Bracht and Wellington Break Records at Ford Ironman Arizona

Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010 (Tempe, Ariz.) – Germany’s Timo Bracht and Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington celebrated wins at today’s Ford Ironman Arizona. Bracht, a multiple-Ironman champion, crossed the finish line nearly four minutes ahead of second-place finisher, Rasmus Henning (DNK). His winning time of 8:07:16 bested the previous overall record of 8:13:35, which was set in 2009 by defending champion, Jordan Rapp (USA). Wellington, a three-time Ironman World Champion, finished eighth overall and set a new world record at an official Ironman race. Wellington crossed the line in 8:36:13, nearly 30 minutes ahead of second-place finisher, Linsey Corbin (USA).
 
John Dahlz (USA) was first out of the water ahead of top contenders including Henning, Matt Reed (USA) and Rapp. Midway through the bike, Rapp took the lead with Chris Lieto (USA), Henning and Bracht in the chase pack. Bracht began to make his move at mile 90 of the bike and entered T2 four seconds ahead of Rapp. He remained in front throughout the marathon and crossed the line in first. Henning and first-time Ironman Tom Lowe (GBR), battled for second and third place and set the two fastest run splits of the day. Last year’s winner, Rapp, finished fourth.  

Top five professional men’s results are below:

1. Timo Bracht, DEU, 8:07:16
2. Rasmus Henning, DNK, 8:10:58
3. Tom Lowe, GBR, 8:11:44
4. Jordan Rapp, USA, 8:16:45
5. Jozsef Major, HUN, 8:26:15

Leanda Cave (GBR) exited the water first, followed by Rachel Joyce (GBR), Meredith Kessler (USA) and Wellington. Cave lead for the start of the bike, but Wellington pulled ahead at approximately mile 32 and dominated for the remainder of the day. Wellington posted a 4:47:06 bike and a blistering 2:52:56 run for an overall time of 8:36:13, the fastest women’s time in Ford Ironman Arizona history. Corbin and Cave rounded out the podium, finishing in second and third, respectively.

Top five professional women’s results are below:

1. Chrissie Wellington, GBR, 8:36:13
2. Linsey Corbin, USA, 9:05:33
3. Leanda Cave, GBR, 9:13:50
4. Meredith Kessler, USA, 9:15:01
5. Heather Wurtele, CAN, 9:19:10

Today’s event saw more than 2,300 starters ranging in age from 18 to 80 years old, including 400-plus Arizona residents. The race offered a total professional prize purse of $75,000 and 65 age-group slots to the 2011 Ford Ironman World Championship, taking place on Oct. 8 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

One of more than 25 events in the Ironman global series, Ford Ironman Arizona leads athletes along a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run on a course that utilizes a variety of Tempe’s scenic areas. Athletes complete a single-loop swim in Tempe Town Lake, followed by a challenging bike course through the Sonoran Dessert and a run around Tempe Town Lake and Papago Park. The official cut off is at midnight.
 
For more information on Ford Ironman Arizona and race results, visit www.ironmanarizona.com