First time Ironman competitor Patrick Lange (DEU) kept a consistent pace in the Texas humidity while fellow German Julia Gajer made her way to first place on the run, as both claimed victory at the 2016 Memorial Herman Ironman North American Championship Texas triathlon.
Lange finished with a time of 7:13:13 as Gajer ran to an 8:11:01 finish – both receiving automatic bids to this year’s Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i.
Men’s Race
The men’s race started with Clemente Alonso-McKernan (ESP) first out of the water clocking a time of 48:43, followed by Barrett Brandon (USA), Harry Wiltshire (GBR), Jeremy Jurkiewicz (FRA), and Andrew Starykowicz (USA) all within nine seconds.
Starykowicz who started at tenth onto the bike, displayed his strength and speed, eventually building a comfortable 14:23 lead heading onto the run. Jordan Rapp (USA) came off the bike in second with a total grouping of 14 men, including Eneko Llanos (ESP), Kirill Kotsegarov (EST), Chris McDonald (USA), Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) and Matt Russell (USA), finishing within one-minute of each other.
 Patrick Lange(Photo: Donald Miralle / Ironman; click to enlarge) |
On the run, Starykowicz continued to have a strong lead early until he re-aggravated a pinched nerve near mile-marker seven, causing him to give up his lead to Patrick Lange (DEU). Starykowicz would pull himself from the race as Lange proceeded to dominate the run with a 2:40:01 marathon time, crossing the finish in 7:13:13 and claiming the title in his first ever Ironman triathlon attempt. Lange joins the likes of Tim Don, Brett McMahon and Jesse Thomas as athletes who finished in first place during their Ironman debut.
"Never, ever did I think I'd win. I can't believe it, I was hoping for top ten," Lange exclaimed after the race.
American Matt Russell finished in second place with a time of 7:21:56 while Bozzone rounded out the podium in third with a time of 7:25:55.
Top five professional men’s results:
| Swim | Bike | Run | Finish | |||||
| 1. Patrick Lange (DEU) | 48:57 | 3:39:28 | 2:40:01 | 7:13:13 | ||||
| 2. Matt Russell (USA) | 56:41 | 3:31:47 | 2:48:14 | 7:21:56 | ||||
| 3. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) | 48:59 | 3:39:27 | 2:52:53 | 7:25:55 | ||||
| 4. Jeremy Jurkiewicz (FRA) | 48:51 | 3:39:55 | 2:55:07 | 7:28:30 | ||||
| 5. Clemente Alonso-McKernan (ESP) | 48:43 | 3:44:42 | 2:51:53 | 7:30:59 |
[Callum Millward placed 10th in 7:36:23.]
Women’s Race
Lauren Brandon (USA) led the women’s race out of the swim in Lake Woodland and maintained her lead all the way through the bike course. Brandon clocked the fastest swim of the day for both women and men with a time of 48:32, also proving to be the fastest time of any female ever at this event. Alicia Kaye (USA) finished the swim in second, just 3:53 behind, with Rebekah Keat (AUS) and Darbi Roberts (USA) trailing closely behind.
Julia Gajer (DEU) had the second-fastest bike of the day with a time of 4:01:44. Gajer led a small pack including Jocelyn McCauley (USA), Keat and Kaye roughly three-minutes behind. Gajer kept Brandon in her sights, eventually closing the gap and taking the lead around the five-mile marker.
Gajer maintained the lead to win the Memorial Hermann Ironman North American Championship, Texas triathlon with a finish time of 8:11:01.
 Julia Gajer(Photo: Donald Miralle / Ironman; click to enlarge) |
"I don't have any words. The crowd kept pushing me forward. I couldn't have done it without them. I left it all out there," said Gajer after crossing the finish line.
Jodie Robertson and Lisa Roberts, both representing the USA followed behind Gajer in second and third place with finishing times of 8:16:30 and 8:17:58, respectively.
Top five professional women’s results:
| Swim | Bike | Run | Finish | |||||
| 1. Julia Gajer (DEU) | 54:51 | 4:01:44 | 3:08:49 | 8:11:01 | ||||
| 2. Jodie Robertson (USA) | 1:07:21 | 4:01:55 | 2:59:26 | 8:16:30 | ||||
| 3. Lisa Roberts (USA) | 1:06:52 | 4:06:18 | 2:59:03 | 8:17:58 | ||||
| 4. Kelly Williamson (USA) | 54:49 | 4:17:11 | 3:04:33 | 8:22:06 | ||||
| 5. Alicia Kaye (USA) | 55:24 | 4:07:15 | 3:23:31 | 8:29:29 |
One of more than 40 events in the global Ironman Series, the Memorial Hermann Ironman North American Championship Texas triathlon led athletes along a 2.4-mile swim, 94-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout The Woodlands and its surrounding areas. The swim took place in Lake Woodlands, while the one-loop bike course taking participants through Montgomery and Harris Counties. Athletes then enjoyed a triple-loop run entirely within The Woodlands that concluded with a spectacular finish on Waterway Ave. The event offered a total professional prize purse of $150,000 and 75 coveted age-group qualifying slots to the 2016 Ironman World Championship, taking place on October 8 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i.
