IRONMAN World Championship

Heather Jackson (Bend, Ore.) led all Americans with a fourth-place finish at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on Saturday, while Andy Potts (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the top finisher for the U.S. men in seventh.

In the women’s race, Daniela Ryf of Switzerland earned her third consecutive world championship title, covering the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run in 8 hours, 50 minutes, 47 seconds. Lucy Charles, a 24-year-old rookie from Great Britain, took second in 8:59:38, followed by Sarah Crowley of Australia in third in 9:01:38. Jackson was less than a minute back from Crowley, crossing the line in 9:01:38. Liz Lyles (Reno, Nev.) and Jocelyn McCauley (Cincinnati, Ohio) also recorded top-10 finishes, taking eighth (9:20:31) and 10th (9:20:58) respectively.

Patrick Lange of Germany was the men’s champion, running a blistering 2:39:59 marathon en route to breaking Australian Craig Alexander’s overall course record. Lange broke the tape in 8:01:40, eclipsing the previous record by more than two minutes. Lionel Sanders of Canada took second in 8:04:07, and David McNamee of Great Britain was third in 8:07:11.

Potts had a come-from-behind race on Sunday, exiting the water in 28th, working his way to 17th after the bike and running his was into a seventh-place finish. Potts recorded the third-fastest marathon of the day behind Lange and McNamee, running 2:50:26 en route to an 8:14:43 total finishing time. Ben Hoffman (Boulder, Colo.) also placed top-10 in the men’s field, placing ninth in 8:19:26.

4th in the world! Huge congrats @danielaryf for your 3-peat!!! And @lucycharles93 @sarah_stan_crowley for the podium. What a day... this race is so epic. Hard, harsh, hot course lined with thousands of spectators cheering and encouraging everyone all day. Thank you so much to everyone for those cheers yesterday. Incredible! And to everyone for all of the messages i've received- thank you! Thank you to all of the volunteers out there on their feet and heat all day! And to my crew- my sponsors, my family and friends, doctor, massage therapists, my coach, and my husband- THANK YOU. This is only possible because of all of you and I am so grateful. ❤ 364 days to #IMKona2018 ... hungrier than ever 😀 Thanks @witsupcom for this 📷 and your wonderful coverage.

A post shared by Heather Jackson (@hjacksonracing) on Oct 15, 2017 at 11:35am PDT

Thrilled to run my way into 8th place at the @ironmantri #imkona. Yesterday’s mantra was ‘just keep moving forward’. Thanks especially to my #1 @nvoutdoorsfam for the unwavering support and belief. The kids are in school so stayed home with massive help from Grandma and Grandpa, thank you 😘. Huge thank you to my brilliant coach @cliffenglish for his continued guidance. Also thanks to all the guys @iamspecialized_tri who created the most beautiful and fast ride. It was great fun seeing some friends & hometown fans #reno cheering out on the course, thanks all for the encouragement! Amazingly done @danielaryf @lucycharles93 & @sarah_stan_crowley absolute world class performances. Congrats to every single competitor out there battling hard all day long. Please keep @tri_thedon & @mattrusselltri in your prayers 🙏🏻. Without my team of sponsors I would not be where I am today, thank you so much @iamspecialized_tri 💙💜@rideroval @rokasports @sugoiapparel @glukosenergy @oakleyendurance @polarglobal @powertap @ceramicspeed @trainerroad @enduranceshield & Velo Reno. #ironman #top10 #dreamscometrue 🎥: @bryn_north

A post shared by Elizabeth Lyles (@lizlylestri) on Oct 15, 2017 at 7:35pm PDT

Yesterday was not the race I was capable of or wanted but it taught me so much about myself. You don't always get the day you want but when you reevaluate and put your heart on the line and compete with guts things can turn out ok. We are all capable of more than we will ever imagine so just keep pushing! I was running in 11th and my team told me I could get top ten if I pushed a little harder. I thought of my why, my family, friends, and those who can't and willed my body to do more, making up 8 minutes in the last 9 miles. Thank you so much to my team out there cheering me on! If you cheered for me you were part of this success. Thank you to those sponsors who believe in me so much as well! I'm so blessed to be able to do what I love! Top ten in the world, I'll take it for this year but watch out next year, I have something more to show! More to come... 📷: Anne Heiner

A post shared by Jocelyn Mccauley (@jocelynmccauley) on Oct 15, 2017 at 11:32am PDT

The racing in Kona continued well into the night, as age-group athletes from around the world competed on one of the most coveted and challenging courses in endurance sports. The United States was the most-represented nation overall, with 741 athletes registered to compete. California brought the largest contingent of athletes with 113, followed by Texas with 58 and Colorado with 53. The youngest athlete from the U.S. was 20, and the oldest was 78.

It still hasn't quite sunk in yet that I had the greatest race of my life yesterday on the worlds biggest stage at #imwc. It exceeded even my wildest dreams and came off the bike running for my life and ended up as the 4th American and 2nd AG. I'm not sure what's next in my journey yet, but I couldn't have made it here without my family, who came from all over the country just to watch me run around in lava all day, my @dimondbikes family and my favorite triathlon advisor @alyssagodesky. I also had ironman PR swim and bike splits in my new @smashfestqueen kit, so it must be fast. I can't wait to eat breakfast out of my new bowl tomorrow. ... #kona #swimbikerun #roadtokona #letthemchaseyou #lava #worldchampionship #queenkallday #imkona #imkona2017 #triathlon #dimondbikes

A post shared by Matt Cymanski (@mattcymanski) on Oct 15, 2017 at 6:37pm PDT

A lot to smile about yesterday at #imkona and so many people to thank. That post is coming, but for now I just want to say that if you believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in you, then amazing things will happen. 📸@talbotcox

A post shared by Gregory Lindquist (@glindquiee) on Oct 15, 2017 at 1:35pm PDT

It’s hasn’t quite set in yet that I raced in the World Championships yesterday. It wasn’t exactly the day that I hoped for but I am proud/blessed/grateful to have finished this race. I felt fantastic for about the first 35 miles of the bike and then we hit serious headwinds and sidewinds on the bike. I realized I wasn’t going to be where I wanted, so I switched gears and just decided to enjoy it. Around mile 95 the word “patience” popped into my mind. So many times these days, we rush through things and don’t enjoy them as they are happening. It’s my first race I got to look around and talk to people and enjoy. I thought I was going to have a good run but my stomach started hurting and I started feeling dizzy. I had to back way off goal pace again. That run in itself was humbling. Finally in the last 3 miles an Australian woman ran past and I decided to run with her. The sun had set and it finally felt like my stomach had settled. I got to run down Ali’i with chills running up and down my arms. I walked through the finish, slapped hands and tried to soak in the moment and heard them say “Barbara Perkins, you are an Ironman!” Going back and seeing the last finishers at midnight was one of the most emotional things I’ve ever seen. You cannot stop or break the human spirit. You can do anything you set your mind to. Your body will follow. I’ll post more later but thank you infinitely to my coach Craig, husband Matt, Mom Allison, dad Tom, step mom Ellen, and bestest friend Julia for coming all this way and sharing this race with me!! And thank you all for the cheers family, friends, Coeur teammies, TNT friends and everyone else. This race was for you too. Love and hugs to you all. Mahalo and I’ll be back. #hardcoeur #coeursports #heartandcourage #coeur #argonaut #argon18bike #argon #tyr #tyrsports #alwaysinfront #base #baseperformance #racewithbase #ironman #ironmantri #imwc

A post shared by Barbara Perkins Dillon (@bperki08) on Oct 15, 2017 at 9:36am PDT

Ironman Kona World Championships you were everything that was promised - specifically epically brutal. I’ll give a better update later, as right now I’m exhausted, but for now I just want to say thank you to everyone for all your love and support. PS: Sorry for the awkward face in this photo. - - #whereyourfeettakeyou #roadtokona #roadtoironman #triathlon #imkona #triathlete #FindFaster #liveyourpassion #swimbikerun #kona #rockthew #cyclingpics #rudyprojectna

A post shared by Kayla Bowker (@where_your_feet_take_you) on Oct 15, 2017 at 1:10am PDT

Feeling incredibly grateful to toe the IRONMAN World Championship line yesterday, just to start the race and to finish is an amazing experience. A HUGE shout out to all the volunteers and staff of Ironman who make this event happen. Thanks to my personal crew of @jonocoulter Amy Rappaport and @moira.horan this week have made my experience even more special. A special mention to those out on the course in person cheering me on, I needed it. Clifton Duhon Melissa McCormack Hailey Manning Steve Mallard Debbie Young Paul Young Jessica Cerra and hugs from Janice Gustin and Jim Gustin. Kona is an unrelenting tough course due to the weather conditions and yesterday was no different. Although I felt as if I ate and drank consistently, a hard effort on the bike and getting slightly behind on electrolytes can be costly later. I struggled on the run, but never gave up and somehow finished 3rd in my AG for a podium. After the finish it was straight to medical tent for assessment and realizing I'd lost 11lbs of bodyweight. I'm slowly recovering and have so much gratitude for the day. ALOHA has a special meaning to me know of how to embrace a tough day. Thank you to my family, friends, sponsors, supporters and coach for making this possible. I recieved wonderful messages and photos of good luck. Craig Upton, Stacy Sims.

A post shared by Liza Rachetto (@lizacoach) on Oct 15, 2017 at 4:33pm PDT

For complete results from the IRONMAN World Championship, visit IRONMAN.com.

IRONMAN Louisville

Lisa Roberts (Tucson, Ariz.), Lesley Smith (Boulder, Colo.) and Nicole Valentine (Boulder, Colo.) took the top three spots in the women’s pro race at IRONMAN Louisville on Sunday. Roberts earned the win, covering the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run in 9:06:06. Smith took the runner-up spot in 9:23:35, followed by Valentine in third in 9:29:55.

In the men’s pro race, Andrew Starykowicz (Wauconda, Ill.) took home the title in 8:10:11. Callum Millward of New Zealand was second in 8:18:03, and Markus Thomschke of Germany rounded out the podium in third in 8:21:05.

Beyond thrilled to take the @ironmantri Louisville win today! It was a windy, choppy, blustery, rainy day and everyone who charged through it to finish is a beast. Now to go cheer on some of the final finishers! I can't do this sport without the support of my sponsors, training team as well as friends & family. I love you all! . #timexteam #timexsports @kask_cycling @cobb_cycling @compressport @on_running @kleanathlete @trekraceshop @rideshimano @stagescycling @icefriction @blueseventy @castellitriathlon

A post shared by Lisa Roberts (@lisarobertstri) on Oct 15, 2017 at 8:11pm PDT

Yesterday I exercised for 9+ hrs 4 the 1st time 😳Props to anyone who has ever competed the 140.6, a mind//body battle on a whole new level! https://t.co/iIdtR7mpyX

— Lesley Smith (@LesleySmithTri) October 16, 2017

Wow. Such a special day racing #imlouisville with so many friends from the Mid Maryland Tri Club here as well as Boulder friends, and family. Just in awe to be on the podium. An enormous thank you 🙏❤️🤗and huge hugs for so many that have been incredibly supportive! Grateful. Thankful. Blessed. . . . #smashfestqueen #dimondbikes #teamlovato #healthyskoop #zealoptics #roka #firstendurance #raceday #triathlon #ironman

A post shared by Nicole Valentine (@nicolevalentineracerchic) on Oct 15, 2017 at 9:47pm PDT

Announcer - After #Crushing the field wire to wire @ironmantri #louisville how do your legs feel? Andrew - They #Hurt #comeback17 #imlou #triathlon #champion #nolimits #nevergiveup #chaseyourdreams #htfu

A post shared by Andrew Starykowicz (@tri_starky) on Oct 15, 2017 at 4:05pm PDT

For complete results from IRONMAN Louisville, visit IRONMAN.com.