Canadians Jordan Bryden and Tara Norton took the Day 1 leads at the three-day Ultraman World Championship stage triathlon that circumnavigates the Big Island of Hawaii.
In the 35th edition of Ultraman Worlds, begun in 1983, 40 invitation-only competitors tackled the Day One course which includes a 10-kilometer swim from the Kailua–Kona pier to Keauhou Bay and a 90-mile bike leg from Keauhou to Volcanoes National Monument which includes 7,948 feet of climbing. Day Two covers a 171.4-mile route from Volcanoes to Kapa’au. which includes 8,883 feet of climbing. Day Three is a double marathon run from Hawi to the Old Airport in Kailua-Kona.
Bryden took advantage of a race-best 2:40:49 split for the 10-kilometer swim – 15:48 better than the next-best competitor – and a 3rd-best 5:16:30 bike split over the 90-mile bike leg to finish the day in 7:57:19 with a 14:20 lead on 2017 Ultraman World Champion Rob Gray of South Africa and 43:36 over 3rd place Marc Puig Amiel of Spain.
Bryden, age 33, is a professional triathlete whose best performances include a 3rd place finish at the 2016 ITU long distance world championship at Challenge Penticton, a win at the 2017 Ultra 520k Triathlon and 2019 Ultraman Canada. This is Bryden's debut at Ultraman Hawaii.
Gray is a decade older than Bryden and he finished second at Ultraman Hawaii in 2016 and 2018 and won it in 2017.
Norton, age 48, the defending women’s Ultraman World Champion, combined women’s-best swim (3:17:25) and bike (6:00:18) splits to finish the first day in 9:17:43 with a 1:01:17 lead on 2002 Ultraman Women’s Champion Conny Dauben, age 44, of Germany.
Norton finished two hours behind the winner in her first try at Ultraman Hawaii in 2016, completing the double marathon with a very painful leg. Four days later she slipped on a hike and suffered a broken femur. After a year of rehab, Norton returned to Ultraman Hawaii and won the title with a 28:19:35 time which gave her a 1:15:03 margin of victory over Mary Knott.
Ultraman World Championship
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
November 29, 2019
S 10k / B 90 mi. / R 52.4 mi.
Day One S 6.2 mi. / B 90 mi.
Results
Men
1. Jordan Bryden (CAN) age 33 S 2:40:49 B 5:16:30 TOT 7:57:19
2. Rob Gray (RSA/USA) age 43 S 2:59:10 B 5:12:29 TOT 8:11:39
3. Marc Puig Amiel (ESP) age 32 S 3:29:48 B 5:11:07 TOT 8:40:55
4. Travis (Trout) Wayth (AUS) age 49 S 3:18:07 B 5:28: 54 TOT 8:47:01
5. Arnaud Selukov (FRA) age 50 S 3:20:24 B 5:29:44 TOT 8:50:08
6. Ryan Toner (USA) age 37 S 2:56:37 B 6:13:24 TOT 9:10:01
7. Kurt Madden (USA) age 64 S 3:06:06 B 6L11:20 TOT 9:17:26
8. Josef Ajram (ESP) age 41 S 3:33:00 B 6:03:11 TOT 9:36:19
9. Adrian Whittaker (AUS) age 40 S 4:11:36 B 6:03:11 TOT 10:14:47
10. William Rickards (USA) age 47 S 3:56:39 B 6:38:21 TOT 10:35:00
Women
1. Tara Norton (CAN) age 48 S 3:17:25 B 6:00:18 TOT 9:17:43
2. Conny Dauben (GER) age 44 S 3:48:42 B 6:30:28 TOT 10:19:00
3. Dayna Latham (USA) age 35 S 4:38:02 B DNF
