O’Donnell Third, Potts Fourth, Butterfield Fifth at IRONMAN World Championship; Joyce and Blatchford Take Second, Third in Women’s Race

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – It was a brutally hot day for the world championship in Kona this year. Although it is normally hot, this year’s combination of heat and humidity after Kona’s hottest summer on record took its toll on many of the athletes including several seasoned pros.

Colorado Springs’ Andy Potts had a great 50:56 swim and was third out of the water. Ben Hoffman, Tyler Butterfield, and Tim O’Donnell came out right together at 52 and a half minutes. Boulder’s Jodie Swallow (representing GBR) was the first woman out of the water in 55:04 while Boulder’s Rachel Joyce (GBR), Boulder’s Liz Blatchford (GBR), Superior’s Mary Beth Ellis, and Boulder’s Dede Griesbauer were close behind past the 56 minute mark. Defending champion Mirinda Carfrae (Boulder, AUS), not known for being the fastest swimmer, arrived at 61 minutes and got out of T1 six minutes behind the main group.

That main group of women would still be right together after the two loops in town as they hauled up the Palani hill towards the Queen K Highway. By mile 8 of the bike eventual women’s winner Daniela Ryf (Switzerland) had taken the lead but Joyce, Blatchford, Ellis and Swallow were still in the chase group. When the women got to the turn-around at Hawi, Ryf had increased her lead and Joyce, her closest pursuer, started to slip back. Sadly, at about that same point Carfrae was suffering from muscle spasms due to two bike wrecks earlier in the week and decided she was not able to continue.

The men’s bike leg was quite an exciting race as the lead changed hands several times. Once the leaders got out onto the Queen K Potts was in second position. About 50 miles into the ride Boulder’s Ben Hoffman, Grand Junction native and second place finisher last year, took the lead. Tyler Butterfield (Boulder, representing Bermuda), Potts, and O’Donnell were right in the chase group, too. Then just after Hawi, O’Donnell surged and took the lead.

By T2, however, men’s winner Jan Frodeno had taken the lead. O’Donnell put up a hell of a fight for the entire marathon, though, and Frodeno credited him at the finish line for pushing so hard and getting so close during the ‘Energy Lab’ section of the run leg and “chasing him the whole way.” That effort took its toll, however, and Andreas Raelert of Germany overtook him for second place on the way back to Kailua town. So he would have to settle for third. Potts, who actually clocked a faster run split than O’Donnell came in fourth for a repeat of last year. Tyler Butterfield had the race of his life with his fifth place finish, having never won an IRONMAN or even a half.

Rachel Joyce came out of T2 looking extremely strong, but Ryf had built a good lead and pulled farther ahead, so Joyce would have to settle for second place again this year. Blatchford stayed rock-solid and steady and was able to repeat her 2013 third-place performance. Mary Beth Ellis and Jodie Swallow were duking it out for third place on the run for a while, but Swallow would eventually pull out and Mary Beth faded in the heat but suffered through and stuck it out for a 13th place.

Colorado’s top age-grouper was the 23-year-old phenom out of Ft. Collins, Steve Mantell, with an amazing 9:05:02, besting many in the pro field. Four-time Olympic marathoner Colleen De Reuck resoundingly won the women’s 50-54 age-group by 14 minutes with a 10:30:41 and was Colorado’s top age-group woman.

Colorado Results