On a rainy day in New Zealand the Kiwi' s took the title at the 25th annual Bonita Ironman New Zealand.
On the men' s side Cameron Brown won for the eighth time and on the women' s side it was Gina Ferguson who ended Jo Lawn' s six-year reign of the second oldest Ironman race in the world.
According to Stuff.co.nz:
"In the men' s race all eyes were on seven-time winner Brown or fellow
kiwi debutant and World 70.3 (Half Ironman) Champion, Terenzo Bozzone.
Brown
answered that question in emphatic style, putting together a near
perfect race to set a new race record of 8:18:05. But for Bozzone there
was no disgrace in second today, an amazing result on debut at the
ultimate triathlon distance.
ike the men earlier, for the majority of the bike leg there was
never more than seconds separating Denmark' s former world champion
Lisbeth Kristensen, Lawn and Ferguson, before the Danish mother of one
pulled away to open up a three and a half minute advantage on to the
marathon run.
It was Ferguson who responded strongest on
the run though, moving first past Lawn and then a tiring Kristensen
before the halfway mark. Ferguson held strong to win in 9:18.26, more
than four minutes ahead of Lawn with Australia' s Charlotte Paul passing
a tiring Kristensen for third.
The Christchurch athlete had no doubts as to the importance of the occasion.
"Yeah,
this is my biggest win, the race was really competitive with Jo and
Charlotte and earlier Lisbeth and it is here in New Zealand so yes,
this is definitely the most important win of my career so far,"
Ferguson said."
Men
1. Cameron Brown NZL 8:18:04
2. Terenzo Bozzone NZL 8:25:36
3. Dirk Bockel LUX 8:27:11
4. Jan Raphael GER 8:32:31
5. Richard Ussher NZL 8:35:55
Women
1. Gina Ferguson NZL 9:18:26
2. Joanna Lawn NZL 9:23:07
3. Charlotte Paul AUS 9:30:24
4. Lisbeth Kristensen DEN 9:32:50
5. Bella Bayliss SCO 9:41:03
On the men' s side Cameron Brown won for the eighth time and on the women' s side it was Gina Ferguson who ended Jo Lawn' s six-year reign of the second oldest Ironman race in the world.
According to Stuff.co.nz:
"In the men' s race all eyes were on seven-time winner Brown or fellow kiwi debutant and World 70.3 (Half Ironman) Champion, Terenzo Bozzone.
Brown answered that question in emphatic style, putting together a near perfect race to set a new race record of 8:18:05. But for Bozzone there was no disgrace in second today, an amazing result on debut at the ultimate triathlon distance.
ike the men earlier, for the majority of the bike leg there was never more than seconds separating Denmark' s former world champion Lisbeth Kristensen, Lawn and Ferguson, before the Danish mother of one pulled away to open up a three and a half minute advantage on to the marathon run.
It was Ferguson who responded strongest on the run though, moving first past Lawn and then a tiring Kristensen before the halfway mark. Ferguson held strong to win in 9:18.26, more than four minutes ahead of Lawn with Australia' s Charlotte Paul passing a tiring Kristensen for third.
The Christchurch athlete had no doubts as to the importance of the occasion.
"Yeah, this is my biggest win, the race was really competitive with Jo and Charlotte and earlier Lisbeth and it is here in New Zealand so yes, this is definitely the most important win of my career so far," Ferguson said."
Men
1. Cameron Brown NZL 8:18:04
2. Terenzo Bozzone NZL 8:25:36
3. Dirk Bockel LUX 8:27:11
4. Jan Raphael GER 8:32:31
5. Richard Ussher NZL 8:35:55
Women
1. Gina Ferguson NZL 9:18:26
2. Joanna Lawn NZL 9:23:07
3. Charlotte Paul AUS 9:30:24
4. Lisbeth Kristensen DEN 9:32:50
5. Bella Bayliss SCO 9:41:03