It was a tough day in the office for the New Zealand athletes in a super-hot, super-fast race at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii yesterday.
The New Zealanders were all out of the top 10 with Australia’s Chris MacCormack winning the men’s race for his second time while compatriot Mirinda Carfrae took out the women’s honours when overwhelming favourite Chrissie Wellington withdrew with illness just before the race.
The kiwis were unable to match the blazing pace and the blazing conditions with Cameron Brown the best of them in 17th place in a solid performance where the top 10 men all went under the 8hr 30min. Terenzo Bozzone finished close behind in 20th place in 8:38.23.
The kiwi pair had a hand in the win though as training partners with MacCormack over the recent weeks.
It was a tough time for the women too with Jo Lawn finishing out of the top 10 for the first time in several years, coming home in 20th place in 9:43.08 while Gina Crawford did not finish.
“I am feeling a little sorry for myself. I swum well and rode ok, coming in with the big bunch along with Craig Alexander, the defending champion,” Brown said.
“But I had problems on the run. I got some pain in my foot and I am clearly done something and had to stop a few times to stretch it out but it just got worse. It was a touch day and if you are not on top of your game here then you get found out in a cruel way along the Queen K Highway in this heat.”
Brown said he is looking forward to a break before resetting his goals with a similar story for Bozzone, who was hoping to improve on his 11th placing last year.
“I felt so great coming in. I thought I had done everything right. The swim went well and I was going okay on the bike until the last 50km when the wheels fell off.
“At the 15km mark on the run the legs started to feel it and believe me that’s not the place you want to be struggling here in Kona.
“I stuck it out and came right near the end. But it’s disappointing because everything had gone so well in the lead-up. I guess it’s back to the drawing board now.”
Bozzone said he will take a break now and set himself for the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman New Zealand, after confirming his entry earlier in the week.
McCormack broke clear of Andreas Raelert (GER) after a great duel on the run to record the seventh-fastest time in history of 8:10:37 to give him his second triumph at Kona-Kailua after winning in 2007.
Carfrae broke her own run record, clocking 2:53.32 for the marathon on her way to winning in 8:58:36, which was the fifth fastest time in history.
She beat Swiss Caroline Steffen, who finished second behind Lawn at the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman earlier this year, by more than seven minutes.
McCormack took the lead just after halfway through the run but was caught by Raelert with the pair running side-by-side for several kilometres towards the finish. The Australian surged at the final aid station down Pilani Hill to grab victory in what was the fourth fastest time in history.
Marino Vanhoenacker (Belgium) was third less than three minutes behind McCormack.
