Ambrose and Sym win Ironman 70.3 Racine

The Australian pair of Paul Ambrose and Christie Sym won the Ironman 70.3 Racine titles today in Wisconsin.

After exiting the water in second, Ambrose rode a race best 2:04:50 to grab a firm control of the lead. He then ran 1:20:15 to take the win in 3:51:50. Fellow Aussie Tim Berkel made up some time during the half marathon (1:18:29) but still came up well short for second (3:57:32), and the USA’s Patrick Evoe took third (4:03:14). Of note, two-time Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander showed that he can be a mere mortal on the run after all, he ran a 1:31:06 half marathon to finish eighth (4:09:52).

Canadian Donna Phelan led all women out of Lake Michigan (27:55), but Sym was not too far behind. Sym rode 2:26:33 to get the lead, and she added a 1:30:13 to cross the line in 4:28:54 ahead of American Kristin Andrews (4:33:26) – who rode a race best 2:24:24 to close the gap on Sym, and Australia’s Michelle Wu picked up third (4:33:48). Phelan finished fifth (4:38:49), and Natasha Yaremczuk of Paris, Ontario finished 13^th (4:58:14).

London’s Brian Peaker finished second among men 50-54 (4:40:54), and Milton’s Erik Seedhouse placed third (4:40:24) in the men’s 45-49 category.

Men

1 Ambrose, Paul  3:51:50

2 Berkel, Tim  3:57:32

3 Evoe, Patrick  4:03:14

4 Cartmell, Fraser  4:04:58

5 Rhodes, Bryan  4:06:28

6 Paul, Jeff  4:07:45

7 Francis, Tom  4:08:05

8 Alexander, Craig  4:09:52

9 Bohach, Adam  4:12:06 *M25-29

10 Wade, Robert  4:13:40

Women

1 Sym, Christie  4:28:54

2 Andrews, Kristin  4:33:26

3 Wu, Michelle Wu  4:33:48

4 Jacobs, Jessica  4:34:21

5 Phelan, Donna CAN  4:38:49

6 Davis, Susanne  4:40:56 *W40-44

7 Chong, Jessica  4:42:42

8 Wieck, Sonja  4:45:14 *W30-34

9 Amman, Adrienne  4:50:41 *W30-34

10 Szefi, Sarah  4:50:44 *W25-29

13 Yaremczuk, Natasha CAN  4:58:14

Potts and Rollison take Vineman 70.3 titles

American Andy Potts and Australian Melissa Rollison took the Vineman 70.3 titles in California today.

American Andy Potts led the men’s race right from the start with a 21:38 swim, but fellow American Chris Lieto broke his own bike course record 2:03:27 but failed to follow up with an equivalent great run. He lost the lead early on the run to Australian Paul Matthews who was then chased down by Potts with two miles to go. They ran together until the final mile where Potts broke away for the win and the new course record of 3:45:58, leaving Matthews to settle for second (3:47:04), and Australia’s Joe Gambles for third (3:47:04). American Jesse Thomas, the surprise winner at Wildflower, showed again that he is a serious run threat by posting a blazing 1:11:12 run to get the tenth spot (3:35:51).

Ottawa’s Tenille Hoogland set the pace for the women out of the water (24:05), from there Great Britain’s Leanda Cave took over with a 2:23:03 bike ride, but she was closely followed by Australia’s Melissa Rollison who rode a second best (2:23:38). Rollison then mustered up a dominating 1:16:28 run, outrunning Australia’s Mirinda Carfrae, to win by over six minutes (4:09:00). Cave held on for second (4:15:14), and Carfrae surrendered too much time during the swim and bike but ran 1:19:17 to move from eighth to third (4:17:49). Hoogland finished sixth (4:23:00), Vancouver’s Rachel McBride claimed seventh (4:23:38), and Victoria’s Melanie McQuaid seized eighth (4:26:08) after placing second at the XTERRA Mountain Championships in Colorado yesterday.

Men

1 Potts, Andy  3:45:58

2 Matthews, Paul  3:46:27

3 Gambles, Joe  3:47:04

4 O’Grady, Graham  3:48:56

5 Leto, Kyle  3:50:05

6 O’Donnell, Timothy  3:50:26

7 Lieto, Chris  3:51:07

8 Reed, Matty  3:52:30

9 Lieto, Matt  3:52:31

10 Thomas, Jesse  3:53:51

22 Killam, Nathan CAN  4:16:13

Women

1 Rollison, Melissa  4:09:00

2 Cave, Leanda  4:15:14

3 Carfrae, Mirinda  4:17:49

4 Kessler, Meredith  4:18:24

5 Challis, Rachel  4:21:33

6 Hoogland, Tenille CAN  4:23:00

7 McBride, Rachel CAN  4:23:38

8 McQuaid, Melanie CAN  4:26:08

9 Wernick, Charisa  4:27:11

10 Grant, Julia  4:29:12