Andy Potts and Jessie Donavan win the 14th Ironman Lake Placid
Danais gets 7th and Grant 9th in the pro race.
Over 2,500 athletes, including 957 first-timers, ranging in age from 18 to 76 entered Mirror Lake at the 14th edition of IRONMAN Lake Placid. Top professionals Andy Potts (USA) and Jessie Donavan (USA) celebrated victories, crossing the finish line in 8:25:00 and 9:47:32, respectively.
Hundreds of spectators surrounded the lake as athletes began the 2.4-mile swim in pristine conditions at the oldest IRONMAN event in the continental U.S. All-American swimmer out of the University of Michigan, Andy Potts (USA), exited the water first in a time of 45:01, breaking the swim-course record set by Tom Evans in 2006 (45:28). He would be followed closely by Pete Jacobs (AUS) and Romain Guillaume (FRA). The Frenchman, Guillaume, surged through the bike and provided a challenge to the leader, but it was Potts who powered up the challenging hills of the Adirondack Mountains to maintain his position all the way into T2. The two-loop run course would test the athletes, with Jacobs and Guillaume battling for second, however, Potts’ strong performance from start to finish allowed him to capture his third IRONMAN title, winning the 2012 IRONMAN Lake Placid.
Top five professional men’s results are below:
1.    Andy Potts USA 8:25:00
2.    Pete Jacobs AUS 8:56:42
3.    Romain Guillaume FRA 9:08:50
4.    Matthew Russell USA 9:16:36
5.    Douglas MacLean USA 9:33:18
9. Â Â Ryan Grant CAN 10:24:14
The female professionals exited the water within seconds of each other as Suzanne Serpico (USA) led the way followed closely by Suzanne Zelazo (CAN) and Mary Danais (CAN). With first, second and third place finishers all exiting the water outside of the top five, a level playing field in the list of female professionals created one of the closest races in IRONMAN Lake Placid history. Beginning the 112-mile bike course in 10th place, Donavan made her charge to the front, taking the lead within the final 12 miles as she headed into T2. Racing in her third IRONMAN event, Donavan felt pressure from fellow rookie, Jennie Hansen (USA), during the run but was able to run a 3:13:32 run-split to capture her first IRONMAN title.
Top five professional women’s results are below:
1.    Jessie Donavan USA 9:47:32
2.    Jennie Hansen USA 9:56:33
3.    Jacqui Gordon USA 10:08:21
4.    Suzanne Serpico USA 10:14:15
5.    Kelly Fillnow USA 10:19:42
7.    Marie Danais CAN 11:06:06
One of more than 30 events in the global IRONMAN Series, IRONMAN Lake Placid is known as the oldest IRONMAN event in the continental U.S. and features one of the most beautiful courses on the circuit. The two-loop swim course took place in Mirror Lake, followed by a unique transition in the Olympic Speed-Skating Oval. The 112-mile bike led athletes along state, county and local roads while passing breathtaking vistas of the Adirondack Mountains and the New York country-side. The spectator friendly marathon ran by downtown Lake Placid four times and featured tree-lined river scenery. It offered a professional prize purse of $25,000, the race also awarded a total of 50 slots for the 2012 IRONMAN World Championship, taking place on Oct. 13 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i.
