The Tempo
Posts
IRON-War Reborn as Philipp Prevails in Hamburg

IRON-War Reborn as Philipp Prevails in Hamburg

IRON-War in Hamburg, T100 San Francisco, muscle cramp causes, and high protein carbs!

Matthew Sharpe
June 03, 2025

TOGETHER WITH BLUESEVENTY

Good morning everyone,

Lately, I’ve been putting in some solid training for my next race at IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder. And I think it’s going well, because the other day my wife told me my hair “looked like George Washington.”

And I’m guessing not in the Presidential sense…More of a just-finished-a-revolutionary-war kind of look!

In any case, I’m looking forward to racing again, and catching up with more subscribers!

In today’s edition:

⚔️ IRON-War reborn as Philipp prevails in Hamburg!
😖 What actually causes muscle cramps?
💪 And healthy carbs that help you get more protein!

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.

ONE BIG THING

IRON-War Reborn as Philipp Prevails in Hamburg

IRONMAN

What is it: This weekend’s IRONMAN Hamburg was set as a title fight between two of the best female full distance triathletes in the world - Current IRONMAN World Champion, Laura Philipp (GER), and 2024 IRONMAN Pro Series Champion, Kat Matthews (GBR).

And reminiscent of the great IRON-War, this grudge match went the distance as rivalries were renewed, and records broken.

Swim: The swim saw favorites Philipp and Matthews exit together alongside rookie Solveig Løvseth (NOR), and Jackie Hering (USA).

Hering would see her day end shortly after T1 due to a tire puncture.

Bike: While Hering was forced to retire, Philipp, Matthews and Løvseth were establishing a massive gap over the rest of the field.

Løvseth, also had a mechanical issue, but quickly resolved it and rejoined Philipp and Matthews at the front of the race.

Philipp and Matthews continued to press throughout the bike. Each time check would see a new leader as they went blow for blow.

In the final miles, Matthews sensed an opportunity and attacked. By the time she hit T2 she would have almost a minute on Philipp and Løvseth

Run: Was Matthews’ attack a sign of strength? Or a hedge against Philipp’s notorious run speed?

Early in the marathon, it appeared Philipp had Matthews in her crosshairs. Only 4k in she’d pulled back over 30 seconds. But Matthews still had plenty of fight left!

The Philipp surge stalled. And over halfway through the run Matthews had expanded her lead to 45 seconds.
But Philipp had one more punch. And it was a knockout.

With only 10km remaining on the run Philipp had once again closed the gap. Matthews was in her sights. Moments later, she caught the longtime leader, and quickly blasted past her.

Watch: Philipp makes race-winning move.

Philipp would attack the rest of the run and cross the finish line in an astonishing IRONMAN-distance record of 8:03:13.

Her mind-blowing 2:38:27 marathon split was also a new full-distance record.

Exactly two minutes later Matthew’s crossed the line. Breaking her own full-distance record set just last month in Texas!

🥇 Laura Philipp (GER)
🥈 Kat Matthews (GBR)
🥉 Solveig Løvseth (NOR)

Full race results

Tempo’s take: The stage was set for an epic battle in Hamburg and the stars absolutely delivered! The back and forth battle between Laura and Kat provided all-day intrigue.

And this race highlights the enhanced race dynamics of the IRONMAN Pro Series and why “every second counts.”

In a previous era, once Philipp had a comfortable gap, she could have shut it down and cruised to the finish. But now she’s incentivized to push all the way to the line to gain as many seconds as she can over Matthews.

And with a $200k bonus at the end of the season, those seconds could be incredibly valuable!

The women are knocking on the door of a sub-8 hour IRONMAN. Will we see it in Kona later this year? The tougher conditions might slow them down. But if the stars align and athletes like Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) and Taylor Knibb (USA) show up healthy and ready to push the race from the front than all bets are off!

TOGETHER WITH BLUESEVENTY

See Sharper, Swim Faster

See sharper, swim faster, and race with confidence, all with the incredible lineup of goggles from Blueseventy!

Want performance at a great price?

🤝 The NR2 is a fully customizable, elite goggle, at a stellar price point!

How about an open water advantage?

🌊 The Hydra Vision and Element goggles are designed with wide-angle visibility and will help you nail any open water challenge.

Or do you need ultimate performance?

The flagship Contour goggles feature:

🥼 Industry-leading hydrodynamic molding for faster splits.
🔬 Premium polycarbonate and anti-fog lenses offer razor-sharp vision.
💙 Adjustable nose bridges for YOUR best fit.

Find your next favorite pair of goggles at blueseventy.com, and get 20% off with “TEMPO20” at checkout!

OTHER NEWS

A Startup Shift Sees Incumbents Disrupted at T100 San Francisco

What is it: This past weekend, the second round of the T100 Triathlon World Tour landed in San Francisco.

And in a city known to move fast and break things, a new wave of athletes showcased their own Silicon Valley ambition.

Mens race: Jumping off the boat to start the race, the odds on favorite was Martin Van Riel (BEL), a blue chip performer and current T100 World Champion.

Watch: The athletes jump off the boat at T100 San Francisco in the shadow of Alcatraz

And while the swim was uneventful, the bike was full of fireworks. Early attacks saw Van Riel, current 70.3 World Champion Jelle Geens (BEL), Rico Bogen (GER), Kyle Smith (NZ), and Jamie Riddle (RSA) establish large gaps over the rest of the field.

Bogen would make a decisive move before halfway, and would start the run with a lead of almost 2 minutes on Riddle.
Geens and Van Riel were 3 minutes behind Bogen starting the run.

But unlike Singapore, where Bogen started the run in the lead and faded, he would power through with the run of his life to take the tape in San Francisco.

Watch: Rico Bogen wins T100 San Francisco and takes the series lead

🥇 Rico Bogen (GER)
🥈 Jelle Geens (BEL)
🥉 Mika Noodt (GER)

Full Race results

Women’s race: With an undefeated record in T100 racing, it was a safe bet that Taylor Knibb (USA) would continue her winning ways…

The swim did little to separate the leaders, and onto the bike Knibb, Julie Derron (SUI), Jessica Learmonth (GBR), and Kate Waugh (GBR) established themselves at the front.

But unlike 2024, where Knibb enjoyed a four minute lead coming off the bike, this year she couldn’t establish a similar gap. She would start the run with only a minute on Derron.

And Derron, sensing an incredible upset, took off out of T2 at a torrid pace!

Watch: Julie Derron passes Knibb to take the lead.

Derron would charge all the way to the line, taking her first T100 win and breaking Knibb’s T100 undefeated streak!

🥇 Julie Derron (SUI)
🥈 Taylor Knibb (USA)
🥉 Kate Waugh (GBR)

Full race results

Tempo’s take: Off the back of success in Singapore, San Francisco delivered even more drama and intrigue. Two first-time winners provided great upsets, and even more compelling storylines as the series heads to Vancouver in just under two weeks.

But even with stellar racing, it feels like the T100 can’t catch a break! Both Singapore (Lionel Sanders winning) and San Francisco (epic Hamburg IRONMAN battle) had their opportunity overtaken by IRONMAN.

It’s tough luck for a series desperate to breakaway from the behemoth.

So will Vancouver give T100 its own moment in the sun? Or will the notorious clouds of the Pacific Northwest, and IRONMAN, once again cast a shadow over the series?

Which entity won the weekend?

FAVORITES

😖 Muscle cramp causes: Muscle cramps can quickly take you from the race of your life to a devastating DNF. So what can you do to prevent them? Firstly, avoid these risk factors. [My Sports Science]

🚵 Sierra sensation: Speed, style, and so much more! Introducing Mauna Apparel’s stunning Sierra Collection of triathlon and cycling kit. Inspired by the soul of Southern Spain, the Sierra Collection brings you effortless style to every ride and race!*

🏊 Kicking while swimming? You use your legs so much while cycling and running, so do you really need to kick much while you swim? Not really, but it needs to be effective! This video explains how a better kick can help you swim faster, with less effort! [Effortless Swimming]

💪 High protein carbs: After learning that endurance athletes need way more protein than previously thought, it got us wondering how we can increase protein intake WHILE still maintaining optimal carb intake. Well, these six carbs that have more protein than an egg should do the job! [Eating Well]

🧠 Your mind-muscle: The mind-muscle connection. Is it total BS? Or the opportunity to enjoy a deeper and more functional connection with your body? So how can you improve this “neuromuscular junction”? And what will the benefits look like for you? Find out here! [Polar]

🏈 Awesome kit: Want to win over a city quickly? Design an incredible triathlon race suit/helmet inspired by the local NFL team! You’ll want to give this one a look! [Vincent Luis]

*Sponsored post