Ironman- Who Did Not Finish

Two time Ironman.

Third time DNF (Did not finish)! Why? What happened?

Ankush explains.

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IRONMAN Hamburg Race Report (DNF) Part 1 - Mistakes.

DNF - Did not Finish! Those words sting! Not the ideal race report I wanted to pen down but I need to reflect back on the mistakes I made and do a reset to help me focus on training and the next race. Also, putting this out may help someone else avoid the same mistakes.

I was so ready for this race, going in nice and healthy after a solid recovery from Chikungunya earlier in the year and was looking forward to a 14h45m finish. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would DNF on this course.

In summary, I lost significant time to the following mistakes in Transition 1, that put a lot of pressure on the windy bike leg and I eventually missed the Swim + T1 + Bike cut off of 9h30m (This course was a 15h30m full distance IM course, unlike the others that are 17h courses) by 14 mins.

Mistakes :

1. In T1, I was done with the gear switch from swim to bike in about 12 mins. But some brain fade and I took my cycling shoes in my hand and ran from the Transition bag to the bike. That's strictly not allowed. Referees spotted me and I had to get back from almost near the bike to the bench, wear my cycling shoes and then again get to the bike. Lost 7-8 mins here, since the distance between the bag and bike is a to and fro 400m or so and very difficult to run in cleats on slippery roads. Learning : In longer non -carpeted transitions, just clip the shoes to the bike while racking.

2. I took the bike and head off to the bike-out where at the exit I realised I haven't worn my bib number! Completely missed wearing it while putting on rest of the cycling gear. Now I had to again go back to the transition bag (in cleats!) and pick the bib belt. Got back to the bike (a round trip of 800m) and another 10-11 mins lost in doing this. Overall a 12 mins transition became 28 mins! I almost did like three transitions!

I had now effectively 7h02 mins available to finish the bike. This incidentally was my target right from the prep, but race day had lot of wind and rain, and with the max push that I could do, I finished the bike in 7h17min. Missed the cut off by 15 mins.

Had I not made those T1 mistakes, I would have been in time and away.

Part-2 POSITIVES

1. SWIM : Unknown to many people, I fear the water big time. One of the reasons for me doing IM, is to go beyond this fear. Barring Malaysia, at NZ and Tallinn, I panicked both times in the first 200m of the swim literally searching a kayak for support. But this swim was different. Something in me had a sense of calm and right from the first stroke to the last, I stayed composed and steady. Had taken the first 30 seconds to just do breast stroke and get accustomed to the cold water shock & blowing bubbles. This worked wonders. The out 1500m was relatively fast but then the outer Alster lake got windy and choppy. Lost pace there but stayed super composed in those choppy waters holding on to some deeper thoughts. Finished the swim slow at 2h (my target was 1.45-1.50) but to me something about this was a BIG victory for the mind.

2. BIKE: This was a thriller for me vs me. I was racing against the clock and after gauging the wind and initial feel, I set out splits of 3h25 for the 1st loop and 3hr35 for the 2nd loop to target 7h. Pushed hard on the first loop, found windy sections and done in 3h28. This meant 2nd loop had to be 3.32 or 3.34 at max. But I found very heavy crosswinds & more Rain, finished in 3h49m and that was the end of my race. But I was able to push my best bike time in an IM. My trusted cycle stayed solid with me and responded to every push i gave.

End of the day, I gave it ALL I had on the swim and bike course. ZERO regrets there.

Insane support credits go to:

1. @biltoriavarun - A long distance brother, for all the motivation pre and post the race!

2. @ankita_earthy - For invaluable advice on tackling the panic in the swim and for hyping me up! we belong to one tribe!

3. @burzzz13 - For so much last minute swim advice and the push for me to give it ALL I had.

4. My better half - @prabhjoth1979 - constantly peppering me with suggestions she would see around to get my nerves down.

5. Karapusamy - my swim coach for the last one month, visualised his tips on glide-pull-glide while out on the swim!

Thanks to everyone who sent wishes and support, will do better next time! Signing off till then.

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Bravo Ankush for such a mature and critical self-analysis.

We were tracking Ankush online on Ironman App. T1 Transition of 28 minutes baffled us too. But we had no idea of what caused it. Although he tried his best to make up for the lost time, but the wet and windy conditions added to the challenge. Despite a long wait after bike finish, his tracker did not move for the marathon (the last leg of ironman). After 30 minutes or so, a cryptic message from Ankush gave us the shock.

"Two mistakes cost me my race"

He was utterly disappointed and disheartened. Obviously. Having worked so hard for almost a year, guilt and regret overtake you. But he soon overcame it, packed his gear, returned to India and posted the above stories. Reflecting upon the race, he has been able to see the positives too. That's the spirit. Despite all the setbacks, he gave his personal best in the bike segment. Kudos to his determination and perseverance.

Well done Son. We are proud of you. You will soon hear the magical words, "Ankush, you are an Ironman" again!

All the best.

First Two Ironman Finishes

For those of you who haven't browsed the stories of his earlier Ironman Finishes, you may click the links below:

Second time Ironman ki Kahani Ankush ki Zubani - Ankush narrates the swim mishap and disorientation at Ironman Tallinn 2025

When The Buoy Dunked An Ironman - A tale of grit and determination

Ankush Does It - The Ironman! - Ankush's maiden finish in Ironman NZ March 2025

Commenting on Ankush's posts on Ironman Hamburg, another endurance athlete Vivek Bhargava from Chennai said the following:

"A DNF hurts, no doubt about it. But reading your report, one thing stands out clearly — your fitness, preparation, and determination were never the problem.

You fought back from Chikungunya, trained hard, arrived healthy, and still managed to push through difficult weather conditions. 

What impresses me most is your willingness to openly analyze what went wrong instead of making excuses. That mindset is exactly what separates good athletes from great ones. The lessons from Hamburg will stay with you far longer than the disappointment of the DNF.

Remember, one race does not define an IRONMAN. The courage to stand at the start line again does."

Well said Vivek, many thanks for the inspiring words.

In a lighter vein, the DNF at Ironman Hamburg happened because of हड़बड़ी meaning hurry, haste, or rush. It typically refers to acting too quickly in an anxious manner, often resulting in confusion or mistakes. However, it is easy for us in hindsight to say so. But all of us have done some हड़बड़ी or the other in our life! Isn't it? And such हड़बड़ी (either in the mind or actions or both) causes गड़बड़ी (meaning chaos, confusion, or a general state of being messed up) ! But jokes apart, the ability to gather your wits and press on despite a mishap, makes champions. And Ankush for sure is one!

We wish Ankush all the best for the next Ironman race.

Thanks for browsing and stay connected. Do leave a comment, few words will do.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ankush Bhargava/ 11th June 2026/ Secunderabad and Chennai

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