Beaten only by a record time last year, Auckland triathlete Cameron Brown hopes to go one better in today's New Zealand Ironman in Taupo.
The 28-year-old has been runnerup in consecutive years, debuting behind American Tim DeBoom in 1999 and finishing behind German Thomas Hellreigel's record-breaking effort last year.
His time of 8h 26m 45s would have won him the title any other year in the past 13, and remains the second-fastest for the 3.8km swim, 180km bike, and full marathon-length 42km run.
But Hellreigel's course record for the bike leg last year confirmed Brown's need to build his strength in that area.
"Thomas Hellreigel showed me in Taupo that you have to be strong enough to bike with the top guys and then run what you need to," Brown said.
"You can dictate your own race then, instead of always chasing others. I want Taupo to be the first ironman where I come off the bike with the leaders.
"I'd definitely like to win it. I've been second for two years now, so I think I've paid my dues."
Brown is seeded first for the event, which has attracted record entries this year. There will be more than 900 competitors, up from last year's 749-strong starters.
Denmark's world long-distance triathlon champion, Peter Sandvang, winner of the ironman in 1998, is seeded second and Australian Chris Legh third.
German Stefan Holzner, the last man to win consecutive Ironman New Zealand titles, in 1995-6, is seeded fourth.
New Zealanders Bryan Rhodes (recent winner of Ironman Malaysia), Scott Ballance, Stephen Farrell, James Bonney and Tony O'Hagen are all seeded inside the top 10.
Ballance, from Christchurch, is the last New Zealander to win the home title. His victory came in the 1994 event when it was staged in Auckland.
His wife, Karyn, hopes to complete the first husband and wife winners since Kiwi legend Erin Baker and her America husband Scott Molina.
Karyn Ballance is seeded second behind defending women's champion, Canadian Lisa Bentley. Taupo athlete Tara-Lee Marshall is seeded third.
The 31-year-old Marshall shot to prominence in the sport last year when she won ironman races in Switzerland and Florida, and is expected to be the major challenger to the defending women's champion, Lisa Bentley of Canada.
Marshall finished 10th in her first Ironman New Zealand in 1999, a notable performance given that she took up the sport only in 1995, and is relishing the chance to compete in front of friends and family.
"It's going to be an advantage to me, but I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself here," Marshall said. "I've just got to go out and do exactly what I do at any other race. It will be awesome being here, because locally I'm well known, probably a little bit more now."
To win, she believes she has to head Bentley off on the bike and establish a lead in the run early on.
Marshall broke through for her maiden win last year in Ironman Switzerland and later in the season won the Ironman Florida.
The $US50,000 ($117,730) prizemoney is divided equally between men and women. Winners receive $US8500. The event starts at 7 am today.
- NZPA
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