Ironman Austria Produces World’s Fastest Ironman

Ironman Austria lived up to it’s reputation for producing lightening fast Ironman times with Belgiums Marino Vanhoenacker’s smashing Luc Van Lierde’s record  (7:50:27) by over four minutes in Klagenfurt finishing in 7:45:59. Not to be outdone American Mary Beth Ellis set a women’s course record, and in doing so posted the fastest Ironman debut in history at 8:43:34.

Conditions were ideal with a top temperature of  24 degrees and almost no wind. Vanhoenacker  had a good swim, exiting in 46:49, but really set up the win on the bike recording a very fast 4:15:37 bike split, in fact the third-fastest in Ironman history. He was able to back it up with a 2:39:24 marathon run to grab the fastest Ironman time ever recorded.

In the women’s race Mary Beth Ellis exited the water in first place and never relinquished the lead despite being up against a field that included five Ironman champions.

Men’s top-10:

1    Vanhoenacker Marino   BEL 7:45:59

2    Weiss Michael AUT 7:57:39

3    Albert Marko EST 8:08:17

4    Lowe Tom GBR   8:11:30

5    Bayliss Stephen GBR 8:16:47

6    Major Jozsef  HUN  8:28:15

7    Blokhin Anton UKR 8:30:57

8    Fink Mario AUT 8:31:37

9    Schniertshauer Rainer GER 8:33:43

10   Lang Robert AUT 8:34:21

Top-10 women:

1 Ellis  Mary Beth USA  8:43:34

2 Csomor Erika HUN 8:51:10

3 Riesler Diana GER 8:53:34

4 Bij De Vaate Heleen NED 8:56:11

5 Dollinger Eva AUT 9:05:13

6 Helfenschneider-Ofner Simone AUT 9:11:36

7 Rudolf Michaela AUT 9:14:16

8 Wolfe Joyce IRL 9:15:42

9 Görtz Beate GER 9:18:57

10 Woysch Nicole GER 9:23:31