Patrick Lange wanted to shine one last time on his favorite island and wanted to show that even at the age of 40 he is capable of something special in Hawaii. Wanted to enjoy taking part in the Ironman World Championships again before he ends his career in the summer of 2027. In the place that has demanded everything from him over the past ten years, that has made him great and shaped him. And then this: His final act in Hawaii turns into a drama; he tries to continue, but has to give up halfway through the bike route.
A bitter farewell for a great of this sport - on the day when the Frenchman Vincent Luis sensationally won the title ahead of the Norwegian Gustav Iden and Laura Philipp celebrated second place in a women's race that could not be surpassed in terms of drama. Lange later spoke up on ZDF. “One of the hardest DNFs in my life,” he said – while wearing a yellow volunteer shirt. Because the 40-year-old returned to the track to help. "I decided that if I can't respect the finish line, I want to at least give the energy back, help on the track and make it a little easier for those who will hopefully see the finish line today."
Everything had started so well for him at dawn on Saturday. Lange, who is not one of the strongest swimmers and who was not one of the favorites given the younger and now so strong cycling competition, put himself in a perfect starting position: After 3.86 kilometers in the Pacific, 24 athletes got out of the water within 31 seconds - Lange was one of them. The starting position couldn't be better. Now it was a matter of not letting the gap on the bike get too big so that he would have the chance to show off his running strength at the end.
So could he actually reach the podium again in his last appearance in Hawaii or even fight for victory? Want to surpass yourself again in Kona and get the best out of yourself? It seemed possible. The fact that his deficit on the bike was growing was not a cause for concern for a long time. But at some point it became clear: something was wrong.
“It was cruel to see that”
Then history repeated itself. At roughly the same point where he had to get off his bike in 2019, exhausted because he had blacked out several times, he stopped again - after around 2:27 hours into the race. The 40-year-old spoke to his trainer Ben Reszel and grabbed the back of his thigh. Apparently a muscular problem. Lange stands on the side of the road for about two minutes before driving on.
In 2019 it happened for the first time that Lange didn't leave the island with a smile. “I feel very strongly rooted and connected to Hawaii,” he says. "There are just places like that. And for me that was Hawaii from the start." When Lange, who previously worked as a physiotherapist and only competed in his first long distance in 2016, made his Hawaii debut in the same year, he amazed the established people: The Hessian got off the bike in 24th place and then made a brilliant comeback to third place with a new running distance record of 2:39:45 hours - behind Sebastian Kienle and winner Jan Frodeno.
In 2017 and 2018 he was crowned King of Kona - and in his second success he became the first Hawaii winner to stay under the eight-hour mark (7:52:38 hours). Then there were tough years on the island: After he had to give up in 2019, it turned out that he had an infection and Lange was lying flat for the time being. After the pandemic-related Hawaii cancellations in 2020 and 2021, a time penalty set him back in 2022, before he gave the lie to all doubters in 2024 who had already seen the young competition slip away: triumph number three. “This victory is for my mother, who died of cancer four years ago,” he said afterwards. It was his triumphant return to the triathlon throne, his greatest victory.
Now it was supposed to be a special farewell - it was a bitter one. His body went on strike and the residue grew. Halfway through the bike course, Lange was almost 20 minutes behind the leader. Instead of heading back after the turning point, he dismounted - and buried his face in his hands. His former coach Björn Geesmann suffered too. “It was cruel to see that,” he said on ZDF.
Hymn of praise from his ex-coach – Lange: “I’m grateful”
Then Geesmann gave a hymn of praise for Lange. "He has developed so much over the last five years. He has made so many meters forward on so many levels. I find it incredibly impressive how Patrick managed, if you will, to the end to still be at the front," he said.
"He comes from a completely different generation. And he has managed to deliver again and again over all these years. I hope that he can put that behind him very, very quickly, that he would rather look back on the three victories in three days at the latest than on today's race." A day far away from what Lange had hoped for, what he had worked for. That doesn't change his status or his legend.
And when he stood at one of the aid stations on the running route in his yellow helper shirt and looked back at his end, he actually seemed composed. "I had cramps that wouldn't stop. I drank water and electrolytes, but it just kept getting worse," he said. "I've had this happen once this year and I don't know why, but at that moment it was unfortunately the right decision to drop out. If there had been a chance to finish here, regardless of the time, I would have done it." It didn't work.
“I would have liked a different finish,” he said at the end. "On the other hand, the island has given me so much and I am so grateful for it. Hopefully, at the end of the day, the successes will outshine this DNF too."
