Today, in the first-ever Ironman 70.3 World Championship in the Southern Hemisphere, Tim Reed (AUS) and Holly Lawrence (GBR) claimed victory with times of 3:44:14 and 4:09:12, respectively.
Reed edged two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion Sebastian Kienle (DEU) by two-seconds, capping a perfect Down Under Father’s Day on home soil while Lawrence took home the championship title, proving she isn’t just a short-course threat. Over 2,700 other athletes from more than 80 countries also competed in this globally renowned event.
Mens Race
Coming out of the 1.9 km swim, Brisbane’s Josh Amberger had a 43 second advantage over a chase pack that consisted of 26 other professionals all within a minute of each other. Onto the 90km bike, the men’s field held a steady and tight pace with Tim Reed and former pro cyclist Tyler Butterfield (BMU) quickly positioning themselves along with German super riders Sebastian Kienle and Andreas Dreitz. Butterfield held the advantage out of T2 by the slimmest of margins as 14 other riders exited transition within the next 37 seconds.
The 21 km run had a similar feel in competitiveness, but by the halfway mark it would become a two-person race as Reed and Kienle battled the remainder of the way for the win, with Kienle surging to a 30 meter lead heading back from Maroochydore. Reed, however, dug deep to close the gap before making his final push on the downhill run towards the finish, taking the win at 3:44:13, with Kienle just two seconds behind.
After the titanic battle, Reed was welcomed at the finish line by his wife and two children and with the support of his home community. The popular Aussie capped off a remarkable year that also included wins at the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship Cebu and an emotional victory at Ironman Australia.
“Full credit to Seb. He broke me about four times, but with this amazing crowd I was able to fight back. I owe it to them,” Reed said. “I cannot believe it. This is something I have only ever dreamed about.”
 Tim Reed(Photo: Matt Roberts / Getty Images / Ironman; click to enlarge) |
Former Olympian Ruedi Wild (CHE) pushed hard on the run to finish third ahead of the 2009 Ironman 70.3 World Champion Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) and this year’s Ironman 70.3 Buenos Aires winner Sam Appleton (AUS).
The host country saw four of their own finish in the Top-10, including multi- Ironman and Ironman 70.3 World Champion Craig Alexander.
Mens Results
| Swim | Bike | Run | Finish | |||||
| 1. Tim Reed (AUS) | 22:53 | 2:06:12 | 1:11:03 | 3:44:14 | ||||
| 2. Sebastian Kienle (DEU) | 24:14 | 2:04:45 | 1:11:18 | 3:44:15 | ||||
| 3. Ruedi Wild (CHE) | 22:47 | 2:06:28 | 1:11:07 | 3:44:40 | ||||
| 4. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) | 22:44 | 2:06:20 | 1:12:44 | 3:45:52 | ||||
| 5. Sam Appleton (AUS) | 22:40 | 2:06:23 | 1:12:51 | 3:46:02 | ||||
| 6. Nicholas Kastelein (AUS) | 22:43 | 2:06:41 | 1:12:46 | 3:46:21 | ||||
| 7. Tim Don (GBR) | 22:51 | 2:06:37 | 1:12:57 | 3:46:32 | ||||
| 8. Maurice Clavel (DEU) | 22:53 | 2:06:18 | 1:13:39 | 3:46:47 | ||||
| 9. Lionel Sanders (CAN) | 25:41 | 2:06:42 | 1:10:34 | 3:47:14 | ||||
| 10. Craig Alexander (AUS) | 22:49 | 2:06:39 | 1:14:03 | 3:47:28 |
Womens Race
Lauren Brandon (USA) led the women out of the water onto Mooloolaba Beach, with Holly Lawrence hot on her heels just 30 seconds back, followed by Annabel Luxford (AUS), Leanda Cave (GBR), Daniela Ryf (CHE), and Caroline Steffen (CHE) a minute behind. Out onto 90km bike, Brandon managed to hold her lead early before Lawrence overtook her on the first climb. By the halfway point, a chase pack including Steffen, Cave, and Alicia Kaye (USA) allowed Lawrence to build her lead by three minutes. Meanwhile, Heather Wurtele (CAN) fought her way back into the mix, exiting the bike in third.
Two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion and local favorite Mel Hauschildt (AUS) made a significant push on the 21 km run, however Lawrence's 1:21 run was enough to hold off the charge. Lawrence claimed the title as Hauschildt used her 1:18 run to earn second, ahead of Wurtele. Defending Ironman 70.3 World Champion Daniela Ryf fought hard for fourth, while the Sunshine Coast-based Steffen earned an impressive fifth-place finish.
“Going out hard and leading is always my tactic; I get out of the swim in that position, so I just put the hammer down and see how I go,” said Lawrence. “Mentally it’s nice on the bike as the time splits are getting bigger, but on the run I just try and stay calm. I didn’t think about winning until I was in the finishing chute.”
"Racing at home was amazing,” Hauschildt said. “The crowd was fantastic, and they were all cheering my name."
 Holly Lawrence(Photo: Chris Hyde / Getty Images / Ironman; click to enlarge) |
Womens Results
| Swim | Bike | Run | Finish | |||||
| 1. Holly Lawrence (GBR) | 23:24 | 2:19:28 | 1:21:48 | 4:09:12 | ||||
| 2. Melissa Hauschildt (AUS) | 26:46 | 2:21:06 | 1:18:43 | 4:11:09 | ||||
| 3. Heather Wurtele (CAN) | 25:05 | 2:22:26 | 1:21:38 | 4:13:36 | ||||
| 4. Daniela Ryf (CHE) | 24:12 | 2:23:47 | 1:21:19 | 4:14:09 | ||||
| 5. Caroline Steffen (CHE) | 24:13 | 2:23:09 | 1:25:10 | 4:17:16 | ||||
| 6. Annabel Luxford (AUS) | 24:11 | 2:23:44 | 1:24:58 | 4:17:26 | ||||
| 7. Laura Philipp (DEU) | 27:16 | 2:24:46 | 1:21:00 | 4:17:40 | ||||
| 8. Alicia Kaye (USA) | 24:17 | 2:23:31 | 1:25:35 | 4:17:53 | ||||
| 9. Radka Vodickova (CZE) | 24:10 | 2:26:51 | 1:22:37 | 4:18:17 | ||||
| 10. Magali Tisseyre (CAN) | 24:16 | 2:23:49 | 1:25:36 | 4:18:19 |
The impressive field of athletes tackled a 1.9 km ocean swim off of Mooloolaba Beach, followed by a 90 km bicycle ride through the Sunshine Motorway and into the hinterland, capped with a 21 km run on the Mooloolaba Esplanade along striking shores and a spectator-lined course that finished in the heart of Mooloolaba. In order to qualify for the 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, more than 130,000 age-group athletes competed to earn slots at over 85 Ironman 70.3 events held worldwide.
