Dorothee Bittner: Back at the Ironman at the age of 60 – a triumph after 28 years!

Dorothee Bittner: Back at the Ironman at the age of 60 – a triumph after 28 years!

On August 13, 2025, Dorothee Bittner from Erding stepped onto the big triathlon stage and, after a break of almost 30 years, attempted the Ironman distance again. In Roth, one of the most important competition arenas in Germany, the 60-year-old demonstrated that you can achieve your dreams even with health setbacks - such as rheumatism and a weak immune system. Things have been quiet for her over the last 28 years; since her last competition in this discipline in 1997, she has had to contend with numerous challenges.

While many beginners in triathlon see swimming as the biggest hurdle, Bittner mastered the Ironman distance using an unconventional training method. She only swam about 55 kilometers in the pool while developing her cycling skills primarily through the online platform Zwift. Such training, which includes little classic running, is rather unusual in triathlon, but it shows that individual approaches can also lead to the goal. After all, the Ironman distance not only includes swimming over 3.8 kilometers, but also 180 kilometers of cycling and a marathon over 42.2 km - a sporting challenge that demands body and mind.

A mysterious comeback

What many people didn't know: Dorothee Bittner planned her comeback in Roth as a secret project. Only her son Mark and husband Franz were privy to her return. On race day she started in the second to last group at 8:10 a.m. These late start times are often psychologically challenging for many athletes. However, Bittner masters the swimming with flying colors, even though it represents a great challenge for her, especially in the hectic pace of the start of the competition. Swimming in open water brings with it additional difficulties, such as crowding around the buoys with other participants.

In the end, the joy of successfully completing the long distance was huge. Bittner fought until the end, overcame nausea and exhaustion, finally reached the finish after almost 15 hours and was greeted with thunderous applause. She was last in her age group, but that didn't matter to her - the feeling of finishing the race was priceless for her.

The plans for the future

Despite her physical challenges, Dorothee Bittner doesn't have enough: She plans to continue to actively participate in sports and will take part in the middle distance at Brombachsee at the end of August. The middle distance, which includes 1.9 kilometers of swimming, 90 kilometers of cycling and 21 kilometers of running, presents another challenge, but it looks like Bittner has what it takes to overcome this too.

For anyone who also wants to get into long-distance triathlon, it is important to have a solid foundation. Swimming skills over 1000 meters in breaststroke or crawl, good endurance and regular training are essential. The training turns out to be demanding and should be supplemented by short and medium distances in order to be well prepared, as triathlon-tipps.de describes. A targeted training plan can help to overcome the challenges of a long distance - an important aspect that Bittner has also recognized for himself.

Dorothee Bittner's return is not only a great comeback, but also an inspiration for many who may dream of triathlon but feel deterred by health problems or other setbacks. Sometimes you just have to take the first step - and then stick with it, no matter how challenging it gets. NZZ emphasizes that long-distance triathlon is definitely feasible even for late beginners, as long as you are prepared to invest the necessary time and energy.

Dorothee Bittner showed everyone: persistence, courage and a good plan can help you overcome even the biggest challenges!