Vanhoenacker and Kessler win Ironman 70.3 New Zealand
Kiwis Brown and Lawn get third.
Since Ironman New Zealand was cancelled yesterday due to severe weather, a newly created 70.3 race was offered as an alternative to the athletes of the sold out event.
Today, Belgium’s Marino Vanhoenacker and the USA’s Meredith Kessler captured the overall titles at Ironman 70.3 New Zealand.
Vanhoenacker swam 25:37, then posted race bests in the bike (2:12:19) and run (1:12:41) to earn the overall win in 3:55:03. Australia’s Tim Reed finished second (3:55:51), and ten time Ironman New Zealand Champion Cameron Brown had to settle for third (3:56:38). Brown has only ever lost at this race when it has been converted from and full Ironman race to a 70.3 due to bad weather (in 2006 and this year).
Kessler led the swim (26:39), built her lead on the bike (she lost her timing chip during the swim so no official bike split), and created more of a gap with a top 1:21:38 half marathon to take the win in 4:22:46. Australia’s Kate Bevilaqua outran Kiwi Joanna Lawn during the final stages of the run to grab second (4:30:37), leaving Lawn, a seven time Ironman New Zealand winner, in third (4:30:40).
| Men | Women |
| 1. VANHOENACKER, Marino 3:55:03
2. REED, Timothy 3:55:51 3. BROWN, Cameron 3:56:38 4. GUILLAUME, Romain 3:58:03 5. FARLOW, Aaron 3:58:57 6. ALBERT, Marko 4:00:43 7. BOZZONE, Terenzo 4:01:51 8. CRAWFORD, Guy 4:03:29 9. WHYTE, Jamie 4:12:05 10. STALLARD, Shanon 4:14:46 |
1. KESSLER, Meredith 4:22:46
2. BEVILAQUA, Kate 4:30:37 3. LAWN, Joanna 4:30:40 4. JACOBS, Jessica 4:31:46 5. CRAWFORD, Gina 4:32:45 6. WICKS, Hilary 4:32:51 *W35-39 7. HARPER, Belinda 4:37:49 8. HAMMOND, Candice 4:43:25 9. PAXTON, Rachael 4:50:51 |
