The 2026 “Sparkassen Triathlon Dortmund” yielded a strong team result for the Fachhochschule Dortmund: Ines Tollknäpper and Florian Elsche secured third place in the mixed relay category.
A 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride, and a 5-kilometer run: This athletic trio of disciplines awaited participants in and around the Dortmund harbor on July 19, 2026. The university duo particularly stood out: Ines Tollknäpper, a library staff member, performed well both in the water (13:20) and on the running course (27:13). Her partner on the “Tri n’Catch Us” team, Florian Elsche, a master’s student in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, took to the bike (44:19). With a combined time of 1:24:51, the two finished 11th overall.
Additional results from the FH relay teams:
- "Tri & Error" Team:
Dr. Thilo Groll (12:39), Jan Schmieder (49:16), Dr. Werner Link (23:20)
Total time: 1:25:16 (10th place, men; 13th overall) - Team “FFT – FHast FHorward Triathlon”:
Benjamin Hecker (17:08), Lukas Lübbert (49:32), Tim Kliem (20:06)
Total time: 1:26:45 (12th place, men; 17th overall) - Lean Team:
Leonie Potthoff (17:19), Niklas Wenderoth (58:40), Justin Reiß (27:27)
Total time: 1:43:26 (27th place mixed, 47th overall)
Olympic individual athlete:
Dennis Friedel, a research assistant in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, overcame a special challenge by competing as an individual athlete in the “Olympic” category, covering double the standard distances for each discipline: a 1.5-kilometer swim (47:26), 40 kilometers on the bike (1:47:48), and a 10-kilometer run (1:18:31). With a total time of 3:53:45, he placed 13th in the M25 age group.