Liberty junior triathlete Naomi Dieken crosses the finish line at Saturday's IRONMAN Maryland in Cambridge, Md., in 11 hours, 12 minutes, 11 seconds.
Lady Flames’ triathlete Dieken finishes first IRONMAN in top 25 percentile
9/21/2026 8:41:00 PM | Triathlon
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The junior completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run in just over 11 hours, finishing 66th among women.
Liberty University triathlete Naomi Dieken, a junior from Purcellville, Va., finished her first IRONMAN triathlon this past Saturday in Cambridge, Md., completing the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycling stage, and 26.2-mile run in 11 hours, 12 minutes, 11 seconds.
That placed her 344th out of 1,405 competitors including 66th out of 305 women and seventh in her 18-24 female age division. Results are available online. Head Coach Heather Gollnick helped Dieken train remotely over the summer and sent her out from the team's studio in Candlers Station on Friday.
"That was an incredible time for her first IRONMAN and an extraordinary accomplishment, completing 140.6 miles in one day," Liberty triathlon Head Coach Heather Gollnick said. "Her accomplishment is about far more than one race. It represents all the early mornings, long training days, sacrifices, and moments when she had to keep believing in what she was capable of doing. I am so incredibly proud. She was consistent in her training, focused on her goals, and executed her plan."
Dieken experienced her most successful stage of the race at the start, completing the swim in the Choptank River in 1:16:17, ranking her 182nd overall and 38th among females. She finished the cycling stage through the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in 5:09:45 before completing her run that ended on the streets of downtown Cambridge in 4:33:55.
She said the race, which for her started at 7:07 a.m. and finished at 8:18 p.m., exceeded expectations. Dieken (center) shows off her trophy with teammate Elise Collette and Molly Ramberg.
"It was super fun, and definitely an awesome experience," Dieken said. "IRONMAN sounds so intimidating going into it, but it's definitely very achievable. I am very grateful to my coaches for making it possible for me to finish, and to finish well. Coach Heather was super, super helpful in the whole training process."
Dieken was cheered on by her parents and three sisters as well as Lady Flames junior teammate Elise Collette and current team manager and social media coordinator Molly Ramberg, who left Lynchburg, Va., at 4 a.m. to make it to the race start.
"That was very meaningful," Dieken said. "It was awesome after so many months of training that my family and teammates came out to support me and cheer me on throughout the day."
While she completed five cycling training rides of 100 miles or longer this summer, including a 120-miler, the marathon run that concluded the race was the first of her life.
"I was fatigued by the time of the run, but the course was super flat," said Dieken, who grew up competing in cross country and track in high school and didn't start swimming or cycling competitively until she arrived at Liberty. "There wasn't much elevation change on the bike or run. It was windy, and it was a headwind half of the time, but the course was pretty flat and fast. It was definitely a little warm on the bike, but with the race being near the water, there was a nice breeze on the run, which went through neighborhoods in Cambridge. The spectators were fantastic. Everyone was out on their porches and lawns cheering as we passed by, and it was a great atmosphere." Dieken was encouraged by her teammates before traveling to Saturday's race.
Gollnick said Dieken's performance set a standard of excellence for her teammates to strive for as they prepare to open their season this Saturday at the Giant Acorn Olympic distance race, featuring a 1.5-kilometer swim, 24.6-mile bike leg, and 10K run.
"Naomi's determination and mindset are such a powerful example to the rest of our team as we begin our collegiate racing season," Gollnick said. "She is an inspiration."
She said Dieken will be the only member of the Flames' and Lady Flames' 20-triathlete roster who won't be available for Saturday's race in Spotsylvania, Va., as she recovers from the extreme physical test that is IRONMAN.
"Doing an IRONMAN is a massive challenge that takes exceptional mental strength and fortitude as well as a well-developed fueling-nutrition strategy," Gollnick said, noting Dieken incorporated tactics covered in her book "Triathlete EQ: A Guide for Emotional Endurance" into her training. "It was so satisfying seeing her implement them successfully, coupled with the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of her preparation."
Dieken is expected to make her season debut for the Lady Flames at the Oct. 10 Pleasants Landing Triathlon at Lake Anna in Bumpass, Va. That will be the team's final race before the Oct. 16 Mid-Atlantic Conference Draft-Legal Championships on Oct. 16, a sprint triathlon with a 750-meter swim, 20K cycling stage, and 5K run, at Lanier Islands in Buford, Ga. In the spring semester, the team will compete at the Clermont (Fla.) Draft-Legal Challenge from March 6-7 to prepare for the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships that will return to Gulfport, Miss., on April 2-4.
