Rana, Ellis take Ironman Cozumel
Former ITU Pro Ivan Rana stormed to the title at the 2012 Ironman Cozumel as other favorites started to fade. Mary Beth Ellis grabbed the women's title with a balanced effort all day but in the end by a narrow margin.
The men
Brandon Marsh was first out if the water in the men's race in 50:08, but he had 8 other Pros right on his heels, and Dirk Bockel, Luke McKenzie and Ivan Rana were among that leading bunch.
Bockel and McKenzie took charge of the race on the bike with Horst Reichel running in third place for a good part of the day. Bockel eventually pulled away from McKenzie and recorded the fastest bike split in 4:28:39. When the tall Luxembourger reached the second transition he had an almost 7 minute advantage over McKenzie and about 9 minutes on a bunch that included Marsh, Rana, Michael Lovato, James Cunnama and Bert Jammaer.
Neither Bockel nor McKenzie looked good on the run and soon Cunnama and Rana were running up front with the Spaniard pulling away from the South African with swift strides. Rana who had taken the win at 70.3 Lanzarote two weeks prior was apparently hungry for more and now used a race best 2:44:05 marathon to take his first Ironman title. Bas Diederen finished second and Bart Jammaer rounded out the podium.
The women
Tenille Hoogland led Michelle Vesterby and Mary Beth Ellis out of the water in 54:27, with the other two Pros just a few seconds behind, but the rest of the Pro females needed well over an hour for the 2.4 mile swim.
Vesterby managed to distance Ellis and Hoogland with her 5:02:47 bike effort and that brought her to the bike run transition with a 3-minute advantage over Ellis. A bit further back Sophie De Groote had the fastest bike split in 4:57:01 and that allowed the Belgian to to be in contention for the title.
Vesterby was reeled in by Ellis on the run after 6 miles, but Ellis was slowly feeling the heat from behind as De Groote was inching closer. In the end Ellis had 7 seconds left, but a win is a win and no one cares later by how much. De Groote finished second and Sonja Tajsich ran to the third place with a fast 3:02:40 marathon.
"Ironman Cozumel was a tough hard day out there. I struggled from start with crippling cramps in T1. On a good day Ironman is a struggle and on a bad day it is a battle," sais Ellis to slowtwitch. "I knew Sophie was closing fast while I was figuratively a dead man walking. However I didn't know how close until I finished and there she was."
Ironman Cozumel
Cozumel, Mexico / November 25, 2012
2.4m swim / 112m bike / 26.2m run
Top men
1. Ivan Rana (ESP) 8:15:07
2. Bas Diederen (NED) 8:20:42
3. Bert Jammaer (BEL) 8:24:51
4. Anton Blokhin (UKR) 8:26:38
5. Jimmy Johnsen (DEN) 8:29:09
6. Brandon Marsh (USA) 8:30:17
7. Michael Lovato (USA) 8:37:14
8. James Cunnama (RSA) 8:37:46
9. Stefan Schmid (GER) 8:41:09
10. Andres Latorre Castillo (COL) 8:42:06
Top women
1. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 9:15:38
2. Sophie De Groote (BEL) 9:15:45
3. Sonja Tajsich (GER) 9:21:30
4. Michelle Vesterby (DEN) 9:23:49
5. Kathleen Calkins (USA) 9:25:58
6. Jessie Donavan (USA) 9:29:20
7. Heidi Sessner (GER) 9:31:00
8. Mareen Hufe (GER) 9:32:19
9. Beth Walsh (USA) 9:39:25
10. Elizabeth Lyles (USA) 9:40:36
