Weekend Box June 1 2014
Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of endurance sport … the thrill of victory … and the agony of defeat … the human drama of triathletic competition … reports from Hawaii to South Africa, Spain to Australia, Portugal to North Carolina, Switzerland to Oregon.
McMahon and Naeth win Ironman 70.3 Hawaii
Canadians won the men’s and women’s titles at Ironman 70.3 Hawaii. Brent McMahon dominated the men’s field by a 19 minute margin and Angela Naeth edged local pro Bree Wee in a much closer duel.
Defending Ironman 70.3 Hawaii champion and three-time Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander crossed the finish line 7 minutes and 38 seconds back of McMahon, but was disqualified for wearing a sleeved triathlon top on a non-wetsuit swim in Kona’s 78 degree waters. “I take full responsibility for not knowing the rule,” Alexander tweeted after the race.
McMahon, a 2004 Olympian, a 2007 Pan Am Games silver medalist, 2011 World Cup winner and 2013 Ironman 70.3 St. George champ, led the swim in 24:39 which gave him a 6 seconds advantage on multiple Ironman 70.3 winner Luke Bell, 31 seconds on Lachlan Kerin of Australia and 33 seconds on Alexander.
McMahon then took command of the race with a race-best 2:12:39 bike split which gave him a 4:50 lead on Karl Bordine and 4:52 on the ill-fated Alexander while Bell, the 2011 champion and last year’s 4th-place finisher, dropped out. McMahon topped off his day with a race-fastest 1:19:00 half marathon to finish in 3:59:35 with a 19:01 margin of victory over runner-up Benjamin Williams and 22:33 over 3rd-place finisher Karl Bordine.
The women’s race was far closer and provided a small measure of redemption if not a win for local favorite Bree Wee, who led by 4:27 late in the run at this race last year before traveling an extra mile during an off course mistake that dropped her to 3rd place..
Christine Hammond led the swim in 27:40, 3 seconds ahead of Canadians Magali Tisseyre and Karen Thibodeau, then came Wee (-53s), Melanie McQuaid (-55s) and Naeth (-58s). After 30 miles along part of the famed Ironman bike course, Naeth led by 57 seconds on McQuaid, 1:00 on Tisseyre, and 4:41 on Wee. By the finish of the bike leg, McQuaid surged to a race-best 2:26:41 which topped Naeth’s bike split by 7 seconds and led her fellow Canadian by a few seconds into T2. Tisseyre (2:30:50 bike split) and Wee (2:31:57), trailed the two leaders by approximately 5 minutes.
Wee knew the run course by heart this time around and her race-best 1:29:01 split outpaced Naeth by 2:48, McQuaid by 6:33 and Tisseyre by 7:01. Still, Naeth’s all-around excellence brought her to the finish in 4:30:53 with a 2:27 margin over runner-up Wee and 3:40 over 3rd-place finisher McQuaid.
Famed Olympian runner Colleen De Reuck won the women’s 45-49 age category, posting the fastest women’s run time of 1:25:28 and the 7th fastest women’s time overall in 4:52:01.
Ironman 70.3 Hawaii
Kona Coast, Hawaii
May 31, 2014
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Men
1. Brent McMahon (CAN) 3:59:35
2. Benjamin Williams (USA) 4:18:36
3. Karl Bordine (USA) 4:22:08
4. Vinicius Canhedo (BRA) 4:22:16
5. Rich Munro (AUS) 4:24:36
DQ Craig Alexander (AUS)
Women
1. Angela Naeth (CAN) 4:30:53
2. Bree Wee (USA) 4:33:20
3. Melanie McQuaid (CAN) 4:34:33
4. Magali Tisseyre (CAN) 4:38:32
5. Christine Hammond (USA) 4:41:04
7. Colleen De Reuck (RSA/USA) 4:52:01 Run 1:25:28
French competitors Benoit Nicolas and Sandra Levenez win ITU Du Worlds
Duathlete Benoit Nicolas won his World Championship in his third try and, for fellow French competitor Sandra Levenez, the sixth time was the charm at the ITU short distance Duathlon World Championship in Pontevedra, Spain.
Nicolas led fellow Frenchman Etienne Diemunsch by 21 seconds in a 1-2 finish while Spaniard Emilio Martin took third, 39 seconds behind the men’s winner. .
Ten athletes jumped to the lead in tight formation on the opening 10 kilometer run led by Alexis Rodriguez of Spain, who hit T1 in 30:57 just ahead of a group that included Nicolas, Martin, Philip Wylie, Pierre Joncheray, Toumi Dahmani, Diemunsch, and Jose Cordova. Multiple World and European long distance duathlon champion Rob Woestenborghs of Belgium was well back in 25th place and never contended thereafter.
Diemunsch led the 40 kilometer bike leg into T2. Starting the final 5k run, Martin grabbed the lead, then Diemunsch wrested it back. Nicolas, who started the run several seconds back, slowly but surely closed the gap and passed the two leaders on the final lap for the long sought victory after third place finishes at this championship in 2011 and 2012.
Levenez grabbed the race by the throat in the opening 10k run segment, posting a 34:32 split that was 19 seconds better than Sonia Bejarano of Spain, 41 seconds better than Sabrina Monmarteau of France and Franziska Scheffler of Germany, and 2:05 better than dangerously fast cyclist and decent runner Gillian Backhouse of Australia.
On the 8 lap, 40 kilometer bike segment, Levenez and Bejarano worked together to build a one minute lead in the first few laps. While a chase pack that included Backhouse made ground and passed Bejarano, Levenez maintained her minute lead into T2 over Backhouse, Scheffler and Monmarteau.
Levenez maintained control with a 2nd-fastest 18:03 run to finish in 2:04:07 with a 1:19 margin on runner-up Backhouse and 1:35 on 3rd-place finisher Monmarteau.
ITU World Duathlon Championship
Pontevedra, Spain
May 31, 2014
R 10k / B 40k / R 5k
Results
Elite men
1. Benoit Nicolas (FRA) 1:50:18
2. Etienne Diemunsch (FRA) 1:50:39
3. Emilio Martin (ESP) 1:50:57
4. Philip Wylie (GBR) 1:51:05
5. Alexis Rodriguez (ESP) 1:51:41
Elite Women
1. Sandra Levenez (FRA) 2:04:07
2. Gillian Backhouse (AUS) 2:05:26
3. Sabrina Monmarteau (FRA) 2:05:42
4. Franziska Scheffler (GER) 2:06:13
5. Petra Fasungova (SVK) 2:06:33
Barraza and Grajales execute a Mexican sweep at Dallas PATCO Pan Ams
Mexican athletes Crisanto Grajales and Adriana Barraza won the elite men’s and women’s titles at the PATCO Triathlon Pan American Championship in Dallas, Texas Saturday.
After a lead pack of nearly two dozen cyclists arrived in T2 together, Grajales broke away to the men’s win with a race-best 32:29 run that brought him to the finish in 1:47:09 with a 34 seconds margin of victory over runner-up Diogo Sclebin of Brazil and 44 seconds over 3rd-place finisher Irving Perez of Mexico.
In his first race of the 2014 season, four-time Olympian Hunter Kemper of the U.S. ran a 4th-fastest 33:18 split to take 4th, 5 seconds behind Perez and 16 seconds ahead of 5th place finisher William Huffman of the U.S.
While the women’s race also came down to the run, the fight for the win was a bit more interesting. Jessica Broderick, racing for the first time since her breakthrough second place finish at the Chengdu World Cup earlier this month, was 5th out of the water after fellow U.S. teammates Summer Cook, Taylor Spivey, Lauren Brandon and Mexico’s Anahi Leon. Barraza was 3 seconds behind Broderick in 6th.
By the finish of the bike, Broderick and Barraza and Leon were solidly in the front pack and by the end of the first lap of the run, Broderick took the lead. “I would say I was pretty aggressive at the start of the run and I think that may have been a bit too risky,” said Broderick. Broderick and Barraza ran together and broke away from the field, exchanging the lead several times until Barraza drew away in the final kilometer. Barraza ran a second-fastest 36:47 and finished in 1:59:41 with a 10 seconds winning margin on Broderick. Leon took 3rd, 17 seconds behind Broderick.
“I definitely felt it at the end, but that's racing,” said Broderick. “In China I was more conservative at the start of the run, so I wanted to try something different.”
Dallas PATCO Triathlon Pan American Championship
Dallas, Texas
May 31, 2014
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Results
Elite Men
1. Crisanto Grajales (MEX) 1:47:09
2. Diogo Sclebin (BRA) 1:476:43
3. Irving Perez (MEX) 1:47:53
4. Hunter Kemper (USA) 1:47:58
5. William Huffman (USA) 1:48:14
7. Tommy Zaferes (USA) 1:48:59
9. Jarrod Shoemaker (USA) 1:49:04
16. Sean Jefferson (USA) 1:50:29
17. Ben Kanute (USA) 1:50:47
20. Lukas Verzbicas (USA) 1:51:12
26. Joe Maloy (USA) 1:51:56
31. Barrett Brandon (USA) 1:53:38
32. Jason Pedersen (USA) 1:53:59
37. Eric Lagerstrom (USA) 1:55:20
38. John O’Neill (USA) 1:55:33
44. Hunter Lussi USA) 1:56:43
49. Sam Holmes (USA) 2:01:28
Women
1. Adriana Barraza (MEX) 1:59:41
2. Jessica Broderick (USA) 1:59:51
3. Anahi Leon (MEX) 2:00:08
4. Flora Duffy (BER) 2:00:17
5. Joanna Brown (CAN) 2:00:32
7. Erin Jones (USA) 2:01:12
8. Lindsey Jerdonek (USA) 2:02:21
11. Taylor Spivey (USA) 2:03:45
13. Summer Cook (USA) 2:04:22
14. Nicole Truxes (USA) 2:05:00
18. Brianna Blanchard (USA) 2:06:06
Matt Chrabot and Amy Marsh top the podiums at Raleigh 70.3
Matt Chrabot of the U.S. edged Lionel Sanders of Canada by under a minute and Amy Marsh of Texas topped Linsey Corbin of Montana by just over a minute to win the men’s and women’s titles at Ironman 70.3 Raleigh.
Chrabot, whose best performance this year was 2nd at Ironman 70.3 Panama, came out of the swim 7 seconds behind swim leader Eric Limkemann’s 22:57 split and, crucially, 3:52 quicker than Sanders. Chrabot then rode to co-lead with Limkemann after a race-best 2:12:48 bike split that was just 3 seconds quicker than Sanders and Limkemann, and 3:40 better than Callum Millward and Paul Ambrose.
Sanders then uncorked a race-fastest 1:09:56 run which was 3:34 better than Chrabot. But it was not enough to make up for his swim deficit. Chrabot hit the tape in 3:52:07 with a 40 seconds margin of victory over Sanders and 3:04 over 3rd-place finisher Millward, who ran 1:12:22.
This 70.3 win was Chrabot’s second after his victory at Austin 70.3 last year,
Amy Marsh emerged from the swim in 25:13, a minute down to Haley Chura and Mary Beth Ellis, a minute ahead of Margie Shapiro and 2:41 ahead of Linsey Corbin. After a race-best 2:28:21 bike split that was 51 seconds quicker than Marsh and 1:47 better than Corbin , Mary Beth Ellis led at T2 by 2:02 over Marsh, 2:49 over Shapiro, and 6:00 over Corbin.
After 3.5 miles of the run, Marsh whittled Ellis’ lead to 1:18, Shapiro trailed by 2:03 and Corbin’s deficit was down to 4:48. At 6.6 miles, Marsh took the lead from Ellis with Shapiro 1:31 back and fast-closing Corbin 3:00 down.
Marsh finished the job with a 3rd-fastest 1:24:10 run that brought her to the finish in 4:21:39 with a 1:11 margin of victory over Corbin, who closed with a race-best 1:21:25. Ellis, not at her best, ran 1:30:46 to finish 3rd, 3:04 back of the winner.
Marsh’s win was a nice comeback after a DNF this year at St. George 70.3, and more in line with her 2nd place finish last year at Ironman 70.3 New Orleans.
Ironman 70.3 Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
June 1, 2014
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Men
1. Matt Chrabot (USA) 3:52:07
2. Lionel Saunders (CAN) 3:52:47
3. Callum Millward (NZL) 3:55:11
4. Eric Limkeman (USA) 3:56:21
5. Paul Ambrose (AUS) 4:03:12
Women
1. Amy Marsh (USA) 4:21:39
2. Linsey Corbin (USA) 4:22:50
3. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 4:26:11
4. Margie Shapiro (USA) 4:27:31
5. Hallie Blunck (USA) 4:31:33
Boris Stein and Daniela Ryf win Ironman 70.3 Switzerland
German Boris Stein returned to the fitness that brought him a win at Challenge Kraichgau last year and Swiss charger Daniela Ryf rediscovered her winning form at the hotly contested 2013 European Ironman 70.3 Championship at Wiesbaden.
Suitably ready for Ironman 70.3 Switzerland, Stein edged recent St. Anthony’s winner Ruedi Wild by 49 seconds and fellow Swiss Mike Aigroz by 1:51. Stein overcame Wild’s 2:04 lead after the swim with a race-best 2:06:03 bike leg that was 2:54 better than Wild. Stein basically held serve on the run, as his 2nd fastest 1:10:21 split gave back just 17 seconds to Wild to maintain a comfortable margin of victory.
Ryf was on fire and crushed the women’s runner-up Emma Pooley by 11:47 and, surprisingly, dominated 2012 Olympic champion and fellow Swiss Nicola Spirig – who has won a few 70.3s herself — by 21 minutes. Ryf combined a 2nd-best 23:01 swim, a race-fastest 2:16:35 bike split and a 2nd-quickest 1:17:29 run to come within 15 seconds of breaking the four hour mark. Spirig, who holds ambitions to compete at Kona, was obviously not in top form as she gave up 16 minutes on the bike leg and then cruised to a 1:20:34 run.
Ironman 70.3 Switzerland
Rappersvil-Jona, Switzerland
June 1, 2014
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Men
1. Boris Stein (GER) 3:44:42
2. Ruedi Wild (SUI) 3:45:31
3. Mike Aigroz (SUI) 3:46:31
4. Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI) 3:47:42
5. Jan Van Berkel (SUI) 3:49:28
Women
1. Daniela Ryf (SUI) 4:00:14
2. Emma Pooley (GBR) 4:12:01
3. Nicola Spirig (SUI) 4:21:17
4. Michelle Vesterby (DNK) 4:23:19
5. Alexandra Tondeur (BEL) 4:31:39
Ruben Ruzafa and Coralie Redelsperger win XTERRA Portugal
After course confusion plagued last week’s XTERRA race in Spain, the inaugural XTERRA Portugal in sunny Golega proceeded like clockwork as reigning XTERRA World Champion Ruben Ruzafa won his third straight XTERRA International contest and Coralie Redelsperger of France validated the improvements on the mountain bike she made last year by prevailing in a hard-fought duel with Austrian Sandra Koblmueller.
Brit Asa Shaw, last year’s XTERRA World Championship runner-up, led the swim, but once the field hit the twisty cobblestoned streets of Golega for the first 3k and then careened into the verdant Portuguese countryside, Ruzafa took charge. For the first lap, Francois Carloni of France and Yerem Luxem of Belgium hung close until a flat dropped Carloni 3 minutes off the pace. By the finish of the two-lap bike, Carloni was right on the champion’s tail and ready to run with ambitions until lingering foot problems reappeared and he, too, fell back and struggled bravely to hold off Luxem and defend the runner-up slot.
Jacqui Slack of Great Britain led the swim and held her advantage well into the bike leg until Redelsperger made a pass and XTERRA newcomer Koblmueller holding on for 3rd. Charging into the run, Slack regrouped and started catching Redelsperger while Koblmueller really got motivated and was catching the two leaders. In the final kilometers, Koblemueller caught Slack but fell 40 seconds short of the win.
Redelsperger credited her improved bike skills for the win and told XTERRA managing director Dave Nicholas “I am really getting fast on the downhills.” Koblmueller said her technical skills had room for improvement, but she had power to spare on the climbs and added, “running is my preference.”
XTERRA Portugal
Golega, Portugal
June 1, 2014
Results
Men
1. Ruben Ruzafa (ESP) 2:35:47
2. Francois Carloni (FRA) 2:39:00
3. Yeray Luxem (BEL) 2:41:10
4. Asa Shaw (GBR) 2:49:58
5. Will Kelsay (USA) 2:51:58
Women
1. Coralie Redelsperger (FRA) 3:10:01
2. Sandra Koblmueller (AUT) 3:10:41
3. Jacqui Slack (GBR) 3:11:27
4. Daz Parker (GBR) 3:30:46
5. Boissy Elea (FRA) 3:44:57
Clayton Fettell and Renee Baker win Coral Coast 5i50 in Port Douglas
Clayton Fettell defended his 2013 title and fellow Australian Renee Baker earned a debut win at the Coral Coast 5i50 Triathlon in tropical North Queensland.
Fettell, who considered this race to be a nice warm up for Ironman 70.3 Cairns next weekend, took a short lead after the swim by catching the best wave into shore and earning some space from a chase pack that included Brad Kahlefeldt, Sam Betten, and Kiwis Tom Davison, Cameron Brown and Bryce McMaster. “That’s 15 years of surf experience there,” said Fettell. “That was the gap I needed.” Starting with a clear lead, Fettell biked to a comfortable advantage by T2, helped in part by Kahlefeldt’s withdrawal after a blown tire. Fettell then discouraged any chasers as he broke at a hot pace starting the run on the hard sand of Four Mile Beach. Fettell held and finished first with a 1:13 lead on runner-up Sam Betten and 2:44 on 3rd place finisher Nuru Somi.
Baker, who turned pro just 6 weeks ago after competing as an age grouper at this race last year, posted a strong bike and run to hold off runner-up Rachael Paxton by a 1:22 winning margin.
Coral Coast 5i50 Triathlon
Port Douglas, Australia
June 1, 2014
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Results
Men
1. Clayton Fettell (AUS) 1:48:11
2. Sam Betten (AUS) 1:49:24
3. Nuru Somi (AUS) 1:50:55
4. Tom Davison (NZL) 1:51:34
5. Bryce McMaster (NZL) 1:54:08
Women
1. Renee Baker (AUS) 2:09:43
2. Rachael Paxton (AUS) 2:11:05
3. Ange Castle (AUS) 2:11:56
4. Sarah Crowley (AUS) 2:12:42
Some very fine runs this weekend in Oregon and South Africa
Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp broke his own American record in the 10,000 meter run as he won the Steve Prefontaine Classic with a time of 26:44:36. Rupp’s time was the second best on U.S. soil and broke his own American record of 26:48.00 set in 2011. He also broke the previous U.S.-born men’s record of 26:59.60 set by Chris Solinski in 2010. Kenenisa Bekele holds the world record of 26:17.53 set in 2005 in Brussels, Belgium. Rupp now holds the 24th fastest 10,000 meter effort in history and he is the 17th fastest man ever at the distance.
Steve Prefontaine Classic 10,000 meter run
Eugene, Oregon
May 31, 2014
Elite men
1. Galen Rupp (USA) 26:44:36
2. Paul Kipngetich Tanui (KEN) 26:49:41
3. Bedan Karoki (KEN) 26:52:36
Zola Budd Pieterse finishes 7th at Comrades Marathon
In her second attempt at South Africa’s notoriously tough Comrades Marathon, famed runner Zola Budd Pieterse won the 45-49 women’s category by 17 minutes. She averaged 4:40 per kilometer while finishing the rugged, hilly 89 kilometer run as 7th overall woman in a time of 6:55:55.
Comrades Marathon
KwaZulu–Natal Province, South Africa
June 1, 2014
R 89k
Results
Men
1. Bongmusa Mthembu (RSA) 5:28:34
2. Ludwick Mamabolo (RSA) 5:33:14
3. Gift Kelehe (RSA) 5:34:39
Women
1. Eleanor Greenwood (GBR) 6:18:15
2. Elena Nurgalieva (RUS) 6:23:18
3. Oleysa Nurgalieva (RUS) 6:24:51
7. Zola Budd Pieterse (RSA) 6:55:55
