Noosa Triathlon: Ashleigh Gentle’s 3rd Consecutive Win & Dan Wilson’s Triumph

Incredible Australian Olympian Ashleigh Gentle has won the gruelling Noosa Triathlon for the third consecutive time today, making it her fourth win at Noosa overall.

“It’s just as special [as previous Noosa victories],” said Gentle. “It’s probably more special because at some points of that race I didn’t think that I would get the win.’’

“I felt so tired and sore but I really thought about Noosa and what those four titles really mean to me. That urged me on to keep going and I guess, never give up,” she told the Courier Mail.

Ashleigh finished with an impressive time of 2:02:26, with Sydney’s Natalie Van Coevorden taking out second place 64 seconds behind. Charlotte McShane was third with 2:05:03.

Today’s incredible win makes Gentle the second woman to accomplish a three-peat win at Noosa, the first being Emma Frodeno (nee Snowsill). The young athlete will be relaxing in Noosa today, before enjoying a well-deserved break at the end of a long season.

Dan Wilson wins Men’s Noosa Triathlon

The Brisbane local had placed second in the race in 2013 and 2014, and after a rough year of injury and Achilles’ heel surgery in 2015, Dan Wilson was determined to take out the win at Noosa. With a one minute, 17 second advantage at the final transition, Wilson was in a great position for the run. With exceptionally strong runner Jacob Birtwhistle on his heels, Wilson dug deep and made it to the finish with an impressive 17 second gap ahead of Birtwhistle. His final time was 1:49:41, with Birtwhistle finishing with 1:49:58 and Ryan Fisher who posted 1:51:03.

“I couldn’t be happier” Wilson told SBS this morning. “Not only after coming second twice [before] but it’s Noosa. It’s an institution if you grow up in Queensland. It was something I always wanted to do.”

Dan Wilson to leave ITU Circuit

Wilson’s win today is especially significant for the 31-year-old athlete, as he’s leaving the ITU circuit at the end of the year. “I’ll be sticking my nose into the wind a little more, and seeing how my game transfers to the non-drafting circuit,” Wilson said on his blog.

“The time feels right to have a bit of a change up and I find it really motivating to be honest,” he added. Wilson certainly has made his mark on the circuit and we’re sure the friendly athlete will be living it up in Noosa this evening to celebrate his win.