Living in Ankara, Selen Eryüce became the champion in her Age Group by surpassing all her competitors in the ‘Ironman 140.6’ competition held in Florida, USA. With this success, Eryüce earned the right to compete in the 2025 World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
By Haşim KILIÇ
The ‘Ironman 140.6’, one of the world’s toughest endurance races, took place on November 2 in Florida, USA. This competition, consisting of a 3.8 km swim, a 180 km bike ride, and a 42.2 km marathon run, saw Selen Eryüce outpace all her rivals to claim the championship title in her Age Group. Securing her place in the World Championship to be held in Kona, Hawaii, in October 2025, Eryüce shared exclusive insights with Demarche.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? Where do you live, and what do you do for a living?
I was born in Ankara and still live here. I only left my hometown in 2001 when I studied for my MBA at the University of Washington in Seattle and later for my post in Los Angeles as a Commercial Consul representing Turkey. I am currently working at the Ministry of Trade.
Could you tell us about your interest in sports? When did you start, and what sports have you practiced?
When I returned to Ankara after Seattle, I was in my early 30s. That’s when I discovered mountain biking, which brought me a lot of joy and satisfaction because it combines nature and challenge. In winter, I mainly went skiing. However, after tearing my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) twice while skiing, I lost about two years to rehabilitation. Sadly, I had to give up skiing.
I continued mountain biking and then added running to my routine. Since running is one of the most injury-prone sports, I eventually got injured, which led me to add swimming, a low-impact sport, to my training. Together, these three activities formed the basis of triathlon, which I hadn’t initially considered. I began racing in short-distance triathlons in 2017 (sprint, Olympic, and half distances).
In 2023, I completed my first full Ironman (a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and 42.2 km run back-to-back) in Emilia Romagna, Italy.
What is your daily sports routine or training system like?
I work with a coach who writes my program weekly based on my target races. I don’t have any complete rest days—on rest days, I swim and do strength training. My training volume is at least 13 hours per week, reaching up to 23 hours during peak weeks.
How long have you been participating in Ironman races? What motivates you to compete in Ironman races?
I’ve been competing in Ironman events since 2018, but 2023 was the first year I completed the 140.6, the full Ironman distance. This year, I completed one half and one full-distance triathlon race. Of course, I also compete in various individual swimming, biking, and running events throughout the season.
The motivation behind this tough journey is the race and the training itself—the “objectivity and rationality” of every part of the process. If you’re good, you’re good. There’s “time,” and there’s “you.” You don’t need connections to rise in the rankings or become a champion. It’s a purely merit-based system. I am evaluated, recognized, and rewarded based on my performance, skill, and speed, free from factors such as personal or political connections or any subjective biases.
How did you prepare for the last race?
Preparing for a full-distance Ironman is as challenging as the race itself. I trained both physically and mentally for this race for an entire year. It’s a tough process that requires sacrifices in terms of family and friends’ time. My preparation involved long hours of training—sometimes 3 hours of running or over 7 hours of biking in a single day. My social life was interrupted, and I made it a priority to sleep at 10:00 p.m. each night to recover well and be ready for the next day’s training.
What are your goals going forward?
By becoming the Ironman Florida Age Group Champion this year, I qualified for the World Championship to be held in Kona, Hawaii, in 2025. Only the best and fastest athletes from around the world compete in the Hawaii championship. My goal is to place in the top three of my age group—and, hopefully, to become a world champion in my age group. Now, a new training season awaits me.
