IRONMAN Frankfurt was a real big thing for us. The show started with the Pasta Party on Friday evening and ended with the Awards on Monday.
It was not only Andi Boecherer and Sebastian Kienle who made the race so very exciting for BIESTMILCH. We had quite some other activities that turned these days in Frankfurt into one of the most special events of the year.
Of course, it was suspense pure to know that we had a realistic chance to grab two podium places with Sebi and Andi. But we had hoped for that so many years already, and it didn’t happen, so we tried to keep a low profile.
Friday – the day of the Pasta Party
This year we had a collaboration with Mercedes Benz and »TalktoTill«. We all together had launched a raffle with the prizes being drawn on stage during the dinner. Till interviewed Andi and Sebi with the Mercedes car and our cube as stage.
I shot the making of, while the Mercedes crew had brought their cameraman and photographer. The collaboration with Mercedes and Till intends to delineate that endurance sport – even sometimes extreme – can be healthy and fun too, if you got the right cues at hand how to train and race.
This first evening was fun and a success and did the motto justice.
Saturday – the day to collect footage beyond the race venue
We started out from the very East of Frankfurt, where the City of banks loses its unbroken cleanness. This is the area where the run course turns around back into the City center. Graffitis, old industrial sites, the leftovers of the old East harbor by the Main riverside, old forgotten public beaches for insiders only dominate the picture, a corner of Frankfurt worthwhile to stroll through. We shall see, when checking our footage whether we got what we wanted.
After that we went on the run course and started our illegal Biest spraying activities. The Biest couples in white and red look so attractive, so lovely, we couldn’t figure out to run into any problems. Honestly, I was nervous, but focused on my camera work, while Patricia and Ralf were boldly spraying.
They did a great job. Terribly thirsty and drenched wet from sweating we sank into the chairs of the closest restaurant with available seat, Saturday evening is busy day for going out.
Sunday – the race day without the swim start
Since 12 years it was the first time that we didn’t get up for the swim start, lazy we! Part of the team went right away to transition one, while drove with Harry to Bad Vilbel to cover »the Biest« and »heartbreak hill«. We had our bike with us. I attached to GOPROS to the frame and off we went on the course. Honestly, it was a hassle. Squeezed in between spectators, cars, motorbikes and athletes I tried to ride against the current to collect some interesting footage. No idea whether I succeeded.
After this for not really satisfying enterprise, we returned back to the City. Frodo was still in the front, Sebi and Andi were behind him. Jan gained even more territory the closer he came to transition 1.
The run was a struggle against the heat. Even though the race organizer did a great job by implementing more aid station, more water supplies and more cold showers.
Jan Frodeno seemed to have no problem with heat boiling Main riverside, Sebi fought a tough fight with himself and Andi was so beautifully constantly running after a huge crisis in the beginning of the run.
The happy end almost everybody may be familiar with. Frodo was the indisputable winner of this extra hard race, Sebastian Kienle came in second – irritated be the 12 minutes he had lost on Jan, not by the 2nd place per se, and Andi Boecherer so very happy, because almost nobody saw him on this place before the race.
A performance that made me so very happy, thank you, Sebi and Andi… the result paid back for the exhaustion I went through and still do.
Monday – the awards and BIESTMILCH for recovery
Another hot day awaited us at the award ceremony. It’s always a nice occasion to meet and greet people. The tension is gone, everybody is either happy and relaxed or disappointed and quiet. This year we had prepared BIESTMILCH parcels for all age group athletes finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
After having chatted and laughed a lot we left to start our postproduction sessions, always hard after such days.
Okay, this was our first report from Frankfurt, the videos are going to follow. See you next year!
