Rapp and Ellis win the Ironman US Championship

Americans Jordan Rapp and Mary Beth Ellis need to co-ordinate their race schedules. They raced together last year at Ironman Canada and won, in May they raced at Ironman Texas and won again, and today at the Ironman US Championship in New York City, the pair were victorious again.

Australian Luke Bell led everyone out of the Hudson River with a 39:08 clocking. No, your eyes are not deceiving you and the course was not shortened. The current sped up everyone’s 3.86 km swim split today. Australian Paul Ambrose, just four seconds behind Bell after the swim, took over for most of the 180 km bike until Rapp wrestled the lead away with 20 km left in the ride. By the time he entered T2, he rode the top split of 4:26:34 and led Ambrose by 2:34, and American TJ Tollakson by 2:34. But that would be the closest anyone would come to Rapp. He continuously built his lead with every step on the hot and humid day and would be the only one to run a sub-3 hour marathon (2:59:21) to earn the easy victory in 8:11:18. Sixth after the bike, the Ukraine’s Maxim Kriat ran 3:04:15 to claim second (8:24:32). Hungary’s Jozsef Major also ran well to move from tenth to third (8:27:00). Kelowna’s Trevor Wurtele had the second best marathon of the day (3:01:21) to finish fourth.

“I grew up 30 miles from here, this is my backyard. I never expected to do an Ironman so close to my home. That was special to me,” said Rapp, who expects to make his Kona debut this October. “I don’t expect to go into Hawaii and win. My expectations are to go and put 100% out there. If can finish in the top ten I’d be proud of that finish.”

“I am really happy with the race overall. I am pretty confident with my run. I kept running guys down as much as I could,” said Wurtele, who ran from fifteenth position after the bike to fourth overall. “I will go to Kona. I am going to be there anyway (wife Heather Wurtele will be racing). I’ve never raced there as a pro.”

Men

1. Rapp, Jordan USA  8:11:18

2. Kriat, Maxim UKR 8:24:32

3. Major, Jozsef HUN 8:27:00

4. Wurtele, Trevor CAN 8:29:20

5. Thomschke, Markus GER 8:30:02

6. Tollakson, TJ USA 8:33:01

7. Jammaer, Bert BEL 8:34:59

8. Gomes, Pedro PRT 8:38:40

9. Bell, Luke AUS 8:39:20

10. McDonald, Chris USA 8:41:30

Ellis earns fifth career Ironman win

American Dede Griesbauer led the women’s swim (40:33) with Ellis just five seconds behind, and American Amy Marsh a further two second behind her. A typical frontrunner on the bike, Marsh took to the front once again set the pace for all to follow. She rode the top split of 5:03:01 to enter T2 first, but Ellis was only 54 seconds behind with her 5:04:03 ride. Once on the marathon, Ellis secured the race lead early and ran away from the rest of the women with the top run of the day (3:14:32) to finish with the winning time of 9:02:48. Australian Rebekah Keat ran 3:15:43 to move up to second (9:13:24), and Amy Marsh held tough for third (9:15:57).

“It’s a tough course. I am glad I survived. I didn’t know how much of a lead I had. I ran a bit scared,” said Ellis. I hope I can come back to New York City because it’s a great place to race.”

Women
1. Ellis, Mary Beth USA 9:02:48

2. Keat, Rebekah AUS 9:13:24

3. Marsh, Amy USA 9:15:57

4. Piampiano, Sarah USA 9:30:29

5. Kozulina, Tamara UKR 9:33:23

6. Bremer, Michelle NZL 9:36:11

7. Cooper-Scott, Haley USA 9:44:17

8. Mitchell, Michelle AUS 9:45:42

9. Gordon, Jacqui USA 9:48:58

10. Wassner, Laurel USA 9:49:24