Cameron Brownmakes it 12 wins at IronmanNew Zealand in Taupo. PHOTO/DELLY CARR
Cameron Brownmakes it 12 wins at IronmanNew Zealand in Taupo. PHOTO/DELLY CARR
Auckland's Cameron Brown has smashed the course record at Ironman New Zealand in Taupo, on his way to winning his 12th title at the gruelling event.
Brown finished the race - which includes a 3.8km swim, 180km bike, and 42km run - in a time of 8 hours 7 minutes58 seconds today. That was about eight minutes faster than the old record set in 2013 by Bevan Docherty.
The 43-year-old also broke his own record for being the oldest athlete to win an Ironman event anywhere in the world.
"My first NZ Ironman I won was really cool because that was a dream come true after watching the race as a kid, but to win my 12th a couple of months shy of 44, it would definitely be my best with the race record. It is nice to take it away from Bevan."
Great Britain's Joe Skipper finished second in 8:9:37 while Callum Millward (Hawke's Bay) finished third in 8:10:57. All three athletes finished under the old course record.
Meanwhile, American Meredith Kessler has claimed her fifth straight title in the women's race, breaking her own course record she set last year. She finished in 8:56:08, breaking her old record by over eight minutes.
It could have been an even faster race for Kessler, who took a wrong turn late on in the bike leg, costing her a couple of minutes.
"I'm absolutely pumped. You know, I felt responsible to the city of Taupo to deliver on that, they have just been so welcoming to my husband and I."
She said she was looking for the course record and was rapt to get it.
Kessler said when it gets tough out on the course she tries to think of people who would love to be in her position and it drives her forward.
"I just think about people who can't. And people who want to do what we are doing and maybe they are injured or disabled and not able to, and that motivates me."
Second place went to Lucy Gossage (Great Britain) in a time of 9:05:08 while Australian Carrie Lester finished in 9:07:19.
