Astrid Benöhr

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Astrid Benöhr (born 8 October 1957 in Bergisch Gladbach) is a German endurance athlete, multiple world champion and world record holder in various multiple Ironman (also known as ultra-triathlon) disciplines.

Her 1997 world record in the quintuple ironman (about 74 hours for some 19 km swimming, 900 km bicycling, 210 km running) is more than 2 hours less than the men's world record; her 1999 world record in the deca (tenfold) ironman (about 187 hours for 38 km swimming, 1800 km bicycling, 420 km running) is about 5 hours less than the men's world record. In this event, her total time of 187 hours included some 8.5 hours of sleep. However, this record remains unofficial because it was not verified by the sport's administrative body, the International Ultra Triathlon Association.

She also holds the women's world records in the double, triple and quadruple ironman. In 2001, at age 44, she became world champion in the triple ironman, finishing before the male world champion. She has also won women's world championships in the double, quintuple and deca ironman.

She began to run in her twenties, to aid her efforts to stop smoking. She started collecting ironman titles in 1987, working without a coach to this day. She is a housewife and has three children, born in 1980, 1981 and 1985.

In the 1998 deca ironman race in Monterrey, Mexico, Astrid Benöhr was disqualified for taking shortcuts during the running segment.^[1]

In an interview in 2003, she said that sex the night before a competition helps, as it relaxes and leads to deeper sleep.^[2]

[edit] References

^ DecaTriathlon Mexico (English). Electronic Ultra Mentor. Retrieved on 21 June, 2006.
^ Floren, Carla (23 May 2005). Mit Sex aufs Siegertreppchen (German). NetDoktor.de. Retrieved on 21 June, 2006.