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Claudia Müller Going Hot and Cold, Keeps Going Extremes

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Claudia Müller (Austria, 54, IISA bio here, @claudia.guenter) started out in the extreme sports world as a triathlete – finishing Ironman Triathlons in Frankfurt, France Nizza, Regensburg, Switzerland, and Kärnten Austria between 11 hours 19 minutes and 13 hours 14 minutes during the years between 2008 and 2013.

Müller took up ice swimming in 2020 and has since completed the following Ice Kilometers and Ice Miles:

  • ÖM Altenwörth 2020 in 23 minutes 40.70 seconds
  • Hallstättersee 2022 in 20 minutes 39.56 seconds
  • ÖM Altenwörth 2023 in 20 minutes 48.90 seconds
  • Hallstättersee 2023 in 21 minutes 18.6 seconds
  • IISA EM Oradea 2024 in 20 minutes 56.3 seconds
  • Hallstättersee 2024 in 19 minutes 41.83 seconds
  • Hatfield Lake Doncaster, 35 minute 1 second Ice Mile in 4.3°C water and 4.5°C air to become an Iron Icewoman

Now she is continuing to step up in the Ice – while also returning to the triathlon world at the age of 54.

On September 1st – 3rd 2023 in Bad Radkersburg, Styria, Austria, she completed a Triple Ironman Triathlon in a cumulative time of 54 hours 29 minutes 5 seconds. She also competed in several events this year, including competing in several events at the IISA 6th World Championship in Molveno, Italy, finishing the Ice Kilometer in 21 minutes 11.93 seconds in the 1.94°C pool water, and completed her second Ice Mile in April 2025 in Achensee, Achenkirch, Austria in 4.90°C water and 0.00°C air temperatures.

Later this year, she plans to complete yet another Ironman Triathlon and attempt yet another Ice Mile – which would enable Müller to become the first Triple Ice Ironwoman in history. A Triple Ice Ironwoman is an woman who has completed three separate full Ironman Triathlons  and three separate Ice Miles, enabling her to become an Iron Icewoman  three times over.

Nautical Ice Mile in Austria

Gerald Daringer (48, Austria, IISA bio here, @daringer.gerald) reported that Müller completed an Ironman Triathlon and an Ice Mile within 64 days for a pending Guinness World Record. “On June 16th under extreme conditions and scorching heat, Müller crossed the finish line of her 21st Ironman. But this wasn’t just another long-distance race—this was the final chapter of a groundbreaking athletic achievement.

“At Ironman Austria in Klagenfurt, athletes battled a brutal course: a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and a 42.195 km marathon run—all in temperatures soaring above 30°C. On the bike course in particular, the heat peaked at an unbearable 42°C, beating down relentlessly on competitors.“

“It was a battle against myself,” said Müller. Her strategy was clear: stay composed on the bike, avoid going too hard too early, and maintain proper nutrition and hydration to prevent cramps and dehydration caused by massive electrolyte loss. The goal wasn’t speed—it was survival. “After the bike, I knew my legs were gone. I simply couldn’t force myself to run,” she recalled as she jogged and power-walked her way through the first half marathon, then walked briskly alongside fellow athletes during the second loop of the run.

Daringer wrote, “This Ironman was part of something bigger. Claudia had set her sights on an unprecedented challenge: to complete both an Ironman and a Nautical Ice Mile within the same calendar year. And she did just that.“

While Alexandre Fuzeau (59, France, IISA bio here, shown below) completed a 1609m Ice Mile in a pool in 4.97°C in 36:27 and an Ironman Triathlon within 61 days in 2019 and Qing Li (35, USA, IISA bio here, shown below) completed a 1609m Ice Mile in a lake in 4.13°C water in 31:35 and an Ironman Triathlon within 29 days in 2021, Müller swam a 1,887m Nautical Ice Mile (which is 1,852 meters long) within 64 days.

“In hindsight, the hardest part was training for both disciplines in the same year,” Müller said. “It took everything I had. And during the Ironman, I understood why no one else had done this before. It was incredibly tough—but it was absolutely worth it.”

Müller completed her Nautical Ice Mile on April 13th 2025 and her Ironman Triathlon on June 16th to set a Guinness World Record for the shortest time (64 days) between the completion of a Nautical Ice Mile and Ironman Triathlon.

Iron Icewomen

Iron Icemen

© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“

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