Clayton Fettell led wire to wire and Carrie Lester broke open the women’s race on the run to win the Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie Sunday.

Fettell started with a race-best 20:45 swim, broke to a big lead with a race-best 2:11:12 bike, then held on for dear life with a 1:19:48 half marathon against Tim Reed’s race-best 1:15:57 run to hit the line in 3:53:29 for a 2 minutes margin of victory. Chris Kemp took third in 3:56:29, 1 minute back of runner-up Reed.

Lester began her day with a 4th best 25:42 swim that surrendered 38 seconds to 7-time Ironman New Zealand champion Joanna Lawn and 36 seconds to 2008 ITU world championship bronze medalist Sam Warriner and to Nicole Ward. Lester caught Warriner with a race-best 2:31:16 bike that took back 39 seconds from Warriner – and allowed the duo to leave the rest of their rivals behind. On the run, Lester edged away from Warriner 1:29:27 to 1:30:50 to hit the finish in 4:28:25 with a 1:25 margin of victory. Lawn, who gave up 2:19 to Warriner with her 2:34:14 bike, topped Warriner’s 1:30:50 run by six seconds, leaving her with the final spot on the podium, 2:37 back of the runner-up.

Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie, Australia
November 5, 2011
S 1.2 mi. / B 56 mi. / R 13.1 mi.

Results

Men

1. Clayton Fettell (AUS) 3:53:29
2. Tim Reed (AUS) 3:55:29
3. Chris Kemp (AUS) 3:56:29
4. Joseph Lampe (AUS) 3:58:32
5. Joshua Amberger (AUS) 4:02:17
6. Luke Bell (AUS) 4:05:27
7. Stephen Hackett (AUS) 4:09:29
8. Finbarr Crennan (AUS) 4:13:17
9. Adam Holborow (AUS) 4:14:54
10. Blyth Vautier (AUS) 4:15:02



Women

1. Carrie Lester (AUS) 4:28:25
2. Samantha Warriner (AUS) 4:29:50
3. Joanna Lawn (NZL) 4:32:27
4. Sarah Crowley (AUS) 4:35:41
5. Elaine Brent (NZL) 4:43:18
6. Nicole Ward (AUS) 4:45:20
7. Melissa Geddes (AUS) 4:50:42
8. Jacinta Worland (NZL) 4:52:47
9. Tracey Zammit (AUS) 4:53:06
10. Alison Catto (AUS) 4:53:09