Aernouts, Charles win Lanzarote
Bart Aernouts of Belgium and Lucy Charles of Great Britain shut down their opposition at the 26th edition of the always hot, hard and epically challenging Ironman Lanzarote.
Aernouts, a duathlon champion, posted a decent 50:34 swim, then issued a race-best 4:48:23 bike that was a testament to Lanzarote’s brutal challenge, and finished off the day with a 2nd-fastest 2:48:29 marathon that brought him to the finish in 8:34:13 with a 9:10 margin of victory over Alessandro Degasperi of Italy and 14:49 over defending champion Jesse Thomas of the U.S.
Charles, who finished 3rd at this race last year with a time 35 minutes slower, put the women’s race out of reach early with a 47:30 swim that was faster than the first five men. She then turned on the jets with a by-far women’s best bike split of 5:23:30 that gave her a 17-minute lead at T2. Charles closed the deal with a 3rd-best 3:18:35 run that brought her to the finish in 9:35:40, 35 minutes slower than her 3rd place time last year. Still, it was enough for the victory and gave her an 8:49 margin of victory over countrywoman Corrine Abraham and 14:42 over Lucy Gossage – making a 1-2-3 sweep for the British women.
Ironman Lanzarote
Punta Del Carmen, Canarias Islands, Spain
May 20, 2017
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi. / R 26.2 mi.
Results
Men
1. Bart Aernouts (BEL) 8:34:13
2. Alessandro Degasperi (ITA) 8:43:23
3. Jesse Thomas (USA) 8:49:02
4. Peru Afaro (ESP) 8:52:10
5. Romain Guillaume (FRA) 8:57:01
6. Samuel Huerzeler (SUI) 8:59:07
7. Timothy Van Houten (BEL) 9:01:13
8. Cedric Lassonde (FRA) 9:14:50
9. Guillaume Lecallier (FRA) 9:15:46
10. Trevor Delsaut (FRA) 9:15:17
Women
1. Lucy Charles (GBR) 9:35:40
2. Corinne Abraham (GBR) 9:44:29
3. Lucy Gossage (GBR) 9:50:22
4. Jeanne Collonge (FRA) 10:04:46
5. Saleta Castro (ESP) 10:11:45
6. Kate Comber (GBR) 10:22:54
7. Pia Englyst (DEN)10:52:16
8. Kelly Fillnow (USA) 10:56:28
9. Kristin-Linst Schink (GER) 11:07:33
10. Patricia Bueno Perez (ESP) 11:38:09
