Ironman: Kessler highlights international field

Meredith Kessler is already a four-time winner of Ironman New Zealand in Taupo. Photo / Getty

There's a real international feel to the first Ironman 70.3 in Taupo next month.

American Meredith Kessler, already a four-time winner of Ironman New Zealand, will be hoping to make it a Taupo double at the Ironman 70.3 Taupo on December 12.

The San Franciscan will head a strong field including Ironman 70.3 Taiwan winner Gina Crawford and fellow Kiwi Michelle Bremer, the Ironman Australia champion. In-form Australian Sarah Crowley, British athlete Laura Siddell and American-based Kiwi Anna Cleaver will round out the contenders.

With so many established Ironman veterans in the field it will be up to Amelia Rose Watkinson to fly the flag for the up and comers. The Kiwi was third in Ironman 70.3 Auckland at the start of the year and fifth in Malaysia.

The rest of the field is full of experienced athletes, including New Zealanders Melanie Burke, Anna Russell and Anna Lawrence, while former Ironman New Zealand winner Sam Warriner is also a starter.

The men's race is set to be a battle between transtasman rivals Tim van Berkel and Terenzo Bozzone.

Van Berkel, who was fourth at Ironman New Zealand last year, has enjoyed another outstanding 2015 season. He won Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast and was runner-up in a sprint finish with Tim Reed at Cebu in the Philippines. He was also runner-up at Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship in Melbourne.

Bozzone started the year strongly as runner-up in Taupo and has enjoyed six Ironman 70.3 podiums including a win in Budapest. After the disappointment at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Bozzone is working his way back into form, most recently notching up a third place in Mandurah.

There will be considerable interest in the appearance of Wanaka's Dougal Allan, who won plaudits in the multisport scene in New Zealand before turning his attention to Ironman with an outstanding runner-up effort in Sweden on debut. Allan will be joined by fellow multisport star Braden Currie, a two-time Coast to Coast champion and runner up in this month's Xterra Worlds, who has his sights on potential qualification for triathlon at the Rio Olympics.

The race, which offers 75 spots for next year's Ironman 70.3 World Championship at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, has attracted more than 1200 participants from 34 countries.