Carfrae dominates

55:53

5:04:59

2:53:32

8:58:36

*New run course record

Kona bike times

*Fastest pro woman bike split by Karin Thurig: 4:48:22

**Only four out of 46 pro women rode faster than 5 hours

Kona swim times

Fastest pro woman in the water was Rachel Joyce: 52:25

**21 out of 46 of the pro women swam faster than one hour

Who is Caroline Steffen?

Caroline this year won the ITU World Long Distance Championship. She was second at Frankfurt earlier this year. This Swiss athlete is a member of Team TBB.

Her blog.

Who is Mirinda Carfrae?

Mirinda is one of the most accomplished half ironman pros. She started having won her last three 70.3 races: Muskoka, Calgary and Vineman.

This Aussie was second in Kona last year in 9:13. And she set the current run course record: 2:56:51.

Her site. Note: As she says herself, she's not much of a blogger.

Who is Julie Dibens?

Julie is a pro British triathlete living and training in Boulder, CO. Julie is the 2009 world champion in both Xterra and 70.3.

Kona - today - is her first Ironman.

Her website.

Now what?

With Chrissie out of the race, the end result is wide open.

Here were the top 10 women a year ago.

Chrissie
Mirinda Carfrae
Virginia Berasategui
Tereza Macel
Sam McGlone
Rachel Joyce
Jo Lawn
Sandra Wallenhorst
Dede Griesbauer
Tyler Stewart

DNS for Chrissie

It is with huge regret and after much soul searching that due to illness Chrissie has announced that she is unable to race. Chrissie started feeling unwell yesterday and attempted to train as normal but without her usual intensity. Chrissie left racking her bike until the last minute and hoped that by this morning her health would have improved sufficiently to start. Chrissie has described this as the hardest decision of her life to date and out of respect for the race and her fellow competitors feels that she should only start if she can compete in the manner that the sport of triathlon has become accustomed to. Chrissie would like to wish everyone an enjoyable and safe race.

Who's won more than once this season?

Gina Crawford

Bek Keat (Team TBB)

Amy Marsh (Team TBB)

2010 Challenge Series Winners

Wanaka Gina Crawford 9:28

Roth Chrissie Wellington 8:19

Barcelona Lucie Zelenkova 9:13

Copenhagen Bek Keat 8:54

2010 Season WTC Winners

Arizona Sam McGlone 9:09

Florida Sofie Goos 9:08

Cozumel Yvonne Van Vlerken 9:06

WA Gina Crawford 9:16

Malaysia Belinda Granger 9:23

NZ Jo Lawn 9:14

South Africa Sonja Tajsich 9:16

Australia Carrie Lester 9:23

St George Heather Wurtele 9:35

Lanzarote Catriona Morrison 10:03

China Amy Marsh 9:52

Brazil Tereza Macel 9:19

Coeur d'Alene Linsey Corbin 9:17

France Tine Deckers 9:21

Austria Eva Dollinger 9:18

Switzerland Karin Thurig 9:00:04

Lake Placid Amy Marsh 9:27

Frankfurt Sandra Wallenhorst 9:04

UK Yvette Grice 10:01

Canada Meredith Kessler 9:13

Louisville Bek Keat 9:33

Wisconsin Gina Crawford 9:27

Kona odds

A range of opinions on what lies ahead this Saturday:

Slowtwitch

Triathlon Magazine Canada

ironman.com

Some athlete sites

Chrissie Wellington

Mirinda Carfrae

Julie Dibens

Tereza Macel

Bek Keat

Samantha McGlone

Yvonne Van Vlerken

Lisa Marangon

Back

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