Daniela Ryf finally beat Chrissie Wellington’s longstanding course record as she set the fastest-ever women’s iron-distance time in Challenge Roth.
The 36-year-old showed why she is a five-time Ironman world champion and now a three-time Roth winner by stopping the clock in 8:08:21.
It followed a 50:15 swim, record-breaking 4:22:56 bike split and a career-best 2:51:54 marathon to beat Wellington’s 2011 mark by almost 10mins.
Behind Ryf there was a titanic battle for the podium, with defending champion Anne Haug eventually coming out on top with a 2:44:45 marathon to take second place, with debutant Laura Philipp in third.
What happened in the swim?
Britain's Fenella Langridge and Ryf were the first to emerge from the water, making it - for all the Swiss star’s success in the sport - one of the best long course swims of her career. It was a sign of what was to come.
Lisa Norden and reigning Ironman world champion Chelsea Sodaro were 2min back and not in a place to panic, but there were more concerns for two-time winner Haug and fellow home favourite Philipp, as the two Germans were 4mins adrift knowing it would be hard to make any inroads on Ryf’s lead on the bike.
What happened on the bike?
The bike became the Daniela Ryf show, as the 36-year-old built on the form shown in winning her eighth 70.3 Switzerland a fortnight ago to pull away at the front.
By midway through the 112 miles, she was matching the efforts of Ditlev in the men’s race to put 6min into her rivals.
Langridge – enjoying herself as ever with the bumper support – was chasing in second, followed by Norden and Sodaro, with Philipp and Haug now over 10mins behind.
By the end of the bike, Ryf had set a new course record of 4:22:56. Renowned time-trialist Norden had moved up to second but was a huge 13mins behind, with Langridge a further 5min back, followed by Philipp and Sodaro.
Defending champion Haug would have to make up more than 20mins on the marathon if she was going to retain her title.
What happened on the run?
Starting the marathon, Ryf had to run a 3:01 to break Chrissie Wellington’s 8:18:13 world best from 2011.
While the places chopped and changed behind her, the two-time champion who had been training at altitude in St Moritz, retained a huge buffer – extending it to more than 15mins on Norden as she passed through 6miles.
By the halfway point in the marathon Sodaro had moved into second place, with Philipp in third and Haug moving up to fourth.
A few miles later it was Haug who’d moved up to second, Phillip in third and Sodaro slipping back. However, just a handful of seconds separated them, and with more late drama Langridge came back for fourth place with Norden in fifth.
- Daniela Ryf: “I pictured Chrissie catching me!”
- Magnus Ditlev smashes course record in Challenge Roth
Challenge Roth pro women's results
- Daniela Ryf 8:08:21
- Anne Haug 8:21:09
- Laura Philipp 8:25:31
- Fenella Langridge 8:33:53
Top image credit: Christoph Raithel/Challenge Family
