Swallow, Berkel Take Cairns
The Men
Berkel won his second Ironman title in 8:15:03, with a 47:26 swim, 4:36:58 bike and race-best 2:46:31 marathon, giving him a 4:10 margin of victory over countryman and inaugural Ironman Cairns winner David Dellow. 2012 Ironman Hawaii winner Pete Jacobs of Australia was 3rd, 13:24 back of Berkel.
After a choppy swim, Berkel was one minute down to the lead group including 3-time race winner Luke McKenzie, super swimmer Clayton Fettell, Jacobs, Dellow, Luke Bell and Brad Kahlefeldt. A rainy bike saw Fettell and McKenzie establish a large lead with former pro cyclist and rower Cameron Wurf in pursuit. A tire puncture for McKenzie in the closing miles of the bike unraveled what likely would have been a large lead into T2.
Instead it was Fettell with the fastest bike of the day, who headed into T2 with Wurf six minutes behind. Berkel trickled in a few minutes behind McKenzie and Jacobs and over 14 minutes behind the leader.
By 16 kilometers into the run, Fettell dropped off the pace and Berkel and Dellow were stalking McKenzie. At 22 kilometers, Berkel moved into the lead and Dellow swept past McKenzie. After falling out of podium contention, Fettle called it a day.
With 10 kilometers to go, Berkel hit his stride and extended his lead over Dellow to 2:21, and Jacobs passed McKenzie to move into third. While some late race cramps nearly derailed Dellow, the lanky Australian held onto the runner-up spot ahead of Jacobs and a surging Kahlefeldt. But the day belonged to Berkel, who secured the win and new title of IRONMAN Asia Pacific Champion after a runner-up finish at IRONMAN Melbourne in 2015.
The Women
Swallow combined a 49:06 swim, 4:50:40 bike and 3:13:52 marathon to finish in 9:21:00, with a 6 minute 35 seconds margin of victory over runner-up Linsey Corbin of Bend, OR and 13:48 over 3rd-place finisher Sarah Crowley of Australia. The win was Swallow's second Ironman victory of her career and the first since her 2013 win at Sweden.
While Swallow led wire-to-wire, the race behind her was up for grabs. Rebekah Keat started the bike in second, 3:07 behind Swallow and five minutes ahead of chasers Corbin, Crowley and Michelle Bremer. It took over 130 kilometers, but the chasers caught Keat and, with the exception of Corbin who had to serve a 5-minute penalty, entered T2 over 20 minutes behind Swallow. Corbin refused to surrender and plowed through the field, catching Crowley for second place around the 26 kilometer mark of the run.
Ultimately, Corbin's race-best marathon cut nearly 20 minutes into Swallow's lead but not enough to overcome the time lost from a bike crash and penalty.
Cairns Airport Ironman Cairns Asia-Pacific Regional Championship
Cairns, Australia
June 12, 2016
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi. / R 26.2 mi.
Results
Men
1. Tim van Berkel (AUS) 8:15:02
2. David Dellow (AUS) 8:19:12
3. Pete Jacobs (AUS) 8:28:27
4. Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS) 8:31:05
5. Jens Petersen-Bach (DEN) 8:31:40
Women
1. Jodie Swallow (GBR) 9:06:17
2. Linsey Corbin (USA) 9:12:42
3. Sarah Crowley (AUS) 9:19:55
4. Michelle Bremer (NZL) 9:25:43
5. Rebekah Keat (AUS) 9:43:55
