RunTri.com Racing Coverage || Exclusive Live Coverage Saturday, October 11 || ironman.com
For everything else, visit our Exclusive Ironman Kona Coverage.
Results: Ironman Triathlon World Championship 2008 Official Results
Race Report: Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington Claim Ford Ironman World Championship Victory
7:00pm/12:00 Race Clock Notable Finishers and DNFs
Consistent top-10 Kona finisher Kathy Winkler continues her streak with a 7th F40-44 place 10:43 finish. A school teacher who does not obsess about her training, has maintained an incredible string of top AG finishes in every race.
Joe Foster, whose advice helped me earn my four Kona qualifying times, had the sixth best M45-49 bike split, starting the run in 10th place. The island is sometimes not friendly to those with asthma, a problem that Joe and I share. His run suffered, and he still finished with a solid 10:25:13.
Founder of Fuel Belt and owner of www.xtri.com, Vinu Malik and I have shared some epic moments in Kona, especially coming out of the Energy Lab. Vinu has delivered another strong performance, a 10:32:47 finish.
Beyond remarkable is Kenishi Matoba's 9:46 finish time. He's 63.
Several surprises in the group of pros who started the race and did not finish, including former World Championship winners: Luc Van Lierde, Thomas Hellreigel, Francois Chabaud, Natasha Badmann, Nina Kraft, and Nicole Leder.
5:00pm/10-hours race clock
Wendy Mader is top Age Division winner at 9:53. Rebecah Keat, demonstrating heroic sportsmanship when she stopped to help Wellington fix her flat on the bike course, finishes 19th overall in 9:56. Keat is a true champion.
4:00pm: Clemens Coenen is top Age Division winner in 8:52:36
Sam Hume 2nd in 8:57:56
3:55 PM: Chrissie Wellington Wins the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship in 9:06:23
With a 2:57:45 marathon, she also sets a new women's marathon record, topping Lori Bowden's long-standing record of 2:59:16.
3:46pm Women's Race Update
Defending champion Chrissie Wellington has blasted her way through the furnace that is the Energy Lab. With about 5 miles to go, she's extended her lead to more than 13 minutes over Yvonne Van Vlerken.
Yvonne Van Vlerken set an Ironman-distance record female time with an 8:45:48 in the 2008 Quelle Challenge Roth (formerly known as Ironman Europe). She also took 1st place at the 2008 Ironman 70.3 Austria.
Behind Van Vlerken is Sandra Wallenhorst, who set the women's Ironman-brand record in Austria.
3:21pm: Women's Race update
Chrissie Wellington has what seems to be an insurmountable lead heading into the Energy Lab. She is ahead by 12 minutes, but the Energy Lab has destroyed many a race leader. Stay tuned.
3:05 PM: Craig Alexander Wins the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship
11:26AM
It's getting tough out there. Chrissie Wellington, who had a huge lead in the women's race, had a flat tire, losing 10 minutes at the side of the road. She's been hammering, and she has returned to join the lead women; Belinda Granger, followed by Leandra Cave, Dede Griesbauer. An amazing 10-minute comeback.
Torbjorn Sindballe has opened up a 2-minute lead at 90 miles over Chris Lieto. They are followed by Eneko Vitoria Llanos Burgera, Faris Al-Sultan and Norman Stadler, 4 minutes behind the leader.
The winds are fierce this year, and it's getting hotter and hotter: 81 degrees, winds ENE, humidity 66%.
10:04 AM
Nearing the turnaround 56 mile point in Hawi, lead male pro riders are Chris Lieto and Torbjorn Sindballe with former Ironman champion Faris Al-Sultan chasing.
Chrissie Wellington has a more than 4 minute lead, with Dede Griesbauer, Belinda Granger and Leandra Cave giving chase.
8:08AM Noa Sakomote (M18-24) and John Flanagan (M30-34) have turned in the fastest swims of the day, in 47:01 and 47:02, respectively.
7:48 AM Top Pro Swimmers
The first three pros out of the water are Andy Potts, Benjamin Sampson and Pete Jacobs, with 50 minute swims. Next athletes, including former and course record holder (8:04) Ironman champion Luc van Lierde are three minutes behind as they head into transition.
Hilary Biscay led six women pros out of the water in 54 minutes. Gina Ferguson finished with Hilary at 54:35 and Gina Kehr, Nina Kraft (back from a doping DQ in 2003), Leandra Cave and Dede Griesbauer a few seconds back. The next female group, including Belinda Granger, finished two minutes later.
7:00 AM
The pros started at 6:45 am, the rest of the athletes have just begun the race of their lives.
Among the lead female swimmers is Gina Kehr, coached by Michael McCormack. McCormack has coached Team RunTri athletes on their way to Kona. A former pro racer, with wins at Ironman Canada, McCormack is racing today as an age group athlete. To learn more, visit Mike's site www.triathloncoach.com
6:45 AM
Looks like a nice start for a long day with rain in the forecast. As the athletes are entering the water, conditions are partly sunny, 76 degrees and light winds. The outlook for the day includes a good chance of rain in the first hours of the bike leg.
We will be following the pros and Team RunTri age group athletes Kathy Winkler, Joe Foster, Vinu Malik and others throughout the day. We will also be posting ongoing results throughout the day. For more visit the official race website.
5:00AM
2093 athletes qualified to participate in the 30th anniversary Ironman Triatlon World Championship. More than 1800 athletes are racing in Kona this year. Follow their progress throughout the day, here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to RunTri.com Home Page, or RunTri.com Site Map.
