As of 4:30PST, here are some additional updates:

What a strange day we’re seeing at the Ironman World Championships. With Faris Al Sutan out before the race and Normann Stadler dropping early, a number of other champions have called it quits as well. Add to the list Natasha Badmann, Cameron Brown and Michellie Jones! With the departures of Badmann and Jones, there will be a new women’s Ironman champion crowned today.

While Brown and Stadler are definitely out of the race due to injuires, Badmann appears to have had an accident on the bike coursee and only reluctantly pulled out of the race after suffering a shoulder injury. No word on why Michellie has left the race, but we know that she had a perforated eardrum coming into the race that may have been a contributor.

In racing action on the men’s side, Torbrjon Sindballe captured the lead near the end of the bike course and led by 1:24 coming into T2. Marino Vanhoenacker was 7:44 back, and then there was a gap to the next seven athletes who came in about 11:00 back.

After T2, here are the top 10 positions:
1 5:24:05 37 Sindballe, Torbjorn Horsholm DNK
2 5:25:33 1:28 9 Lieto, Chris Danville CA USA
3 5:30:32 6:27 6 Vanhoenacker, Marino Brugge BEL
4 5:33:32 9:27 2 McCormack, Chris San Diego CA USA
5 5:33:51 9:46 17 Alexander, Craig Sydney AUS
6 5:33:56 9:51 97 McKenzie, Luke Tweed Head AUS
7 5:34:05 10:00 12 DeBoom, Timothy Boulder CO USA
8 5:34:14 10:09 21 Pontano, Francisco Olot ESP
9 5:34:17 10:12 5 Llanos, Eneko Vitoria-Ga ESP
10 5:34:33 10:28 16 Van Lierde, Luc Brugge BEL

Although Sindballe lead through the first three mile,s at mile seven of the run, Chris Lieto (#9) has taken over as the current leader. Behind him are:
* Torbjorn Sindballe (#37) at 50 seconds
* Chris McCormack (#2) at 4:36
* Craig Alexander (#17) at 5:24
* Marino Vanhoenacker (#6) at 5:33
* Timothy DeBoom (#12) at 5:33

On the women’s side of the race, Chrissie Wellington was leading after 100 miles of the bike course. The top women’s leaders were: Dede Griesbauer (#110) at 30 seconds back, Leanda Cave (#116) at 45 seconds, Kate Major (#56) at 3:06, Katja Schumacher (#65) at 3:07, Belinda Granger (#58) at 3:09, Joanna Lawn (#57) at 3:10, Samantha McGlone (#62) at 3:12. The very quick running Kate Major has a good shot things from this range. Desiree Ficker has moved up about 2 minutes closer to the women’s leaders.

At the start of the run, the women’s leaders were:
1 6:08:48 107 Wellington, Chrissie Feltwell GBR
2 6:11:32 2:44 110 Griesbauer, Dede Boston MA USA
3 6:11:49 3:02 116 Cave, Leanda Trowbridge GBR
4 6:12:38 3:51 56 Major, Kate Solana Bea CA USA
5 6:13:03 4:15 57 Lawn, Joanna Auckland NZL
6 6:13:13 4:25 62 McGlone, Samantha Colorado S CO USA
7 6:13:17 4:30 65 Schumacher, Katja NEW YORK NY USA
8 6:17:00 8:13 154 Norton, Tara Toronto ON CAN
9 6:19:02 10:15 101 Keat, Rebekah Burleigh H AUS
10 6:19:41 10:54 104 Preston, Rebecca Buderim AUS

We’re hearing the temperature is really pentrating out there. There are no clouds over Kona today, so the run is going to be very hot. I recall standing along the run course in 2004 and almost passing out from the heat. It can be a real furnace out there when the clouds and wind are not around to provide protection from the sun.

For the next update, click here.

Coach Joe English, Portland Oregon USA

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