Amelia Watkinson, Mike Phillips win Challenge Melbourne
Amelia Rose Watkinson of New Zealand posted the fastest run split to run away from Australian Annabel Luxford and take the women’s gold at the half distance Challenge Melbourne. A month after winning Ironman New Zealand, fellow Kiwi Mike Phillips took the men’s crown thanks to a race-best 1:10:25 half marathon.
Women
Luxford and Radka Kahlefeldt of the Czech Republic led the women's swim wave with equal 27:22 splits that gave them a 2 seconds lead on Watkinson, 54 seconds on Claire Davis of Great Britain and 54 seconds on Grace Thek of Australia.
After a women’s-fastest 2:14:21 bike split, Watkinson opened a small lead on Luxford, 3 minutes on Kahlefeldt and 8 minutes on Thek and Kate Pedley of Australia, who had a world class run to make up her deficit.
Watkinson then unleashed a women's second-best 1:18:28 half marathon that was 3:13 better than Luxford and 1:59 better than Kahlefeldt. Watkinson crossed the finish line in 4:03:18 with a 3:25 margin of victory over Luxford and 5:11 over 3rd place finisher Kahlefeldt.
After a 3rd-fastest 1:20:29 run, Grace Thek took 4th place, 4:20 behind Watkinson. On the wings of her women's-best 1:16:29 run, Kate Pedley sliced much of her swim-bike deficit to finish 5th, 23 seconds behind Thek.
Men
Pete Jacobs, the 2012 Ironman World Champion, led the swim with a 25:31 split that gave him a 7 seconds lead on Phillips and 13 seconds on David Mainwaring, with top contenders Matt Tebeck, Matt Burton, Casey Munro, Luke McKenzie, Levi Maxwell and Leigh Anderson a minute and a half back.
After race-best 2:01:48 to 2:01:52 bike splits, Casey Munro, Matt Slee and Matt Burton led the field into T2, with Phillips and Mainwaring close behind.
Finally, on the run, Phillips put his stamp on the race as his race-best 1:10:25 split propelled him to the finish in 3:42:15 with a 3:10 margin of victory over Mainwaring (1:13:17 run split) and 3:42 over 3rd-place finisher Matt Burton.
Challenge Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia
April 14, 2019
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Women
1. Amelia Rose Watkinson (NZL) 4:03:18 S 27:24 B 2:14:21 R 1:18:28
2. Annabel Luxford (AUS) 4:06:43 S 27:22 B 2:14:30 R 1:21:41
3. Radka Kahlefeldt (CZE) 4:08:29 S 27:22 B 2:17:28 R 1:20:27
4. Grace Thek (AUS) 4:13:38 S 28:18 B 2:21:20 R 1:20:29
5. Kate Pedley (AUS) 4:14:01 S 31:51 B 2:21:54 R 1:16:29
6. Vanessa Murray (NZL 4:19:13 S 30:17 B 2:19:34 R 1:25:26
7. Laura Armstrong (NZL) 4:22:57 S 31:51 B 2:21:44 R 1:25:37
8. Regan Hollioake (AUS) 4:24:18 S 28:34 B 2:22:51 R 1:28:19 * F25-29
9. Kate Bramley (AUS) 4:26:17 S 30:18 B 2:26:48 R 1:25:02 * F30-34
10. Claire Davis (GBR) 4:27:02 S 28:16 B 2:27:19 R 1:27:52
Men
1. Mike Phillips (NZL) 3:42:15 S 25:38 B 2:03:38 R 1:10:25
2. David Mainwaring (AUS) 3:45:25 S 25:44 B 2:03:20 R 1:13:17
3. Matt Burton (AUS) 3:45:57 S 27:14 B 2:01:50 R 1:13:47
4. Casey Munro (AUS) 3:46:45 S 25:38 B 2:03:52 R 1:14:34
5. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 3:47:26 S 27L07 B 2:01:48 R 1:15:19
6. Matt Slee (AUS) 3:50:27 S 27:14 B 2:01:52 R 1:18:10
7. Sam Tebeck (AUS) 3:51:02 S 26:51 B 2:07:50 R 1:12:52
8. Pete Jacobs (AUS) 3:51:41 S 25:31 B 2:10:58 R 1:12:08
9. Levi Maxwell (AUS) 3:52:28 S 27:02 B 2:07:30 R 1:15:13
10. Leigh Anderson (AUS) 3:54:18 S 27:11 B 2:07:08 R 1:16:55
