AK 75 / 1500m Swim / 40km Bike / 10km Run / German and Hessian Champion
… behind these numbers, you would only suspect a TuS triathlete: Hermann Dorner, who became German Champion in the 75 age group at the Olympic distance in Münster, Westphalia on June 23, 2024, and Hessian Champion on June 29, 2024.
Event Location: Münster, Westphalia. The Sparda Münster City Triathlon hosted the German Age Group Championships. The swim took place in the Dortmund-Ems Canal. “That was an advantage; I didn’t have to search for the buoys and could always swim along the wall in the harbor basin,” says Hermann Dorner, who completed the 1500 meters in just over 33 minutes. The 40 km bike segment took 1:12 hours. In the end, there were 2 laps along the Dortmund-Ems Canal and through the harbor city. After 1 hour, Hermann Dorner crossed the finish line under a massive finish arch and briefly reminisced about the beginnings of his triathlon career: “It all started 40 years ago in Darmstadt at the Heinerfest Triathlon. Back then, there were no beeping timing systems—just a glass tube with Velcro on the wrist that was swung onto a wooden box to record the time,” says Dorner. For all distances, Dorner took 2:54:38 hours. He was honored on stage by the DTU presidium, including Prof. Dr. Martin Engelhardt and Bernd Kapp.
Hessian Championships at the Waldecker Edersee. There were anxious looks at the weather forecast: would the weather hold? Thunderstorms and heavy rain were predicted, which had caused injuries from lightning strikes a few years ago, recalls Hermann Dorner. The weather held, and the Edersee was well-filled, only 15 centimeters below the nominal water level. “That was once 15 meters,” Dorner recalls, “Back then, there was the recommendation to place old running shoes on the shore to tackle the 15 meters of elevation over gravel and boulders to the transition zone.”
The second Olympic distance within such a short time made the buoys seem further apart, but fortunately, the weather held, and the waves calmed down. The bike course had some severe climbs, but with the new gear setup on the bike, it was no problem. There was still enough strength left for the 10 km long and sunny run, which also had some elevation. After 3:23:31, Hermann Dorner also crossed the finish line as Hessian Champion.
For his exceptional achievements, Hermann Dorner received an invitation from the HTV to the Hessian Night 40 Years HTV and the honors at the League and Hawaii Night.
Hermann Dorner’s upcoming events include the German Championship in the Sprint Distance in Viernheim, the Hessian Championship Sprint Distance in Rodgau, the Frankfurt City Triathlon at the Olympic Distance, and the European Championship in France in Vichy at the Olympic Distance.
