In a shocking result, 32-year-old age grouper Kendra Lee of Denver, Colorado posted the fastest overall women’s time at Ironman Canada Sunday. Lee, who as an amateur started 15 minutes later than the pro wave, was credited by Ironman results with a total elapsed time of 9:44:58 that was 1:09 faster than top pro Gillian Clayton of Canada and 5:54 faster than 2nd pro and third overall woman Karen Thibodeau of Canada.

Lee posted a 1:02:08 swim which was 7 minutes slower than eventual 3rd place finisher Karen Thibodeau but 6:32 faster than eventual overall runner-up Gillian Clayton. Lee’s 5:16:47 bike was 7:17 slower than the fastest women’s bike split of Stephanie Ossenbrink, who finished 8th. But Lee tied for the second fastest women’s bike split with 4th place overall finisher Janelle Morrison of Canada and Lee's bike split was 4 seconds faster than runner-up Clayton. Lee’s 3:20:47 run was second fastest of all the women, trailing only Gillian Clayton’s 3:17:08.

A quick check of Lee’s results over the past 2 years shows Lee placed 13th overall and first in 30-34 with a time of 4:33:54 at the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Vineman – a time which was 23 minutes back of overall winner, pro Meredith Kessler. Lee also placed 12th overall and 2nd in 30-34 at the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Kansas in a time of 4:52:00 – which was 39 minutes back of overall pro winner Rachel Joyce. Lee placed 37th overall and 9th in 30-34 in a time of 10:06:39 at the 2011 Ironman World Championship. And Lee placed 56th overall woman and 15th in 30-34 in a time of 5:03:15 at the 2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Las Vegas.

In the men’s contest, 29-year-old Scottsdale, Arizona pro Matthew Russell, who placed 3rd at Ironman Mt. Tremblant one week ago, won the men’s overall title with a 8:48:30 clocking that was 5:47 quicker than runner-up Olly Piggin of Canada and 10:29 faster than German pro and 3rd place finisher Christian Brader.

Russell started his day with a leisurely 1:03:04 swim which was 8:48 back of swim leader Elliot Holtham, 6:13 back of eventual runner-up Olly Piggin, and 5:35 back of eventual 3rd-place finisher Christian Brader of Germany.

Russell hung tough on the bike, posting a 2nd-best 4:48:41 split that trailed Brader’s race-fastest bike split by 22 seconds and was just 2 seconds faster than Olly Piggin’s 4:48:43. But still, he had not yet overcome his languid swim, arriving at T2 in 5:51:45, 11:08 back of leader Scott Curry of Canada and barely in the top 10.

On his way to a race-fastest 2:53:34 marathon -- no one else cracked the 3-hour mark -- Russell leapfrogged to 2nd overall, 3:24 behind leader Chris Bagg of Portland, Oregon at the halfway mark of the run. Running into a headwind, Russell passed Bagg and took the lead at the 25km mark. By 27 kilometers, Russell had the race by the throat and a 2:58 lead on Olly Piggin, 3:40 on Bagg and 6:54 on Brader.

In what is advertised as her final of many, many Ironman contests, 82-year-old Sister Madonna Buder of Spokane, Washington finished the race in 2,322nd place overall and 1st in women's 80-84 in a time of 16:32:00. She swam 1:36:09, biked 7:54:15 and ran 6:41:21.

Subaru Ironman Canada
Penticton, B.C., Canada
August 26, 2012
S 2.4 mi. / B 112 mi. / R 26.2 mi.

Results

Men:

1. Matthew Russell (USA) 8:48:30
2. Olly Piggin (CAN) 8:54:17
3. Christian Brader (GER) 8:58:59
4. Anthony Toth (CAN) 9:02:07
5. Shannon Stallard (NZL) 9:03:53
6. Grant Bovee (USA) 9:04:10 * M25-29
7. Matthew Sheeks (USA) 9:09:40
8. Ryan Murray (CAN) 9:16:03 * M35-39
9. Nathan Killam (CAN) 9:17:00
10. David Matheson (CAN) 9:19:04 * M40-44

Women

1. Kendra Lee (USA) 9:44:58 * F30-34
2. Gillian Clayton (CAN) 9:46:07
3. Karen Thibodeau (CAN) 9:50:52
4. Janelle Morrison (CAN) 9:53:20
5. Paolina Allan (CAN) 10:04:07
6. Alexis Smith (USA) 10:06:34
7. Temple Hayles (USA) 10:11:09 * F30-34
8. Stephanie Ossenbrink (CAN) 10:15:48
9. Fawn Whiting (CAN) 10:16:14 * F25-29
10. Susan Williams (USA) 10:18:26 * F40-44