Yvonne van Vlerken (born 5 November 1978) is a Dutch

triathlete A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...

and

duathlete Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format similar to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally. Distance and format ...

, twice winner of Quelle Challenge Roth, who in 2008 set a world record for Ironman-distance triathlon races. She is one of a small group of female triathletes to have recorded three or more sub-9 hour times over the Ironman distance.

Early life

Yvonne van Vlerken was born in the small town of

Krimpen aan de Lek Krimpen aan de Lek is a town on the Lek River in the municipality of Krimpenerwaard, province of South Holland, the Netherlands. It had 6,607 inhabitants in 2008. The name ''Krimpen'' comes from the archaic word "''Krempener''", meaning "river ...

near Gouda on 5 November 1978. Her father was an "excellent" football player, and she also became a footballer, playing for the South Holland team. After attending high school she graduated from a fitness-specific school with a degree in fitness coaching, professional aerobic instruction and sports massage therapy. Van Vlerken worked in her home town for over 13 years. Her clients included school children for dance education and older people for fitness coaching.

Athletic career

On 13 July 2008, van Vlerken set a then new world record of 8:45:48 for Ironman-distance races at the Quelle Challenge Roth, more than five minutes faster than Paula Newby-Fraser's world record time of 8:50:53, which had stood for 14 years. The race took place in wet and cold conditions with non-stop rain and wind. Yvonne van Vlerken broke the old record with the then second-fastest female Ironman-distance marathon time of 2:54:22. Her record stood for a year, until it was again broken in Roth by Chrissie Wellington, who lowered it by 13 minutes and 49 seconds, in dry and perfect conditions. Yvonne van Vlerken's other accomplishments include: * Recorded a sub-9 hour finish (8:51:55) at her Ironman-distance debut in Roth 2007. * The only female athlete in history who has held the world record for both the half-Ironman distance (4:07:29 at 2006 Ironman 70.3 Antwerp) and the full Ironman distance (8:45:48 at 2008 Challenge Roth)

Notes

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vlerken, Yvonne Van 1978 births Living people Dutch female triathletes Duathletes People from Nederlek Sportspeople from South Holland