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.
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.
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.
Yesterday I exercised for 9+ hrs 4 the 1st time š³Props 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
For complete results from IRONMAN Louisville, visit IRONMAN.com.