It was an incredible day of racing here in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii as the first-ever women’s only Ironman World Championship took place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. It was a record-setting day on many levels as Lucy Charles-Barclay set a new course record (8:24:31), Anne Haug set a new marathon record (2:48:23) and we saw the highest single-day finishing rate for any Ironman World Championship as 2,039 of the 2,097 athletes who started the race came across the line.
The race also saw a record number of women break the nine-hour barrier, with 16 women achieving that mark on Saturday. Three American women – Adrienne Bunn (12:41:18), Lisa Cloutier (12:22:24) and Marlyne Stutzman (12:41:18) became the first known female athletes with autism to complete the Ironman World Championship. Bunn was also the youngest finisher in yesterday’s race.
Here’s a photo gallery from some of the age group racing at yesterday’s race.(Don’t worry, we have a finisher’s gallery coming, too!)
Getting ready for a tough day …Sunscreen is a must when racing in Hawaii.Time for a selfie with one of the amazing volunteers. Later there will be …Beer at the finish!The great Fernanda Keller finished her 27th Ironman World Championship in Kona yesterday. During her amazing career she finished in the top-10 14 times and was third on six different occasions.
That’s a lot of bikes …Almost time to hit the water.The athletes enjoyed almost perfect conditions with next-to-no wind out on the course.Aussie Jennifer Zenker would finish in 10:01, fifth in the women’s 40 to 44 age group.Silvia Birkle Duro from Granada finished in 10:50:57
Donna Kay-Ness would dominate the 60 to 64 age group, finishing in 10:57:10!Go Canada!Ellen Wexler from Bethesda finished in 10:39:06Stephanie Clutterbuck from Great Britain competed as part of the Zwift Academy Triathlon Team. She finished in 10:25:15
Anna Edwards got to the finish line in 14:53:24Valerie Dechesne finished in 13:25:37Kristina Sendel on her way to a 10:01:11 finishAnother member of Zwift Academy team on the road.
Canadian Paulette Dalton would finish in 11:40:02.
Camaraderie during the marathon – there’s strength in numbers!
