Facts about
Magnus Ditlev
I’m a 27-year-old professional long-distance triathlete from Denmark. I came into the sport rather late and without a background from any of the three disciplines. It has been a steep learning curve for me, but I have loved every minute.
- Age: 27 years (birth date 31 October 1997)
- Height: 195 cm / 6 feet 4,5 inches
- Weight: 80-84 kg / 176-185 lbs (depending on time of season)
- Place of residence: Virum/Copenhagen, Denmark
- Triathlon club: KTK86, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Coach: Jens Petersen-Bach since 2017
- Swim coach: Stefan Hansen since 2025
- Nicknames: Big Mac or the Machine
- First professional race: September 2019, Challenge Davos
- First professional win: September 2020, IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia
- Fastest Ironman: 7:23:24 (Challenge Roth 2024, World Best Time)
Only Dane to podium at both IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. Best Danish result in Kona with a silver medal in 2024.
Swim
With a coastline of 8.600 km, basic swimming lessons are compulsory in Denmark. In school all kids learn to swim 200 meters. I didn't have swimming lessons for years after that. At 15 years of age, I started going to the local pool and practiced on my own.
When I turned 18 my birthday present was some swimming lessons with swim coach Bo Jacobsen and things took off from there. Basically, I learned to swim fast enough to follow the back of the swim field in pro triathlon races within 3-4 years, and a main focus area for me is to continue to improve my swim level to be a constant front pack swimmer.
The will to win
I believe in ambition, passion, dedication, and hard work just as much as I believe in design, innovation, and technology. In endurance sports at professional level there are no shortcuts. Behind the excitement at the finish line are many hours of careful training behind the scenes, where all details and techniques are optimised. The will to win must be a driving force and not just at competitions.
Magnus Ditlev
Bike
Of the three triathlon disciplines biking is what comes most natural to me. As a child biking was a means of transport for me, and as a young teenager I started biking with my dad on holidays. I had a serious bike accident in 2018 and could not bike outside for a period. I was on the home trainer for 125 consecutive days and my bike performance really increased in that period.
My fastest bike split for the Ironman distance is 3:57:45 (Challenge Roth 2023).
I love to bike, the freedom and scenery and to experience new places, wherever the bike takes me.
Motivation and goals
I’m really motivated by the process of improvement. Continuously pushing the limits and raisin the crossbar both in training and in the development of my gear. The opportunity to innovate and optimise is exciting for me and drives me forward. I also love the hard work behind the performance on race day.
My goal is to develop not only my self as an athlete but also the sport of triathlon, and I hope to inspire others along the way. I hope that I can inspire young people to go into the triathlon sport by showing that you do not need a long background within one of the three disciplines or being born into a triathlon family dynasty to become a good triathlete.
Magnus Ditlev
Run
Learning to run at a competitive level has taken a lot of effort for me. After a long period with very limited running after my bike crash in 2018, my coach and I have built up my run form very slowly.
In 2022 I completed my first and second full Ironman with 2:40 run splits.
I love running in nature and seeing new places. For me, running can be almost meditative.
Fun fact: Hill reps in a country without hills as my home country Denmark is not easy. I usually train at Geels Bakke having a total height of 21 meters and I have done that vertical run countless times.
