anyone as the split of thomas hellerigel performance at ironman canada in 1996? he did a 8:09 on a not very fast course… what i think is probably the most amazing performance i have seen in my life at ironman distance… nobody as come anywhere close to that time in the all history of that race… i dont even know if there is any times faster than 8:20 other than him? i want the split but cant find them??? anyone???
he almost won hawaii 2 months later if i remember well…
Jonnyo, you can see his full “resume” on the xtri.com database, but for some reason they don’t have his 1996 IMC splits:
http://www.xtri.com/res-ath.asp?name=THOMAS_HELLRIEGEL
Hellriegel went through one of the most amazing Ironman streaks from 1995 to 1999. The amazing thing about that IMC 1996 race was that it was stinking hot, he had no press motorcade, and no real competition (aside from an emerging Peter Reid) to push him…plus as we all know, IMC is a legit distance, unlike some other super fast Ironman courses!
4.27:42…Peter had the 2nd fastest that day in 4.41…I was about an jour further back:-)!
thanks…so now…just need to find out the swim or run slip and we will find the missing one…
i m really curious about his marathon time after that amazing bike ride…
swim 48:46 (14th), run 2.53:25 (1st)
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WOW!!! where did you found that…i guest it was a very quick swim…48 for thomas…but amazing performance anyway
Thomas Hellriegel 48:46 4:27:42 2:53:25 8:09:53
Pete Reid 48:31 4:41:34 2:56:31 8:26:36
Ken Glah 48:31 4:52:25 3:10:39 8:51:35
Pauli Kiuru 48:39 4:59:21 3:05:38 8:53:38
Jurgen Hauber 57:34 4:55:12 3:01:15 8:54:01
Jeff Devlin 56:13 4:47:29 3:12:26 8:56:08
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I assume that you realize that Chris Lieto beat Hellriegels IMC bike course record in 2005?. Anyway, i heard (and I don’t know if it is true or not) that Hellreigel did the whole IMC course in his big ring, Richter Pass and Yellow Lake included…
yes…i do realise that chris did a very nice bike ride on a perfect day…a day that was so so so so so fast on the bike.,…all the time where 10-15 minutes faster than usual… i train a lot on the course…live there and i can tell i never saw of my life a day like 2005…it was unreal…tail wind all day on the bike…on a loop course…that is very unusual…
but hellerigeal did it on a normal day and back it up with a fast overall race…beating lieto time by 25 or 30 minutes…
In my basement! Remember the days when results were just in a booklet. I remember IMC 96 very well…ir was on ethe 1st times I ever remember seeing a web cam - the had one set up at about the run turnaround at the little vineyard.
Thanks, Jonnyo. You have just depressed me as I had a shitty day that day, far from perfect for me:-(
I remember Thomas in 96 very well, too.
a) On our table the night before the race he was tech-talking with a son of a fellow triathlete about … cars. I didn´t get much, didn´t know the words… had something to do with “low” and “motor fast”. 
b) Two days after the race I headed out of Penticton with a friend in a car (to do some sightseeing). About 40 miles out me met Thomas on his bike still heading AWAY from Penticton. We stopped and asked what the hell he was doing on the bike 2 days after an IM win. He said he was bored and wanted to kill some time before his plane left in the evening.
Devlin must have had a slow transition that day as swam faster and still passed me early on the bike. I went with him, but not for very long. Blew up big time on the run. Next year I did a typical Axel: Killed myself early on in the bike. Cruised to T2. Ate and chatted in T2. Then ran 3:11 for a total time 2 minutes faster then the year before. Lost 2 Spots compared to the year before though.
One day I will return to Canada for the IM. Loved the race.
Axel
I remember hearing about Hellriegel’s gearing for Lake Placid in '99. 54/46 up front with a straight block 11-19 in the back…quite impressive.
But I would say my favorite Hellriegel story was from a German girl who was training in in the states who used to swim at the same club. TH could not make the 50m long course underwater after the one practice so to better prepare he would hold his breath as long as possible WHILE DRIVING to and from the pool!
Actually, that does not seem to be correct based upon '05 v.s '06 M40 top 6 bike splits… The '05 splits are only marginaly faster
'04 splits were even faster, but that could have been the year of the fires!? Was '04 bike course changed?
please dont try to make statistical eviendence… i live there…ask any locals… if you are pro and swam in the 50 minutes range…you had tail wind all day…simply crazy fast…a dream condition that i never seen there any day of the year…it just dosnt happen there…but did on that day…
i was sick like a dog…could not push the pedals and was coasting and still rode 4:54…i usualy have to work a lot for that kind of time…
so…maybe for the top 6 40 year old men… they are too slow swimming or started 15 minutes later and miss the changing wind…
but for the pro… 2005 was the fastest bike condition possible…(not running or swimming…BIKING)
2006 was good but not great…no big wind but no big tail wind either…
Jonnyo,
The tricky part about the IMC bike couse winds is that you pass through two different valleys - the Okanagan and the Similkimeen, and the winds in each of the valleys can be blowing differently on the same day, or they can be blowing the same. This latter situation is rare, but when it does happen, it’s an awesome situation. That’s when the somewhat challenging bike course at IMC is “fastest”. I know that it was that way in 1992. I went 5:00 flat on that day, and there was rarely a head wind round the whole course!
they had a race there in 92 !!! wow…i was starting to play curling in those years… anyway… it s the big 25th edition this year…maybe you should come back and race it again!!! i promise you perfect condition