Records tumble as champions crowned at Ironman Cairns
One of the biggest events on the Far North’s sporting calendar has been capped with the crowning of two Ironman Cairns champions - and both broke records. FULL WRAP >>
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One of the biggest events on the Far North’s sporting calendar has been capped with the crowning of two Ironman Cairns champions - and both broke records.
New Zealander Braden Currie and Kylie Simpson enhanced their event legend with spectacular wins in Sunday’s epic.
It is the first event since IRONMAN Group confirmed a new five-year deal with the Queensland Government to secure the future of several huge multisport events, including Ironman Cairns.
While much of the attention is on the professional entrants, Ironman Cairns is a mecca for more than 2500 athletes of all ages and abilities as they aim for huge personal goals.
INSIDE SIMPSON’S SENSATIONAL COMEBACK
Newly-crowned, two-time Ironman Cairns champion Kylie Simpson produced two record-setting legs in her historic performance to win the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship on Sunday.
As she did two years ago on her way to claiming her first Ironman win, Simpson came from the clouds to overtake her rivals and romp to victory.
But the numbers behind her performance proved just how good she really was.
Simpson finished the swim 12-and-a-half minutes behind the lead duo of Radka Kahlefeldt and defending Ironman Cairns champion Sarah Crowley, giving up a massive advantage to the experienced campaigners.
But Simpson wasn’t fazed by the gap; instead, it appeared to give her an endless amount of energy.
And that’s when the records tumbled.
She produced a 4hr 40min 40sec cycle leg, completing the 180km ride eight minutes faster the previous record set by Crowley last year as she trimmed the gap to the defending champion to just 30 seconds.
Simpson found another gear on the run, blowing away the competition by completing the marathon in just 2:51.36, knocking two minutes off the record she set two years ago.
“I just got on the bike and just put my head down and got into a rhythm and just took as much time out of the girls as I could,” she said.
“I knew I was chipping into them, I didn’t know that I was on course for the record so that’s a little bonus.”
CURRIE, SIMPSON, CLAIM VICTORY
Records have tumbled at an epic Ironman Cairns, as New Zealander Braden Currie and Kylie Simpson enhanced their event legend with spectacular wins on Sunday.
Currie became the second man to win three Ironman Asia-Pacific Championships after completing the 225.8km epic in a record-setting time.
Currie dominated Ironman Cairns, finishing in 7:50:11 to join Max Neumann (2020-22) as a three-time winner of the event.
The 2023 champion said it was one of the toughest races he has been part of.
“This Cairns crowd have been absolutely incredible, you don’t realise how loud and supportive they are until you’re actually on the track,” Currie said.
“I was a bit surprised by how far out in front I got, I had plenty left in the tank after the ride.
“This is one of the best races but the toughest race, I didn’t know what time I was on or how long had past.
“I thought it would have been well over eight hours, I only looked up when I was coming into the finish line.”
It was Currie’s first Ironman Cairns win since he was a back-to-back winner in 2018 and 2019.
His wife and kids were waiting at the finish line, cheering him on along the final straight.
“It is so special, to have them here, not many people can be in my position and get an opportunity like this,” Currie said.
“I would like to thank them, they have been absolutely amazing, my whole family and friends.
“To Steve (McKenna) as well, what a run from him, he pushed me from the water to the bike and then to finish off, was awesome.”
Adelaide’s Steve McKenna came in second with a time of 8:01:00, 11 minutes behind Currie.
McKenna was neck and neck with Currie from the swim and ride before Currie ‘took off’ putting a gap between the two athletes.
Tim Van Berkel finished on the podium for an eighth time, just under four minutes behind McKenna.
“There were so many good competitors in this race, we have all put in so much training to get where we are today,” Currie said.
“My preparation wasn’t that great because I did have a bit of an injury but did not feel it too much early on.
“The last leg was my favourite, to run in front of this crowd, the support they give me and every runner.
“Even if they don’t know them, it is actually so amazing, we thank them, all of us athletes do.”
Ironman Cairns champion Kylie Simpson broke the women’s record by a massive seven minutes after a strong finish completing the run in under three hours to claim her second title in three years.
Repeating what she did in 2021, Simpson started slow in the swim but caught back up to the leaders on the ride, closing a huge 12 minute gap.
Taking the lead as she jumped off the bike, Simpson blew away her competition, extending her lead by more than 15 minutes.
“I love this place, it is arguably my favourite track, I did my first Ironman in Cairns and my first win was in Cairns as well,” Simpson said.
“Swimming isn’t my strongest thing to do but I just pushed myself on the bike and the run.
“Running in front of the crowd up along the esplanade and through here is what makes it all worth it in the end.
“Thank you so much Cairns, you are by far the best crowd and supporters ever, I will be back.”
Simpson finished with a new track record of 8:40:53 with fellow Australian’s Radka Kahlefeldt and Penny Slater pushing each other for second and third.
3:30PM: Braden Currie has become the second man to win three Ironman Cairns titles.
The Kiwi was in phenomenal form on Sunday, outlasting his rivals to win the Asia-Pacific Championship with a 10-minute margin to his nearest competitor.
2:31PM: New Zealander Braden Currie holds a four minute lead ahead of Australian Steven McKenna and fellow Kiwi Mike Philips as the athletes have passed the half way mark of the 42km run.
Currie blew off McKenna and Philips after jumping off the bike as only 0.04 of a second split the trio.
Kylie Simpson has run herself into a three minute lead after a brilliant ride, making up 12 minutes on the leaders.
The 2021 champion caught up to Sarah Crowley and Radka Kahlefeldt who had both been leading since getting out of the water.
Simpson has just passed the 14.8km marker.
MCDONNELL, MCGEOCH, CLAIM 70.3 CROWNS
When former Cairns High student Daniel McDonnell felt a niggle in the 90km bike ride, the memory of a great, late mate gave him the extra strength and focus he needed to reach the finish in the Ironman 70.3.
McDonnell dropped to his knees after crossing the finish at 4:01:56, breaking his previous Cairns Ironman 70.3 best time by six minutes.
And McDonnell said it was the memory of Ben O’Connor who proved the difference, pushing him to keep going when the pain kicked in.
O’Connor was a well-known member of the Cairns fighting community, who fought out of DF Gym until his death on New Year’s Day, 2023.
And moments after being the first overall men’s finisher in the Ironman Cairns 70.3, McDonnell paid tribute to his great mate.
“My family are all from here, still got close mates up here, except one,” McDonnell said.
“I dedicated this race to him, I wanted to win for him.
“He was the type of bloke that was always there for you no matter what and he did that when I was training for Ironmans.
“I got messages from him encouraging me to keep pursuing my goals and dreams and that was the type of bloke he was.
“It was great to be able to win in front of his dad too, he was here watching.”
McDonnell grew up in Cairns before he moved to Airlie Beach to pursue a career as a firefighter on Hamilton Island three years ago.
The newly-crowned champion said Cairns will always be his home.
“Growing up here, this is the place to be, it is just such a beautiful part of the world,” McDonnell said.
“I felt a niggle on my hammy during the ride and thought oh here we go.
“It is such a beautiful track, riding along the coast line and then this run to finish off.
“You have your whole family and friends sitting at the finish line cheering you on.
“It is what makes Cairns the best Ironman, I look to the side of the straight at the finish there is my family and friends screaming and cheering me on.”
McDonnell will now turn his attention to becoming a pro triathlete for the next Ironman event.
In the women's race, Rosie McGeoch was first to cross the finish line finishing just over four and half hours.
McGeoch was two minutes behind the front at the start of the bike leg, but produced a three-minute turnaround in the first 18km to begin building a commanding lead.
She held a near seven-minute lead at the end of ride, and made no mistake on the 21km run to convert her huge advantage into line honours.
McGeoch crossed the finish at 4:31:01, four minutes quicker than Lauren Hum, who put together an awesome run leg to finish strong.
McGeoch, who competed in her sixth Cairns Ironman event, said this was best she had felt for any Cairns race.
“Every time I have competed up here, I have either been sick or injured but not this time,” McGeoch said.
“This was my do over race and I wanted to get 4:30 and finished at 4:31, I am absolutely stoked.
“I did a lot of strength work heading into this one and made sure I did all the one per centres so I knew I was right.
“My husband is doing the full Ironman today and he hasn’t competed in one for about 25 years.
“I won Hawaii and that was all I needed to put the brakes on for full Ironman now, I just enjoy this.”
01:00PM: Braden Currie and Steven McKenna have created some distance from the pack as they have jumped off the bike and have began the 42km run along the Esplanade.
Currie finshed the ride in 4:23:14 closely followed by McKenna with 4:23:13 who has closed the gap by 0.02 of a second behind.
While Radka Kahlefeldt is neck and neck with defending champion Sarah Crowley as both athletes have crossed the 167km marker on the ride.
11.45AM: Defending champion Sarah Crowley and Radka Kahlefeldt are still out in front in the pro women’s field, but 2021 champion Kylie Simpson is slowly cutting into their lead.
Crowley and Kahlefeldt just passed the 121km marker, with Simpson just under seven minutes behind.
Simpson has slowly chipped away at the lead duo’s lead.
At the start of the bike, she was almost 13 minutes behind the leaders, and she has almost halved that advantage.
Braden Currie, Steven McKenna and Mike Phillips are putting some distance between them and fourth-placed Peter Jacobs as they make their last southern trip down the Captain Cook Hwy.
11:10AM: Rosie McGeoch has produced a brilliant Ironman 70.3 performance to claim overall women’s victory.
McGeoch was two minutes behind the front at the start of the bike leg, but produced a three-minute turnaround in the first 18km to begin building a commanding lead.
She held a near seven-minute lead at the end of ride, and made no mistake on the 21km run to convert her huge advantage into line honours.
Lauren Hume cut six minutes off of her deficit to McGeoch on the run, with she, Danyella Eberle amd Madison Bolton within a minute of each other late in the leg.
Hume was second, almost five minutes behind McGeoch, with Eberle third.
11AM: Former world champion Peter Jacobs has rejoined the leading trio as they approach the final third of the bike leg.
Steve McKenna, Braden Currie and Mike Phillips had put some distance between them and the 2012 Ironman world champion, but Jacobs has dug deep and closed back in that lead trio.
In the pro women’s field, defending champion Sarah Crowley and Radka Kahlefeldt hold a near 11-minute lead to 2021 Ironman Cairns winner Kylie Simpson.
10.35AM: Daniel McDonnell has been crowned the Ironman Cairns 70.3 champion after dominating the men’s race.
McDonnell was among the pack for the swim, and was a tick under two minutes behind the leaders at the start of the bike leg.
He reeled in leader Thomas Kearns at the end of the bike leg, trailing by just 13 seconds, then exploded into the run to open an 18-second lead within the first kilometre.
He absolutely dominated the run, claiming line honours with a huge four-minute lead to his nearest rival, Rhys Corbishley.
Corbishley closed the gap to just more than three minutes when he reached the finish, with Page 50 seconds further back.
10AM: The Ironman 70.3 leaders are into the final leg, the run, and Daniel McDonnell has opened a commanding lead as he nears the finish line.
More than halfway into the run leg, McDonnell is almost three minutes ahead of Thomas Page, with Ryan Mouritz eight seconds further back.
Rosie McGeoch holds a six-minute lead to Madison Bolton at the 6.7km mark, with Lauren Hume a further two minutes behind.
In the full distance race, Ironman Australia champion Steve McKenna is leading a four-man pack including two-time Ironman Cairns winner Braden Currie, Ironman New Zealand winner Mike Phillips and 2012 world champion Peter Jacobs.
Defending champion Sarah Crowley and Radka Kahlefeldt are sharing the load up fron of the pro women’s field just 50km into the bike leg, with Penny Slater more than eight minutes back in third.
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
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Originally published as Records tumble as champions crowned at Ironman Cairns
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