Bell, Wee top Honu 70.3

Australian pro Luke Bell’s race-best run overcame Chris Lieto’s fastest bike and home town Kona pro Bree Wee topped age grouper Sheila Croft by 37 seconds at the Rohto Ironman 70.3 Hawaii Saturday.

Bell used a 3rd-best 25:17 swim, 2nd-best 2:11:03 bike and race-best 1:18:58 run to hit the line in 3:58:14 with a 3:18 margin of victory. Lieto’s 4th-best 26:09 swim and race-best 2:07:56 bike gave him a 2-minute 3-seconds lead off the bike but he fell to 2nd place with a 1:24:17 run. Brother Matt Lieto took the final spot on the podium with a 26:10 swim, 2:11:09 bike and 1:24:41 run.

Kona pro Bree Wee combined a race-best 27:43 swim, 7th-best 2:34:27 bike and 3rd-best 1:36:43 run to finish in 4:42:32 and top fast-closing 37-year-old Redmond Washington age grouper Sheila Croft by 37 seconds. Wee won it on the swim, as Croft’s 36:03 swim gave up too much ground to make up with her 3rd-best 2:30:37 bike and 2nd-best 1:32:29 run. Susanne Davis, a 40-year-old age grouper from Carlsbad, California was 3rd, 51 seconds back of Croft.

Rohto Ironman 70.3 Hawaii
Kona Coast, Hawaii
June 4, 2011
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.

Results

Overall Men

1. Luke Bell (AUS) 3:58:14
2. Chris Lieto (USA) 4:021:32
3. Matt Lieto (USA) 4:05:25
4. Ian Mikelson (USA) 4:11:21
5. Tim Marr (USA) 4:12:16
6. John Flanagan (USA) 4:14:35
7. Sami Inkinen (USA) * M35-39 – 4:17:07
8. Miguel Tellez (USA) *M40-44 – 4:19:46
9. Eric Harr (USA) * M40-44 – 4:19:54
10. Young Hwan Ho (KOR) *M30-34 – 4:20:55

Overall Women

1. Bree Wee (USA) 4:42:32
2. Sheila Croft (USA) *W35-39 – 4:43:09
3. Susanne Davis (USA) * W40-44 – 4:44:00
4. Elly Franks (AUS) 4:46:46
5. Christine Fletcher (CAN) 4:46:54
6. Nell Stephenson (USA) *W35-39 – 4:48:43
7. Jacinta Worland (USA) *W35-39 – 4:50:14
8. Rachel Ross (USA) * W35-39 – 4:50:50
9. Emma Garrard (USA) 4:52:24
10. Michelle Simmons (USA) *W35-39 – 4:53:23