De la Parra, Bevilaqua lead Ultraman Day 2
After a mighty 7:20:24 Day 2 split – just 11 seconds slower than Uros Velepec’s 2000 record for the 171.4 mile Ultraman World Championship Day 2 bike leg – Inaki de la Parra of Mexico, age 33, wrested the men’s lead from Rob Gray, age 40, at the 32nd Ultraman World Championship.
Men
After two out of three days of competition, de la Parra has an accumulated time of 15 hours 32 minutes and 29 seconds. This gives the Mexican a lead of 4 minutes 47 seconds ahead of Rob Gray, who led de la Parra by 9:57 after the 10 kilometer swim and 90 mile bike on Day 1. Gray, who rode a 2nd fastest 7:35:08 bike split on day 2, will settle matters with de la Parra over a double marathon run on Sunday to complete the 321 mile 3-day stage triathlon.
After his near-record bike split, de la Parra retains a slim shot at the two best Ultraman overall race times on history. He is 1:05:18 behind the two-day total of 2004 winner Jonas Colting, who faded to a 7:14:38 run to finish in the second-best-ever overall time of 21:41:49. De la Parra is just 10 minutes and 29 seconds behind the 1998 Day 2 total of Holger Spiegel. But Spiegel closed with a spectacular 6:19:22 double marathon, which brought him to the finish in a still-standing Ultraman Hawaii record time of 21:41:22.
Tony O’Keefe, the 55-year-old Canadian, posted a 3rd-fastest 7:49:56 bike split on Day 2 to remain in 3rd position, 45:19 behind the men’s leader and 40:32 behind Gray going into a little run from Hawi to Kailua-Kona.
Women
Kate Bevilaqua of Australia seemed to ease the potential drama that surrounds the men’s contest with an 8:17:57 bike split on Day 2 that gave her an accumulated time of 16:44:29 and increased her overall women’s lead to 39:54 over second place Tara Norton of Canada. Norton, who trailed by 12:34 after Day 1, rode 8:45:17 Saturday, increasing her deficit, but stayed in range of a comeback with a strong time on Sunday’s run.
While Bevilaqua’s ride did not threaten the Ultraman Hawaii Day 2 bike leg women's best mark of 7:57:58 set by Amber Monforte in 2010, it was the 3rd-best-ever women's Day 2 split.
If Bevilaqua can manage a 7:22:52 double marathon – which would be the third-best woman’s run split in Ultraman Hawaii history – she could surpass Amber Monforte’s race record time of 24:07:11 set in 2010.
Defending women’s champion Staci Studer of Kailua-Kona Hawaii maintained her third place position with a Day 2 bike split of 9:21:35 which gave her an accumulated time of 19:03:53.
Ultraman World Championship
Day 1 – S 10k / B 90 mi.
Day 2 – B 171.4 mi.
Day 3 – R 52.4 mi.
November 25-27, 2016
Day 2 Results
Men
1. Inaki de la Parra (MEX) Day 1 – 8:12:05 Day 2 – 7:20:24 TOTAL 15:32:29
2. Rob Gray (RSA) Day 1 – 8:02:08 Day 2 – 7:35:8 TOTAL 15:37:16
3. Tony O’Keefe (CAN) Day 1 – 8:27:52 Day 2 – 7:49:56 TOTAL 16:17:48
4. Travis Wayth (AUS) Day 1 – 8:35:41 Day 2 – 7:57:44 TOTAL 16:33:25
5. Miro Kregar (SLO) Day 1 – 9:10:46 Day 2 – 7:58:20 TOTAL 17:09:06
Women
1. Kate Bevilaqua (AUS) Day 1 – 8:26:32 Day 2 – 8:17:57 TOTAL 16:44:29
2. Tara Norton (CAN) Day 1 – 8:39:06 Day 2 – 8:39:06 TOTAL 17:24:23
3. Staci Studer (USA) Day 1 – 9:42:18 Day 2 – 9:21:35 TOTAL 19:03:53
4. Iona MacKenzie (CAN) Day 1 – 10:44:25 Day 2 – 9:45:40 TOTAL 20:30:05
5. Meredith Terranova (USA) Day 1 – 11:25:39 Day 2 – 10:06:10 TOTAL 21:31:49
