Gurutze Frades

Gurutze Frades has spent her triathlon career rewriting the Spanish record books, and 2019 saw her post her most impressive results so far.

She won the long-distance national title for four years in a row from 2011 to 2014 (as well as a medium-distance crown in 2013).

The best IRONMAN time by a female Spanish athlete also belongs to her, as does one of the top-10 marathons of all time, both were achieved when she was second at IRONMAN South Africa in 2019.

Her first IRONMAN victory came at Vichy in 2015 when she saw off six-time Kona winner Natascha Badmann among others. That year she was also fourth in the ITU Long Distance World Championship in Sweden.

In May 2017 Frades came close to being the first Spanish woman to dip under nine hours in an IRONMAN event when she posted 9:01:00 while finishing fourth in Brazil. That qualified her for Kona, where she placed 22nd.

Highlights in 2018 included a seventh place at the ITU Long Distance World Championship in Denmark. Meanwhile the goal of racing in Hawaii was again achieved after IRONMAN South Africa (sixth) and IRONMAN Oceania (fourth).

In April 2019 Gurutze finished second at IRONMAN South Africa in a new personal and Spanish best of 8:40:47, thanks in part to a blistering effort in the marathon (2:52:41).

That day she powered through the field on the run, with only Lucy Charles-Barclay able to deny her victory.

Frades then achieved her best result yet in Hawaii with another fine performance to take 15th, and continues to go from strength to strength.

To prove the point, she again dipped under nine hours to claim third place behind Teresa Adam and Sarah Piampiano at IRONMAN Australia in December.