Casper Stornes sprung to attention by beating his training partners Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt to lead a Norwegian one-two-three at the 2025 Ironman World Championships.
If you haven’t been closely following his career, he may seem like a ‘third man’ who stepped out of the shadows. But like his compatriot Solveig Løvseth, Stornes’ career was progressing steadily before his breakthrough victory, following a step up in distance.
Who is Casper Stornes?
Stornes’ run pace has underpinned his Ironman success. (Photo by Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
Casper Stornes is a triathlete from Askøy, Norway, near Bergen.
Having entered his country’s triathlon programme, he was achieving short-course success by his late teens. In 2016 aged 19, he was national champion.
His first international victory came in April 2018 with a win at the ITU World Triathlon Series (WTS) Bermuda. By this time he was competing mainly in WTS and draft-legal triathlon distances along with the occasional Ironman 70.3.
His focus started to switch to these longer courses while still impressing over Olympic distance. He came second in the Tokyo Olympics test event in 2019 and eleventh when the pandemic-delayed games took place in 2021. That year he also won his first Ironman 70.3 race in Nice.
After a fallow 2022, Stornes came first in Ironman 70.3 Indiana Wells-La Quinta and in the European Games mixed relay in 2023.
Stornes finished 11th at Tokyo 2020. (Credit: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
This season marked a turning point in Stornes’ career in which his all-round prowess enabled him to successfully transition to middle and long distance racing.
Another half-iron victory came in 2024 in Poland along with medals in World Cup events and the European Championships.
Before the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Championships, he was hit by a motorist in training and rib injuries forced him to miss the event.
In 2025, he left his coach, Mikal Iden, and joined Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden in their self-coaching group. The trio usually train together around Bergen in Norway.
He finished runner-up at Ironman 70.3 Aix en Provence, third at Ironman Frankfurt on his full-course debut before topping the Norwegian triple at the world championships. He clinched this win with the fastest ever marathon time of 2:29:25 at an Ironman world championships. Beforehand, Norway had aimed to nab all the podium spots, but the order surprised some.
How old is Casper Stornes?
He was born on 6 February 1997, so he is 28.
Casper Stornes career highlights
Credit: Ironman / Bartłomiej Zborowski / Activ’Images
An inaugural 1-2-3
Wins the World Triathlon Series Bermuda ahead of Blummenfelt and Iden, the first time a country sweeps the men’s podium in WTS.
First 70.3 success
Confirms his step up to middle distance by winning Ironman 70.3 Nice in 2021. His impressive 1:06:03 run leg time is a sign of things to come.
And his second
Beats Marc Dubrick and Sam Long by more than a minute to win Ironman 70.3 Indiana Wells-La Quinta in 2023.
Warsaw win
Dominates the 2024 Ironman 70.3 Warsaw and beats second-placed Jorik Van Egdom by seven minutes. Iden is nearly 12 minutes back in fourth.
Ironman debut
Finishes fifth at his first Ironman in Texas in 2025 as Blummenfelt wins.
Ironman World Champion
Pulls away from the pack on the run to win the 2025 Ironman World Championships with a record run split ahead of Iden (second) and Blummenfelt (third).
Casper Stornes quotes
After being crowned Ironman World Champion: “I’m quite a laid-back guy who doesn’t like so much attention.”
On being overshadowed by his training partners: “When we’re out running on the promenade we always hear ‘Gustav’ or ‘Kristian’, and, of course, I’m thinking: ‘I’ve done some good races too!’
“But I don’t mind. I’m just happy to be surrounded by those two amazing athletes, to just enjoy life training with them and doing what I love.”
On beating the better known duo: “I knew I had a chance to win, but I also knew I had some really hard competitors to beat … They [Iden and Blummenfelt] have pushed me to the line for so many years. They are the best mates that I can share the podium with and I’m so happy.”
On going from being coached (by Mikal Iden) to being self-coached: “There was nothing wrong with Mikal’s coaching. I just felt that for my motivation for the next few years I wanted to take more responsibility for my training.”
What’s next for Casper Stornes?
Credit: Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Currently second in the Ironman Pro Series standings, fewer than a thousand points behind Blummenfelt, Stornes is in contention for the overall win and the $200,000 bonus.
All will be decided at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, which doubles as the Ironman Pro Series finale, on 9 November.
Stornes has also voiced his desire to defend his Ironman world title in 2026 when both the women’s and men’s races return to Hawaii.