The first IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków is behind us. A Polish triathlete took the win, followed closely by Germany’s Maximilian Sperl, who crossed the finish line with a time of 3:41:14. The fastest woman was Katrine Græsbøll Christensen from Denmark, who completed the full course in 4 hours, 14 minutes and 15 seconds.
For Stępniak, who is the highest-ranked Polish athlete in the PTO (Professional Triathletes Organisation) ranking, the victory in Kraków was his first IRONMAN series win this year. Kacper admitted the course in Kraków suited him perfectly, but he had to fight until the very end with the German competitor who was right on his heels.
The whole time, right up to the last kilometre, I kept thinking Max was right behind me. I knew I had to stay sharp because he’s a really strong athlete and he’s beaten me before. I knew I had to stay fully focused to win this. But like the best say, pressure is a privilege, so when I ran onto the cobblestones here, I knew I wasn’t going to give up the victory.
Kacper Stępniak – winner of IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków
Danish Strength in the Water
The fastest woman to complete 1900 meters of swimming, 90 kilometers of cycling and 21.1 kilometers of running was Danish athlete Katrine Græsbøll Christensen. A triathlete who started out in kayaking, she praised the swim section at the finish line.
The lake was beautiful. I didn’t have my best swim time today, but I still love swimming. And then we had everything – rain and sunshine taking turns. The bike course was actually quite fun. Nothing flat. And the run ended in this stunning place, with amazing support all around. I’m proud to have won here.
Katrine Græsbøll Christensen – winner of IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków in the Women’s category
A First-Timer Takes the Win
The fastest Polish woman in the women’s race was Aleksandra Bańbor, a student at the University of Physical Education in Katowice. She explained that her decision to take part in the Kraków event was spontaneous and she wasn’t as well prepared for the race as she would have liked.
I love this city and just had to race here. I didn’t expect the finish line to be on the Main Square. That’s absolutely awesome! The organisation was top-notch.
Aleksandra Bańbor – fastest Polish woman in IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków
First but Not Last for Małachowski
Aleksandra made her triathlon debut at the 70.3 distance — and so did Piotr Małachowski. The champion, multi-medalist, and Olympic discus thrower was convinced to come out of “sports retirement” and began training intensively a few months ago to take part in the race in Kraków.
I’m happy with my debut, even though I know what I need to work on. I’ll be better prepared for the next triathlon, but still — nothing to be ashamed of. I hit a big wall on the bike, though. I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it. My legs were shaking when I got off. The run went fine. And in the swim, I felt like a fish in water — maybe more like a whale — but it actually went well. Zakrzówek is a special place.
Piotr Małachowski – former track and field athlete, Olympian, IRONMAN Poland ambassador
Indeed, Lake Zakrzówek — where today’s race began — is a truly unique spot. It was formed as an artificial reservoir in an old quarry. Many athletes pointed out that they had
Plawgo Like Pogačar
At the finish line, Piotr Małachowski was greeted by a close friend from the athletics track — Marek Plawgo. The former Polish national team member already has solid triathlon experience under his belt.
This was the most beautiful IRONMAN I’ve ever done. What happened in the market square in Bochnia was incredible. I felt like Tadej Pogačar out there. You think you’re tired, but then you enter that atmosphere and suddenly you get this huge boost — and those hills don’t seem so bad anymore.
Marek Plawgo – former track and field athlete, multi-medalist, Olympian, IRONMAN Poland ambassador
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But the most emotional moment came from the charity relay team, which included Paweł Korzeniowski — former World Champion swimmer, actor Tomasz Karolak, and… Leszek Krawczyński. The latter won his spot in the team through an auction, with the full amount raised going to the FizjiTRIterapia Foundation.
I enjoy running and the cause was a good one, so it was a perfect match. It was a great experience for me — I got to meet the guys. I’m happy I pulled it off.
Leszek Krawczyński – member of the FizjiTRIterapia relay team, IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków
I see triathlon as a fun way to stay active, and if I can help kids while doing it, there’s nothing to think about — I’m in. And in terms of racing, not many people caught up with me in Bochnia. Thanks to Paweł Korzeniowski and his swimming, I had a huge head start.
Tomasz Karolak – actor, member of the FizjiTRIterapia relay team, IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków
When I was asked to join the relay, I agreed right away. I’m not completely happy with my time, because these days I’m more of a sprinter, but I still came out of the water in second place. Though I have to admit, I had some serious muscle soreness after finishing my swim leg.
Paweł Korzeniowski – multiple Polish record holder and champion, World Champion and two-time World Vice-Champion in swimming, member of the FizjiTRIterapia relay team, IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków
After the winner’s ceremony at Kraków’s Main Market Square, sixty athletes who qualified for next year’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice received special invitations to take part in the event.
Good Morning Run with a Taste of Coffee
The triathlon weekend actually began a day earlier — on Saturday at 9:00 AM, with a 5-kilometre run. Nearly a thousand people set off from the Main Market Square and followed a route almost identical to the one used for IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków, running around Wawel and along the Vistula River. The fastest at the finish line was Adam Czerwiński from Wieliczka, with a very strong time of 14:24:35.
The crowd’s energy, especially at the Main Square, really gave me a boost, so I pushed for a good result — for myself and for those amazing supporters. I ran solo from start to finish. I’m happy with my performance.
Adam Czerwiński – winner of Good Morning Run 2025
Kraków native Maja Wąsik was the fastest woman in the morning run. She completed the five-kilometre course in just 17 minutes, 52 seconds and 31 hundredths.
It was pretty humid this morning and the carbon shoes didn’t grip the surface that well. But as the run course coordinator for IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków, I’m really happy — I tested the route myself and now I know it’s possible to race here at good speeds.
Maja Wąsik – winner of the Good Morning Run in the women’s category
At the finish zone, runners were welcomed with aromatic coffee. Each participant received a thermal mug with the race logo, filled with coffee served by the event partner – Segafredo.
Kids Took Over the Main Square
At noon on Saturday, the youngest athletes kicked off their races as part of Phoenix IRONKIDS. More than 270 young runners took part in total. The
The Host City of the event is Kraków. The Official Sponsor is Citi Handlowy, and the Strategic Partners are the City of Bochnia and the Małopolska Region. Sponsors include Enterprise Rent a Car, the Pho3nix Foundation, Nutrend, and sportano.pl. Media partners: Trójka, WP Sportowe Fakty, and Akademia Triathlonu.
