Jo Lawn won her first Taupo half ironman. Photo / APN
Jo Lawn competed in Taupo for the final time at yesterday's half ironman and, appropriately, bowed out on a winning note.
An emotional Lawn led the entire race before crossing the finish line in 4h 36m 39s, nine minutes clear of second-placed Melanie Burke.
It was Lawn's first Taupo half
ironman but, considering the race was set in the scene of her seven Ironman New Zealand titles, she was determined to say farewell in style.
"I wanted to come down to Taupo one last time to thank everyone for the past 13 years," she said. "I wanted to finish my time here in Taupo with this race.
"The swim was quite rough, but being choppy suits me. The run was a nice surprise, doing only a half compared to the full ironman, and the crowds were great, so many cheering for me."
