loop marathon. A smaller but intensely enthusiastic crowd of about 8,000 crowded around the historic Christianborg to cheer some pretty impressive finishes -- Rebekah Keat's 8:54:36 with a 4:48:04 bike, and Tim Berkel's 8:07:39, featuring a 4:28:01 bike and a 2:46:54 marathon.

The swim started under mysteriously gray and soggy skies in a lagoon protected by the the slim Amager Strand. The bike route passed historic Amalienborg castle, much of the waterfront, and then featured a spectacular run north along the coast. Next came a highly technical zig zag jaunt along picturesquely narrow roads that roamed through well-manicured farm and pasture land, as the riders were cheered on by cheerful Danish locals - almost every nook and cranny of a surprisingly up and down landscape.

The run started down the waterfront past much of Copenhagen's acclaimed modern buildings, then reversed course past much of several Scandinavian navies there to toast the Danish navy's 500th, reversing course and then swinging past T2 and the finish line on three loops in which all runners were cheered up and on by the citizens of Hans Christian Andersen's home.

Somehow, a very young Challenge Copenhagen triumvirate that includes COO Thomas Veje Olsen and Andreas Rasmussen pulled together all the permits and support of the city officials. They also overcame the chaos of a pre-race night rain that flooded much of the city - and some of the first transition zone - on the eve of battle.

At the end, the skies were blue, the streets were dry and the walls of this most ancient and modern city were ringing with the shouts for top Danish finisher Jens Groenbek (3rd) and for two visiting Aussies - Tim Berkel and Rebekah Keat - who broke out of victory dry spells to notch their first Iron distance wins in a few years.

Nineteen images are © Timothy Carlson. The photo of local favorite Martin Jensen suffering a race-ending second flat tire is © Brian Martin Rasmussen.

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