I hear good reports and things about Copengagen. Does anyone have any idea when this usually gets fully booked?
There’s a bit of a discussion on the 2025 races thread and a few have done it before.
Generally seems to get good reports.
Cheers just seen it. Will head over there 
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I’m in
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Training for this is going OK, as always it could have been better, especially over winter. This weekend I am doing Gordo Byrn’s Big Weekend. Long swim tonight, long ride tomorrow on the TT bike into a short run and then a long(ish) (~20km) run Sunday. Not worried about speed or power but just get through it.
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Bearing in mind I can’t walk straight right now, if ever there was an IM comeback, I reckon this would be it. Very family friendly date (not so wallet friendly though!)
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I did write a race report but did it on my work laptop (in my own time) but then don’t log on to TT from that so never copied it over. It was 3 weeks ago now seems daft so will do a mini report.
I had a great day, It was quick in any terms but I paced the day for the fitness I had and was able to run the marathon (10 min run, 30 sec walk) and not be forced into walking. The support on the run course was fantastic, lots of people there to support friends and family but also plenty of locals having a beer or two and cheering people on.
I had a poor training winter which was mostly down to issues at home affecting sleep or making going training not the wisest choice. I wasn’t ready to start proper training until late May-June. Bike power was shocking, little swim fitness and was running slowly. With that come June I focused on making sure I did long rides and runs.
I dread the swim usually but oddly felt calm. Just set off easy and try and jump on the feet of someone who eases by me. It was pretty busy and never really found the right feet. I was able to shelter behind a few people at times and the bridges help tick off the distance mentally. The only tiny bit of drama is when I got to the enclosed bit of the lagoon and the rebounding waves (which were tiny) caused a brief bit of bouncing around.
Through T1 fine, long wee stop though. With the Northerly wind I knew I had to pace conservatively. No dramas on the bike except the wahoo issue meant no distance or speed on it. Pros came flying past which was cool to see. On one patch of rough tarmac I saw 3 guys fixing punctures and bottles were everywhere. Some still had the xlab carbon fibre cages attached. As I wasn’t going quick, I did stop for a couple of wees at aid stations. The long section South into town meant I was going at a decent pace, sore backside late on.
T2, another long wee, no idea what was happening, didn’t drink a lot, a bit less than usual. Onto the run see family and some friends. It always feels so easy but was going to fast. Slowed up, got the HR to where aerobic threshold is within the first km. Plan was run 10 mins, walk 30s. That fits in roughly with aid stations, so when using them I used that for the walk. I was able to hold pace well until about 35-36km. There are a couple of small inclines where you go onto bridges and I walked those by choice too. I can see where it looks like I was really struggling where I again stopped twice on the run for proper wees.
I was buzzing on how much enjoyed this race all the following week. If you’re looking for a foreign race to do, this is a good one. I am biased as I really like Copenhagen. A calm sea swim (sort of), rolling bike course with mostly good tarmac and the run is good and the crowds really help you get through the 4 laps. Loved it!
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@pacha has reminded me I didn’t say anything about the race either. I don’t have any reasonable excuse other than I was swanning around Europe for a couple of weeks after and forgot.
My race build and fitness was actually decent. For those with a long memory, 2023 was a culmination of a tough couple of years for me and although I had signed up for Copenhagen in 2024 I decided to defer and try and sort things out. This isn’t the thread for the details but 2024 I went back to basics, rebuilt myself and began 2025 in much better shape, mentally and physically.
My goal was sub 12 and I left no stone unturned in the planning. I looked at all my weaknesses and worked really hard on each one, everything from knackered joints, strength, fueling/hydration, bike fit and a shake up of how I approach training. Much more listening to my body, a LOT more recovery and overall the training hours this year have been the lowest they’ve ever been. However, the quality and focus of what I did do was far greater. The result was that I felt stronger and fitter than ever before and it’s been a fun year. A couple of pb’s along the way and I was quietly looking forward to Copenhagen.
Race day morning and I felt good, kept breakfast simple and normal and headed off to T1. Checked the bike for the final time and then spent the rest of the time floating in the swim pen, acclimatising and chatting with a Kiwi fella.
If Carlsberg made swims.. it was perfect conditions and it’s fun swimming under the bridges with the support from above. I have a damaged shoulder that’s still work in progress so I was expecting the strength in my left arm to fade. I wasn’t disappointed but I tried to compensate with my right arm and crack on. My pre-race target was 1:15 - 1:30 depending on the shoulder and came in at ~1:20. Happy enough with that.
T1, completely uneventful and largely faff free. ~8 minutes I think.
Bike. Knowing I always run (ha!) into trouble later in IM races I planned the bike very conservatively. My FTP is currently about 240w and I planned to hold 150w with the hills capped at ~175w. I had a good bike position and was able to hold aero comfortably for the entire race. The bike was also uneventful, concentrated on getting my nutrition and fluids in and generally just enjoyed myself. Best bike split predicted 5:45 with those power numbers and I came in ~5:44. Again, happy enough with that.
T2, no problems here either. Minimal faffage and ~4 minutes.
Run. I was feeling good for the start of the run and the day had gone to plan so far. I was planning a 9/1 strategy and that loosely aligned with walking the aid stations. I set off aiming for 6:30 pace and every time I checked my watch I was going too fast, I really struggled to keep the pace down to that on the first loop. But it wasn’t long before the issues of old came to haunt me and I struggled to get nutrition in again and with that the inevitable decline in energy. To this point in the race everything had been going well. I was pacing, fueling and drinking as planned and I felt good. Even after a few weeks reflecting I really don’t know what’s gone wrong again. It could be that with my history that I simply can’t manage IM distance and that the final few hours will always be a horror show. It could be I still haven’t got nutrition quite right. It could be I need to improve my training for that final part of the day. I honestly don’t know. To add to my woes, I also got an internal bleed in my foot (I think I kicked or landed badly on a cobble) which was the nail in the coffin to bring the run home as planned. Target was 4:30 and I came in ~5:21. Not so happy with that 
I’ve had a cracking year, loved the training, loved the races I’ve done and feel energised for 2026. The focus now is Lanza and I’ve got some hard work ahead to resolve the marathon issues. I do like a challenge though 
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