Jewett blasts to huge win at 70.3 Timberman; Carfrae makes impressive return to racing to take 2nd
Canadian runs impressive 1:14 split to take a win over some of the sport's biggest names
There’s no reason not to expect that Tamara Jewett, who graced the cover of our July, 2020 edition of Triathlon Magazine Canada, would run her way to a win if she came off the bike within a minute of the leader. The former national team runner overcame an even bigger deficit to win the Canadian Pro Triathlon Championship last year, over a 10 km run instead of the half marathon she had to run today at Ironman 70.3 Timberman. Jewett did much more than simply run her way to the win, though – she blasted through a 1:14:20 split to take the win, just under 10 minutes ahead of super-mom Mirinda Carfrae. The three-time Ironman World Champion from Australia gave birth to baby Finn on Jan. 4 of this year, her second child with husband Tim O’Donnell. Jewett was also ahead of another of the sport’s biggest names today – rounding out the podium was multiple Kona podium finisher Heather Jackson.
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It was American Ali Brauer who led out of the water and off the bike – after the first leg of the race she was 1:45 up on Jewett with Carfrae 2:35 down. Jackson hit T1 4:41 behind the leader. Out on the bike Brauer continued to lead the way through the first 33 km as another Canadian, Mel McQuaid, moved into the picture ahead of Carfrae and Jewett. By the closing stages of the bike, though, it was Jewett and Carfrae who were the ones making a push towards the front – over the last 20 km they halved the two-minute deficit to Brauer and hit T2 about a minute behind. Jackson was fourth to start the run, just over two minutes down.
Carfrae was quicker out of transition and led Jewett onto the bike course, but it was quickly apparent that Jewett was on her way to the win. In a fashion very similar to the run splits that Carfrae posted earlier in her career, Jewett pulled away from the rest of the field. By 2 km she was in front, 37 seconds ahead of Brauer and 58 seconds up on Carfrae, with Jackson 2:18 behind in fourth. Three km later it was all but over. Carfrae was in second, but was over two minutes down.
By the time she crossed the line in 4:13:39, Jewett was almost 10 minutes up on Carfrae, who finished in 4:23:10. Jackson took third in 4:26:05.
Other Canadians in the field included Pamela-Ann Bachelder St-Pierre, who finished 11th in 4:44:49, while McQuaid would end up 22nd in 5:03:27.
