Joe Gamble, Richie Cunningham and Annabel Luxford podium at $100,000 Rev3 Quassy Half

Australia once again provided more than its fair share of podium placegetters in the $100,000 Rev3 Quassy half iron distance triathlon.

Overall winner Joe Gambles once again showed why he is one of the best over the half distance. He reveled in the tough conditions that face athletes at Quassy. A hilly and hot course meant that this was going to be a race that favoured the grittiest of athletes.

In the end Gamble 1:13:51 run was the fastest of the day and was the icing on the cake after he layed the ground work during the race to set himself up for the win. Gambles managed to hold off training partner, fellow Wattie Ink team mate and last year’s Quassy and overall Rev3 champion Richie Cunningham. Cunningham, also from Australia, has been posting some of the fastest half iron distance times this year with a win and a total of four podiums so far this season.

Gambles said on twitter after the race “I can’t believe I just won Rev3-Quassy! I have never pushed so hard in a race! Congrats to my good friend & training partner Richie Cunningham.”

What made the results even more satisfying was that Cunningham and Gambles held off Kiwi Bevan Docherty and Christian Kemp for the two top spots. Kemp is in the middle of a big block of training as he puts the final touches on his Ironman Frankfurt campaign.

In the women’s race Annabel Luxford led the race until a short way in to the run when Heather Jackson and Heather Wurtle passed her with Wurtle going on to take out the race ahead of Jackson. Jackson has been running incredibly fast this year and is in some great form with wins at Oceanside 70.3 and Escape from Alcatraz already this year.

Another great Australian, Mirinda Carfrae added to the results on the day with a 5th overall in the women’s race. That brings the Australian count to five out of the top ten.