Andreas Raelert to Race Challenge Kraichgau
Though the Challenge series will gain them no points toward racing in Kona, the Raelert brothers have been vocal about wanting to race each other at the Ford Ironman World Championship this year.
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Andreas Raelert, the 2010 runner-up at the Ford Ironman World Championship, is now on the start list of the Challenge Kraichgau race on June 5. Click here to see the start list.
The middle-distance race (1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21km run) will take place in an area known as the “Tuscany of Germany.” In previous years, the race has seen other well-known long-course athletes such as Thomas Hellreigel, Sebastian Kienle, James Cunnama, Raynard Tissink and Normann Stadler come across its finish line.
Andreas’ younger brother, Michael, is a two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion and has said he wants to step up to iron-distance racing this year. Last Saturday, Andreas took the title at the Thomas Cook Ironman 70.3 Mallorca, his first race of the 2011 season.
Although racing the Challenge series will gain them no points toward racing in Kona, the Raelert brothers, who have kept their 2011 season under wraps so far, have been vocal about wanting to race each other at the Ford Ironman World Championship this year—it will be Michael’s first time to race in Kona. They have been offered a million-dollar bonus by K-Swiss if Andreas and Michael finish in tandem at the Ironman World Championship on October 8.