Ironman New Zealand champion Jo Lawn has won the women's Quelle Challenge ultra distance triathlon in Roth, Germany today (NZT).
It marked a strong day for New Zealanders with fellow Aucklander Kieran Doe finishing third in the men's event of the Ironman-distance race.
Lawn, the four-time Ironman New Zealand winner,
dominated on the final 42km marathon run to win by nine minutes from defending champion Belinda Granger from Australia with a further eight minutes back to American Karen Holloway.
Doe pushed through to the lead with a strong effort on the 180km bike with current Ironman world champion Faris al Sultan.
Defending champion Chris McCormack, who punctured in the bike, ran down the pair on the 42km marathon to win for his third time in eight hours 52 seconds with Al Sultan 2min 30sec behind in second and the 24-year-old Doe an impressive third 10 minutes behind the winner.
Lawn finished to a huge reception from the 4000-strong crowd in the finish stadium, jogging down the finish chute and waving to the crowd as the clock ticked just over the nine-hour mark. She won in 9hrs 01min 17sec.
Results (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42km run):
Women: JOANNA LAWN (NEW ZEALAND) 9:01.17 1, Belinda Granger (Australia) 9:10.27 2, Karen Holloway (USA) 9:18.00 3.
Men: Chris McCormack (Aus) 8:00.52 1, Faris al Sultan (Ger) 8:03.29 2, KIERAN DOE (NEW ZEALAND) 8:11.07 3.
- NZPA
