Annabel Luxford wins Ironman 70.3 Western Sydney Triathlon Two Years Running

Annabel Luxford has won Western Sydney again! Here’s a recap of Luxford’s exciting race.

Annabel Luxford has had an incredible year and her performance at the Western Sydney triathlon today was no exception. The women’s race unfolded much like the men’s event, with two leaders breaking away from the pack early. Both Luxford and fellow Aussie Natalie Van Coevorden had a sizeable two-minute lead heading into T1.

Chase pack makes move in the bike

As the race progressed into the bike leg, Luxford looked like she might lose her lead and it seemed like her podium finish could be at risk. Melanie McQuaid of Canada and Aussies Andrea Forrest and Kirralee Seidel had almost narrowed the gap between themselves and Luxford, but it wasn’t enough. Annabel soared towards T2 in front of the fierce chase pack.

Tough run cements Luxford victory

Luxford powered forward in the run, increasing her lead. Superstar Natalie Van Coevorden also looked strong until halfway through the half marathon, when she began fading. Kirralee Seidel took advantage and surged forward to finish the run in just 1:24, the day’s fastest run split.

Annabel charged towards the finish line, finishing in an impressive 4:08:39 – a dramatic six minutes ahead of Kirralee Seidel’s 4:14:37, and Natalie Van Coevorden with 4:15:28.

“I’m really happy to come back today and grab the win,” said Luxford. “It’s never easy to come back and get the win again but you couldn’t have asked for better conditions, it started to get warm towards the end. The crowd support was fantastic, the other athletes pushed me, I’m really happy.”

Luxford is keen to return to the course next year when the Western Sydney Triathlon will double as the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship. “I’d love to come back next year, it’s a great venue for an championship race,” she concluded.