Take a bow Tim Don – Britain’s Kona hopeful took a well-deserved win at the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship in Brasilia last Sunday (5 April), along with Denmark’s Helle Frederiksen in the women’s race.
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Don’s rivals included the USA’s Tim O’Donnell, who came fifth at Kona 2013, and Brazil’s own Igor Amorelli, who emerged with the British athlete from the waters of Lake Paranoá with the lead pack of six swimmers. Tyler Butterfield (BMU) and Santiago Ascenco (BRA) were in the next group, over 90secs off the pace.
Early on the bike, O’Donnell pushed to the front and never looked back through the remainder of the ride. Amorelli, Don, Butterfield and Ascenco appeared content to let O’Donnell lead the way and the four dismounted their bikes together, all within two minutes of the American.
Once on the run, Don moved to second and clawed back time on O’Donnell during the first half of the run. It was not a matter of O’Donnell slowing down (1:16:20 run split) as much as it was Don’s impressive pace (1:13:20 run split).
Just before 17km Don made the pass for the lead and then went on to capture the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship title in 3:41:47. O’Donnell followed Don across the finish line 52secs later in 3:42:40, while Butterfield finished off the podium, stopping the clock at 3:45:48.
>>> Three swim sessions from Tyler Butterfield
Don has already won Ironman 70.3 Monterrey this year, and told us in the April 2015 issue of 220 Triathlon that he plans to do a competitive 70.3 season until mid-July before the focus swings to Kona.
Having won on his full-iron debut at Ironman Mallorca last year, many people – including Spencer Smith, Britain’s top-placing male at Kona to date – believe Don has the ability to claim victory on Big Island this October.
Women’s race
Haley Churla (USA) led the women out of the water, but was only three seconds ahead of Helle Frederiksen (DEN). The next closest women was Rachel Joyce (GBR), who was over two minutes behind.
Frederiksen stormed to the front of the race and pulled away from her closest rivals, Chura and Sofie Goos (BEL), for the entire ride. By T2 Frederiksen’s lead was over seven minutes.
The run was much of the same for Frederiksen as she expanded the gap. Goos would eventually overtake Chura for second, but her run pace was no match for the leader.
Frederiksen cruised over the finish line to claim the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship title in 4:04:16, enjoying a 13min winning margin over second place finisher, Goos (4:17:16).
Ruth Brennan Morrey (USA) used the day’s best run (1:22:17) to grab the last podium place in 4:18:16. Britain’s Rachel Joyce came ninth in a time of 4:29:16.
Take a bow Tim Don – Britain’s Kona hopeful took a well-deserved win at the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship in Brasilia last Sunday (5 April), along with Denmark’s Helle Frederiksen in the women’s race.
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Don’s rivals included the USA’s Tim O’Donnell, who came fifth at Kona 2013, and Brazil’s own Igor Amorelli, who emerged with the British athlete from the waters of Lake Paranoá with the lead pack of six swimmers. Tyler Butterfield (BMU) and Santiago Ascenco (BRA) were in the next group, over 90secs off the pace.
Early on the bike, O’Donnell pushed to the front and never looked back through the remainder of the ride. Amorelli, Don, Butterfield and Ascenco appeared content to let O’Donnell lead the way and the four dismounted their bikes together, all within two minutes of the American.
Once on the run, Don moved to second and clawed back time on O’Donnell during the first half of the run. It was not a matter of O’Donnell slowing down (1:16:20 run split) as much as it was Don’s impressive pace (1:13:20 run split).
Just before 17km Don made the pass for the lead and then went on to capture the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship title in 3:41:47. O’Donnell followed Don across the finish line 52secs later in 3:42:40, while Butterfield finished off the podium, stopping the clock at 3:45:48.
Don has already won Ironman 70.3 Monterrey this year, and told us in the April 2015 issue of 220 Triathlon that he plans to do a competitive 70.3 season until mid-July before the focus swings to Kona.
Having won on his full-iron debut at Ironman Mallorca last year, many people – including Spencer Smith, Britain’s top-placing male at Kona to date – believe Don has the ability to claim victory on Big Island this October.
Women’s race
Haley Churla (USA) led the women out of the water, but was only three seconds ahead of Helle Frederiksen (DEN). The next closest women was Rachel Joyce (GBR), who was over two minutes behind.
Frederiksen stormed to the front of the race and pulled away from her closest rivals, Chura and Sofie Goos (BEL), for the entire ride. By T2 Frederiksen’s lead was over seven minutes.
The run was much of the same for Frederiksen as she expanded the gap. Goos would eventually overtake Chura for second, but her run pace was no match for the leader.
Frederiksen cruised over the finish line to claim the Ironman 70.3 Latin American Championship title in 4:04:16, enjoying a 13min winning margin over second place finisher, Goos (4:17:16).
Ruth Brennan Morrey (USA) used the day’s best run (1:22:17) to grab the last podium place in 4:18:16. Britain’s Rachel Joyce came ninth in a time of 4:29:16.
Are you a female triathlete trying to recruit some friends into the multisport fold? Tell them about this year’s Shock Absorber Women Only Challenge at Eton Dorney on 12 July. This year’s event will feature a swim, triathlon, duathlon and run on a single day, in a bid to create the UK’s biggest women-only event.
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>>> Check out our gallery of last year’s Shock Absorber Women Only Triathlon
The swim will take place in the calm and clean waters of the lake made famous during the London 2012 Olympics. A range of distances are available between 750m and 5k to encourage ladies of all abilities to get involved.
Those who prefer to stick to dry land will be able to choose from a flat and fast paced 5k Run, or can take on the new Duathlon option that includes a testing 21k cycle in-between two run sections (5k and 2.5k).
The highlight of the day is likely to be the Shock Absorber Women Only Triathlon, which will test participants swimming, cycling and running skills. A variety of difficulties are available from Novice (200m swim, 5.3k bike, 2.5k run) through to Challenge (800m swim, 31.8km bike, 7.5km run). A ‘Mates Wave’ will be included in the Sprint Triathlon distance for those who prefer to take part with friends rather than their age group.
Participants are encouraged to raise money for Breast Cancer Care, the only UK-wide charity providing specialist support and tailored information for anyone affected by breast cancer. Breast Cancer Care will be there to support those fundraising with their training and cheer them on the big day. There is no minimum sponsorship target but every pound raised will really make a difference to the lives of those affected by breast cancer.
There will also be a special Women Only Triathlon Training Day on 24th May to help first timers. For more info and to book your place head to www.humanrace.co.uk/womenonly.
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Will you be entering the Shock Absorber Women Only Challenge? Tell us in the comments!
Are you a female triathlete trying to recruit some friends into the multisport fold? Tell them about this year’s Shock Absorber Women Only Challenge at Eton Dorney on 12 July. This year’s event will feature a swim, triathlon, duathlon and run on a single day, in a bid to create the UK’s biggest women-only event.
Advertisement
>>> Check out our gallery of last year’s Shock Absorber Women Only Triathlon
The swim will take place in the calm and clean waters of the lake made famous during the London 2012 Olympics. A range of distances are available between 750m and 5k to encourage ladies of all abilities to get involved.
Those who prefer to stick to dry land will be able to choose from a flat and fast paced 5k Run, or can take on the new Duathlon option that includes a testing 21k cycle in-between two run sections (5k and 2.5k).
The highlight of the day is likely to be the Shock Absorber Women Only Triathlon, which will test participants swimming, cycling and running skills. A variety of difficulties are available from Novice (200m swim, 5.3k bike, 2.5k run) through to Challenge (800m swim, 31.8km bike, 7.5km run). A ‘Mates Wave’ will be included in the Sprint Triathlon distance for those who prefer to take part with friends rather than their age group.
Participants are encouraged to raise money for Breast Cancer Care, the only UK-wide charity providing specialist support and tailored information for anyone affected by breast cancer. Breast Cancer Care will be there to support those fundraising with their training and cheer them on the big day. There is no minimum sponsorship target but every pound raised will really make a difference to the lives of those affected by breast cancer.
There will also be a special Women Only Triathlon Training Day on 24th May to help first timers. For more info and to book your place head to www.humanrace.co.uk/womenonly.
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Will you be entering the Shock Absorber Women Only Challenge? Tell us in the comments!
London Duathlon are offering entrants from last year’s race the chance to gain entry to the 2016 event for free by beating their 2014 personal best this September.
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>>> Read our recent feature on the current state of duathlon in the UK
The event is due to take place in Richmond Park on 20 September and will be available in a range of distances. There will be a half duathlon (5km run, 22km bike, 5km run), a standard duathlon (10km run, 44km bike, 5km run) and an ultra duathlon (20km run, 77km bike, 10km run).
Speaking of the initiative, CEO of Limelight Sports, Craig Dews said: “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to encourage mass participation sport. We’re excited to be able to reward individual effort and achievement, recognising the blood, sweat and tears that go into training for a race.”
Competitors new to the event are being encouraged to set a marker for them to beat the following year which will in turn give them free entry to the next race.
For more information or to enter the event head to www.londonduathlon.com.
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Will you be entering the London Duathlon? Let us know in the comments below!
London Duathlon are offering entrants from last year’s race the chance to gain entry to the 2016 event for free by beating their 2014 personal best this September.
Advertisement
>>> Read our recent feature on the current state of duathlon in the UK
The event is due to take place in Richmond Park on 20 September and will be available in a range of distances. There will be a half duathlon (5km run, 22km bike, 5km run), a standard duathlon (10km run, 44km bike, 5km run) and an ultra duathlon (20km run, 77km bike, 10km run).
Speaking of the initiative, CEO of Limelight Sports, Craig Dews said: “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to encourage mass participation sport. We’re excited to be able to reward individual effort and achievement, recognising the blood, sweat and tears that go into training for a race.”
Competitors new to the event are being encouraged to set a marker for them to beat the following year which will in turn give them free entry to the next race.
Again no Alistair, but Britain’s Jonny Brownlee will resume his long-running rivalry with Javier Gomez (ESP) at this weekend’s WTS Gold Coast, while in the women’s race Gwen Jorgensen (USA) will shoot for her eleventh victory.
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Jonny comes into the race as current series leader thanks to his Auckland win with 1386 points, followed by Gomez on 1282 points and his Spanish compatriot Fernando Alarza on 1134 points.
Abu Dhabi winner Mario Mola stands fourth in the title chase with 1069 points, but has previous form on the Gold Coast, having beaten Jonny there over a sprint course for the Junior World Championship title.
>>> Jonny Brownlee takes outstanding win at WTS Auckland
The only British male athlete racing this Saturday is Phillip Graves, who posted a DNF in Auckland last month. The start list also include top athletes such as South Africa’s Richard Murray, Portugal’s João Silva and top Slovakian swimmer Richard Varga. Full start list.
The race will involve a fairly flat, technical course run over the Olympic distance (1500 swim / 40km bike / 10km run), and involve eight laps in total of the 5km route. The men’s race gets underway at 2pm local time (5am UK time).
UK viewers can watch live on the BBC’s Red Button service, or on triathlonlive.tv (£).
Women’s race
The USA’s all-conquering Gwen Jorgensen will be headlining the women’s race, leading a large USA contingent of nine female athletes. It’s now nearly a year since Jorgensen was beaten in a World Triathlon Series race – when Britain’s own Jodie Stimpson won a thrilling WTS Cape Town, finishing just ahead of teammate Helen Jenkins.
Jorgensen sits top of the series table with the maximum 1600 points, followed by Auckland’s silver-medal winner Katie Zaferes on 1480 points and New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt on 1271 points.
Given the recent debate over Zafere’s alleged drafting on the run at Auckland, and Hewitt’s unfortunate 15sec penalty for littering, the battle for silver should definitely be interesting to watch.
British athletes racing this weekend include super swimmer Lucy Hall, often to be spotted leading the bike peloton, and WTS newcomer Jessica Learmonth. Top international athletes racing include Sarah True (née Groff), winner of WTS Stockholm last year, Flora Duffy (BER) and London 2012 bronze medallist Erin Densham (AUS). Full start list.
The women’s race will get underway at 11am local time (2am UK time). It will be dedicated to Aussie triathlete and coach Jackie Fairweather, who passed away last November. While Jorgensen is currently ranked first on the series table, the No. 1 spot will be left open as a tribute to Fairweather, and the golden bike rack will also be left open in transition to remember her.
UK viewers can watch live on the BBC’s Red Button service, or on triathlonlive.tv (£).
For updates and race coverage follow us on Twitter (@220Triathlon) and keep an eye on the website for full race reports and photo galleries.
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Who do you think will win in Australia this Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
Again no Alistair, but Britain’s Jonny Brownlee will resume his long-running rivalry with Javier Gomez (ESP) at this weekend’s WTS Gold Coast, while in the women’s race Gwen Jorgensen (USA) will shoot for her eleventh victory.
Advertisement
Jonny comes into the race as current series leader thanks to his Auckland win with 1386 points, followed by Gomez on 1282 points and his Spanish compatriot Fernando Alarza on 1134 points.
Abu Dhabi winner Mario Mola stands fourth in the title chase with 1069 points, but has previous form on the Gold Coast, having beaten Jonny there over a sprint course for the Junior World Championship title.
>>> Jonny Brownlee takes outstanding win at WTS Auckland
The only British male athlete racing this Saturday is Phillip Graves, who posted a DNF in Auckland last month. The start list also include top athletes such as South Africa’s Richard Murray, Portugal’s João Silva and top Slovakian swimmer Richard Varga. Full start list.
The race will involve a fairly flat, technical course run over the Olympic distance (1500 swim / 40km bike / 10km run), and involve eight laps in total of the 5km route. The men’s race gets underway at 2pm local time (5am UK time).
UK viewers can watch live on the BBC’s Red Button service, or on triathlonlive.tv (£).
Women’s race
The USA’s all-conquering Gwen Jorgensen will be headlining the women’s race, leading a large USA contingent of nine female athletes. It’s now nearly a year since Jorgensen was beaten in a World Triathlon Series race – when Britain’s own Jodie Stimpson won a thrilling WTS Cape Town, finishing just ahead of teammate Helen Jenkins.
Jorgensen sits top of the series table with the maximum 1600 points, followed by Auckland’s silver-medal winner Katie Zaferes on 1480 points and New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt on 1271 points.
Given the recent debate over Zafere’s alleged drafting on the run at Auckland, and Hewitt’s unfortunate 15sec penalty for littering, the battle for silver should definitely be interesting to watch.
British athletes racing this weekend include super swimmer Lucy Hall, often to be spotted leading the bike peloton, and WTS newcomer Jessica Learmonth. Top international athletes racing include Sarah True (née Groff), winner of WTS Stockholm last year, Flora Duffy (BER) and London 2012 bronze medallist Erin Densham (AUS). Full start list.
The women’s race will get underway at 11am local time (2am UK time). It will be dedicated to Aussie triathlete and coach Jackie Fairweather, who passed away last November. While Jorgensen is currently ranked first on the series table, the No. 1 spot will be left open as a tribute to Fairweather, and the golden bike rack will also be left open in transition to remember her.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned long-distance triathlete, Will of Iron should be your next challenge.
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A triathlon like no other
The only event of its kind, Will of Iron challenges you to complete an Ironman distance triathlon in one week, on your own or as part of a team.
Join hundreds of people across the UK for Will of Iron week: 2nd – 8th May
Swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. Take part at the gym or outdoors and complete the distance over seven consecutive days.
The choice is yours
You can do the full (or half) distance by yourself or as part of a team. Your teammates can divide the miles by discipline or by distance.
Will of Iron can form part of your training for something bigger or be a stepping stone to your first triathlon.It’s up to you.
Sign up today and prove your Will of Iron.
No matter what you choose, you’ll be doing something amazing by raising funds to help Willow create Special Days for seriously ill young adults. There are over 100,000 people in the UK right now whose lives could be touched by a Special Day, creating lasting memories that will be treasured forever.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned long-distance triathlete, Will of Iron should be your next challenge.
Advertisement
A triathlon like no other
The only event of its kind, Will of Iron challenges you to complete an Ironman distance triathlon in one week, on your own or as part of a team.
Join hundreds of people across the UK for Will of Iron week: 2nd – 8th May
Swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. Take part at the gym or outdoors and complete the distance over seven consecutive days.
The choice is yours
You can do the full (or half) distance by yourself or as part of a team. Your teammates can divide the miles by discipline or by distance.
Will of Iron can form part of your training for something bigger or be a stepping stone to your first triathlon.It’s up to you.
Sign up today and prove your Will of Iron.
No matter what you choose, you’ll be doing something amazing by raising funds to help Willow create Special Days for seriously ill young adults. There are over 100,000 people in the UK right now whose lives could be touched by a Special Day, creating lasting memories that will be treasured forever.