By Barry Siff
March 5, 2007 -- Race Director, Jane Patterson, got exactly what she deserved at the 23rd Ironman New Zealand: a near perfect day, marked by terrific weather, supportive crowds, and a spirit reflective of Kiwi exuberance and passion. The 2006 dissapointment, caused by untenable weather, was long forgotten by the time Cameron Brown and Joanna Lawn notched their 6th and 5th wins, respectivley, at IMNZ. It was pure joy to se Patterson and her extremely competent crew of Directors greet the final finisher of the event with a bottle of champagne just under 17 hours from the start. The scene at the finish line clearly rivaled that found at Kona, with Race Announcer extraordinaire, Mike Reilly (the official "voice of the Ironman"), and a boisterous overflow crowd cheering on every finisher. "It's always a great day when you see a seamless operation, blessed with good weather. It was a near perfect day," Patterson said 24 hours later.
But, alas, it was not all fun and games. With $50,000 USD in prize money, and a whopping 80 Kona slots, there was plenty of competition up front; and, once again, it was the "Cam and Jo show in Taupo."
The Men's Race
The top 3 men pros - Kiwi Cameron Brown, Denmark's Torbjorn Sindballe, and Aussie Luke Bell - exited the water within 23 seconds of each other, with Sindballe leading the group at 47:50. Last year's winner of the weather-shortened event (90K bike, 21K run), Ain-Alar Juhanson came out of the water an expected 7 minutes back, and had gained 3 minutes back on the first loop of the bike. A flat tire at 105K, however, ended his day, as his very light spare flattened just 500 meters later.
Sindballe, one of the strongest cyclists in the sport, extended his lead during the bike to 7 minutes over Bell, and 8 minutes up on Brown. The 30 year-old from Denmark has gained a great deal more confidence with his run, and felt that the cooler (non-Kona like) temperatures would suit him well in Taupo. He held his own early in the run; but, midway through, just felt like he couldn't put the hammer down. "We all went hard on the bike," said Sindballe after the race, "but those guys (Bell and Brown) were able to hold the pace better than I could."
Brown's mental strength and perseverance showed as he and Bell passed the Dane at roughly 26K, and took the lead for good with 4K to go, running a solid 2:51:10 for a finish time of 8:26:33. "Luke and I ran shoulder to shoulder from about 5K to 37 or 38K. We each tried a surge or two here and there, and at 38K he couldm't respond. I put the throttle down to get away as quickly as possible."
Bell finished second, just 1:08 back, and had nothing but praise and admiration for his fellow competitor. "It's like he's got an auto speed really. He just locks it in and off he goes. You've just got to try and go a bit quicker than him. He's got the all round game (and) is so mentally strong."
There was actually some doubt as to whether the now six-time IMNZ Champion would even make it to the starting line. "I honestly don't know how he did it," said his wife, Jenny, after the race. "After 8 hours of diarrhea and then throwing up nothing but bile (on Wednesday), I did not know how he was going to do it. He pigged out on McDonalds, eating Big Macs, to get something back in his stomach. But once he went down to start, I know he would get through. 'Did not finish' is not in his vocabulary." His winning time ranks as the 6th fastest time ever at IMNZ, with all 6 of his victories within the top 10 (including his 2005 course record of 8:20:15).
The Champion was so spent from the race that he collapsed to the ground just after finishing, requiring immediate medical attention. A fresher Brown told us the next day that winning his first IMNZ was certainly most memorable, but this one was "very special" for being able to do it under such adverse conditions. when asked what it is going to take to finally win the "big one" (Kona), Brown quickly replied: "You gotta have a day like Peter Reed, when you finish and feel like you can go another 10K. I haven't had a day like that but, hopefully, one time."
The Women's Race
Lacking the excitement and uncertainty of Cameron Brown's come-from-behind victory, New Zealand's Joanna Lawn dominated her opposition from start to finish. With her fastest swim ever at IMNZ (50:30), the leading transition among the wonen and a new bike course record of 5:07:56, Lawn won a record 5th straight title and the $8,500 USD that went along with it. The win surpasses the 4 victories achieved by New Zealand's greatest triathlete, two-time Worl Champion, Erin Baker. "I'm really happy to have done what I have done, but I don't see myself as a second Erin Baker. She's a legend," the 33 year-old from Auckland says with great humility.
Swim star, Hillary Biscay, who generally leads the pro women out of the water at any of numerous Ironman races she competes in (she raced 6 in 2006!), was genuinely surprised by Lawn's swim, as was second-place overall finisher, Heather Gollnick. "Jo just had a fabulous day. She is a tremendous athlete," said Gollnick a day after the race. "She knows the course well, trains on the course and knows where to push."
Gollnick, herself, had a fabulous day as well. the mother of three had sustained a bad headcold just 2 days before the race, and head congestion in the swim made it "the hardest swim I've ever had." Once on the bike, though, head down, the congestion eased. Gollnick would go on to achieve and Ironman PR for herself (9:28:16), as well as her best marathon time (3:11:49) ever. Her second-place finish earned her $5,100 of the $50,000 prize purse; but, more important, that coveted Kona slot - "a great way to start the year," beamed the 37 year-old at the awards banquet.
But, it was definitely Joanna Lawn's day in Taupo. A pre-race press release incorrectly quoted Lawn as saying "Taupo is my second home and I believe I own this race." Lawn was quick to correct "Owning this race" to being "a special race for me." After 5 victories, however, ownership certainly seems closer and closer.