Bowstead, Williams take Taupo
Mark Bowstead left defending champion Graham O’Grady on the bike leg and Ashleigh Williams left close rival Vanessa Murray with a women’s-best run to take the elite titles at the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Taupo Half Saturday.
Bowstead combined a 3rd-best 25:29 swim, a dominating, race-fastest 2:11:28 bike leg and a race-best 1:18:42 run to finish in 3:59:51 with a 5:13 margin of victory over defending champion Graham O’Grady and 7:46 over his brother James Bowstead, who finished 3rd.
The victory was the cherry on top of decent season for Bowstead, whose previous best 2014 performances include 2nd at the Tauranga Half Ironman – New Zealand long distance championship, 5th at New Orleans 70.3, 4th at TriRock Philadelphia, 4th at Buffalo Springs 70.3, 4th at Boulder Peak 5i50, and 7th at Sunshine Coast 70.3.
In her very first Half Ironman-distance event, Under 23 competitor Ashleigh Williams combined a 2nd-best 29:13 swim, a 5th-fastest 2:35:32 women's bike leg and a dominating 1:33:41 run to finish in 4:43:18 with a 5:08 margin of victory over Vanessa Murray and 9:17 over 3rd-place woman Jo Carrel.
The win follows her victory last weekend at the Sovereign Tri Series Tinman Sprint at Mt. Maunganui.
Previously this year Williams was 8th at the Devenport Under 23 and 6th at the Kinloch Sprint Under 23.
Kellogg’s Nutri Grain Taupo Half
Taupo, New Zealand
December 13, 2014
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.
Results
Men
1. Mark Bowstead (NZL) 3:59:51
2. Graham O’Grady (NZL) 4:04:04
3. James Bowstead (NZL) 4:07:37
4. Chris Sanson (NZL) 4:11:58
5. Clark Ellice (NZL) 4:12:10
Women
1. Ashleigh Williams (NZL) 4:43:18
2. Vanessa Murray (NZL) 4:48:26
3. Jo Carrel (NZL) 4:52:35
4. Taryn Ryan (NZL) 4:55:59
5. Nicola McCormick (NZL) 4:57:34
