Faster than Derron, Faster than Knibb: Daniela Kleiser is the World #1 Runner
Daniela Kleiser of Germany celebrates winning IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia on April 27, 2025 in Valencia, Spain. Photo: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN
German pro Daniela Kleiser is one of the fastest middle distance runners on the circuit–actually she is the fastest. Currently ranked number one in running in the PTO world rankings, the 28-year-old had her breakthrough victory this year at the IRONMAN Pro Series 70.3 in Valencia, where she ran a 1:13:37. She backed that up with 1:15 at Jesolo and Eagleman (where she finished fourth at both) and clocked another fastest split at the San Francisco T100, outrunning eventual champion Julie Derron by 49 seconds. Even after three race weekends in a row, she took the second fastest run at T100 Vancouver, only losing 27 seconds to Derron.
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Daniela KleiserIRONMAN 70.3 ValenciaT100 VancouverNotable Replies
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Taylor Knibb did not have the fastest run split in SF T100(next to your OP), pretty sure your girl beat her by minutes, not seconds. Look to Derron for the next fastest run…
I loved the paragraph on quality not quantity. Once an athlete is confident they can run 13 miles, their running training would be advised to heed this example. Ditch the junk miles. Cycling volume complements this.
"From high volume to running a calculated three or four times a week, Kleiser watched her performances soar. She recently changed her coach again but they’ve kept the same concept: low volume, precise intensity. "
Kleiser is a super speedy runner. I was looking earlier today to see if she had any athletic (track) history or road race PBs but found none: zilch.
I recommend that she (like e.g. Beaugrand, Wilde) she finds a gap in her race schedule this summer to run a stand alone 10km (integrated with her training programme).
An event I would have used in your article is Taupo as, with the exception of Haug, Philipp, EPB and Duffy, all the other ‘best runners’ raced:
Jewett, Matthews, Derron, Gentle.
Kleiser was a minute clear of Matthews and two of Jewett. And she had had to ride hard. But (very similar to Vancouver) she swam 9 minutes slower than the loose leading group of 15+.
Not sure how this squares with your title, but yes, she is a very fast runner, one that desperately needs some swim lessons… (-;
Yeah, I wrestled with that (how is she “faster than Derron”) for a bit, but the premise is that she’s the top-ranked runner in the PTO standings at this point (ahead of Tamara Jewett and Derron) and was the fastest in San Francisco by quite a bit. But … totally concede your point!
Good catch - that should have read Derron. I have got it switched out. Thanks for that.
I suggest that the fact that their final times in Vancouver were that way round, was down to the exigent imperative for Derron to catch Learmonth (NB Kleiser stayed ahead during that sustained push).
Kleiser had a slower final lap where she was catching athletes willy nilly but no clear target in a confused battlefield.
I bet that Derron would be un-nerved by starting the run with Kleiser (isn’t going to happen this decade) and otoh Kleiser would confident of the win.
Agree the title is chosen for cadence rather than accuracy, but Kleiser was faster in Taupo than Derron: and that’s a bigger stage than one of many T100 tour races.
On that (70.3WC) theme Derron is not qualified for Marbella nor on the start list of 70.3 Westfriesland. Maybe she’ll turn up at Nice with MvR (at the end of this month).
And on a ‘fast runner’ theme, I note Russell took 4 minutes out of both Sodaro and Jewett in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
So with this low volume run program she should have lots of time on her hands to learn how to swim !
Imo too many people focus on individual splits. Who had fastest bike or fastest run in particular but reality is all the top people care about is the overall finishing order - and that they are the one at the top of it. In years to come no one will remember who had the fastest run at 70.3 worlds , all they will remember is that Taylor Knibb won the race.
She is a great runner absolutely but losing 9-10min in a 70.3 is insane. Maybe sacrifice some run speed start swimming seriously get it down to being say 3-4min back and then it’s on.
“Fastest split” but finishing MOP almost is worst because it means you have a very very serious weakness. Which then means to attack that weakness, said “strength” may suddenly have to take a pause to fix that. Cool footnote, but almost not applicable so to speak.