Triathlon: Strong field fuels Challenge Wanaka record

New Zealand's Richard Ussher took the fourth Challenge Wanaka long distance triathlon in emphatic fashion today, smashing the previous record by three minutes.

Ussher finished in a record time of eight hours, 34 minutes and 41 seconds ahead of Justin Daerr (USA), who clocked 8hr 38min 19sec, and fellow New Zealander Keegan Williams (8hr 41min 19sec) in third.

Ussher, who exited the swim in sixth position, made his move to the lead in the first third of the bike leg. He passed through the bike/run transition area with ease, over three minutes ahead of the chasing pack.

"It was a tough day but the support from the crowd was unbelievable. It really carries you through those bad spots," Ussher said. "I've only done two other courses like this and this is by far the hardest."

New Zealander Gina Crawford led from the start to reclaim her crown as women's champion in 9hr 28min 57sec. Australian Rebekah Keat followed in second place in 9hr 30min 41sec, while Lizbeth Kristensen (Denmark) rounded off the podium in 10hr 03min 09sec.

"The swim was cold and it took a while to warm up on the bike, but from Cromwell it felt really good," said Crawford. "It is hard to lead a race from start to finish, especially with someone like Rebekah chasing."

It was Crawford's third consecutive Challenge Wanaka win.

The race comprises a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and a full 42.195km marathon. Challenge Wanaka is part of the global Challenge series of long distance triathlons that features races in Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, and Austria.