Rachel McBride and Andrew Russell win the Vancouver Triathlon
Both get National Long Distance Crowns. McBride sets course record.
Vancouver didn’t disappoint today as athletes were greeted with perfect conditions for the seventh annual Subaru Vancouver Triathlon. 1200 athletes dove into the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean off Locarno Beach this morning covering three different distances – Sprint, Olympic and the Half Ironman. Of these, 22 athletes were name National and Provincial Champions in the Half Ironman event, including twenty amateurs.
Rachel McBride (Vancouver) and Andrew Russell (Sidney) took the elite titles. McBride set a new course record breaking 70.3 Ironman Champion Magali Tisseyre’s 2010 record by 17 seconds. McBride was followed by Ironman athlete Sara Gross (Victoria) in second and former Commonwealth Games Team member Gillian Moody in 3rd. Russell led the field throughout the race, successfully holding off second place finisher Chris Boudreaux (Portland) by a solid four minutes with Nathan Killam (Surrey) rounding out the podium in 3rd.
Contention was high for National and Provincial titles as well as Long Distance World Championship spots as ten athletes from each age group will be offered the chance to compete for Canada next year in Weihai, China.
The event was a sell-out with over 50% more participants than last year – the Subaru Vancouver Triathlon is rapidly becoming a popular destination for triathletes from all over the world. With 14 countries represented at this event, and many training for upcoming Ironman Canada on the new course in Whistler and Challenge Penticton, Vancouver is quickly becoming a triathlon hotbed. Renowned for its spectacular course in the heart of the city, with features such as the Spanish Banks beaches and vistas such as the Coastal Mountains, there is little wonder so many make the annual trek.
Pro Division – Half Iron:
Men:
1. Andrew Russell – Sidney, BC – 3:50:57 (National/Provincial Champion)
2. Chris Boudreaux – Portland, OR – 3:54:53
3. Nathan Killam – Surrey, BC – 4:03:55
Women:
1. Rachel McBride – Vancouver, BC – 4:11:56 (National/Provincial Champion)
2. Sara Gross – Victoria, BC – 4:16:49
3. Gillian Moody – North Vancouver – 4:18:55
Olympic Overall Male Champion: Daniel Stein – Boambee, Australia – 1:52:05
Olympic Overall Female Champion: Martina Wan – Vancouver, BC – 2:08:47
Sprint Overall Male Champion: Aaron Thomas – Victoria, BC – 0:58:22
Sprint Overall Female Champion: Lauren Babineau – Belcarra, BC – 1:03:32