Sanders, Lawrence top Tremblant
Lionel Sanders of Canada and Holly Lawrence of Great Britain won the pro titles at Ironman 70.3 Mt. Tremblant.
In his usual pattern, Sanders gave away 3:22 to the swim leader, then blasted to the front at 66km and had a 3:32 lead at T2 with a dominating 2:02:30 bike leg. He polished off his day with a race-best 1:15:06 run that brought him to the finish in 3:47:31, with a 4:53 margin of victory over runner-up and fellow Canadian Trevor Wurtele and 5:54 over 3rd-place finisher Chris Leiferman of the U.S.
Canadians Cody Beals (3:57:33) and Taylor Reid (4:00:07) took 4th and 5th.
The win was Sanders’ 5th in a row this year following 70.3 victories at Panama, Oceanside, Texas and the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship at St. George. Sanders’ undefeated streak is now six, which began last November with a 7:58:22 win at Ironman Arizona.
Lawrence crafted a women’s 2nd-fastest 24:08 swim, a by-far women's-best 2:15:41 bike split and a women’s-best (by 9 seconds) 1:25:05 run to finish in 4:08:53, with an 8:15 margin of victory over Canadian Heather Wurtele and 13:53 over 3rd place Lauren Barnett of the U.S., who finished with a women's 2nd-best 1:25:14 run. Meredith Kessler, off her usual top form with a bike split that was 10 minutes slower than Lawrence and a run that was 8 minutes off the winner’s pace, took 5th in 4:28:15.
While far shorter than Sanders’ winning streak, Lawrence came into Mt. Tremblant after a decisive win at Escape From Alcatraz. Lawrence also avenged her 2nd place finish to Heather Wurtele at Ironman 70.3 St. George and her 4th place finish behind Wurtele at Oceanside 70.3.
Ironman 70.3 Mt. Tremblant
Mt. Tremblant, Canada
June 26, 2016
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Men
1. Lionel Sanders (CAN) 3:47:31
2. Trevor Wurtele (CAN) 3:52:24
3. Chris Leiferman (USA) 3:53:25
4. Cody Beals (CAN) 3:57:33
5. Taylor Reid (CAN) 4:00:07
6. Paul Matthews (AUS) 4:01:42
7. Justin Park (USA) 4:02:32
8. Jarrod Shoemaker (USA) 4:04:02
9. Antoine Jolicoeur Desroches (CAN) 4:04:21
10. Jerome Bresson (CAN) 4:11:44 * M30-34
Women
1. Holly Lawrence (GBR) 4:08:53
2. Heather Wurtele (CAN) 4:17:08
3. Lauren Barnett (USA) 4:22:46
4. Meredith Kessler (USA) 4:28:15
5. Lauren Brandon (USA) 4:32:24
6. Kristen Marchant (CAN) 4:33:55
7. Stephanie Roy (CAN) 4:35:12
8. Isabelle Rouleau (CAN) 4:40:49
9. Annie Gervais (CAN) 4:44:11
10. Heather Leiggi (USA) 4:46:53