As the race in Kona unfolded on Saturday I couldn’t help, but for a minute, feel like I was Phil Murray in Groundhog Day.
2008: Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington win 2008 Ironman World Championship!
Phil: “Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?”
Mrs. Lancaster: “I don’t think so, but I could check with the kitchen.”
2009: Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington win 2009 Ironman World Championship!
Rita: “How are you doing this?”
Phil: “I told you. I wake up every day, right here, right in Punxsutawney, and it’s always February 2nd, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
2011: Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington win 2011 Ironman World Championship!
Rita: “Are you drunk or something?”
Phil: “Drunk is more fun.”
But just as Phil eventually moved on to a new, and different, day, in Punxsutawney, so too did Australia’s Craig “Crowie” Alexander and Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington as they took home their third and fourth respective Ironman World Champion titles at this year’s Ford Ironman World Championship.
Not only that, but Crowie set a new course record, became one of only four men on the planet to have won this race three times, and became the first man to win both the Ironman 70.3 World Championship and the 140.6-mile Ironman World Championship in the same year.
As a great ambassador for the sport, for the charities he supports, and as a rumored owner of Ironband’s latest album, we’re thrilled for Crowie, his family, and his team and we wish him the best as the 2011 Ironman World Champion!
Ironband w/ Chrissie Wellington - 2011 Blazeman Benefit Dinner
We are also incredibly thrilled for Chrissie Wellington who takes home her fourth Ironman World Championship title after her toughest battle yet on the course in Kona. Just a few weeks ago Chrissie suffered a bike crash that left her bruised and battered; depsite reporting that while her body battered, her head was strong, recent information reveals just how serious the wreck actually was and it was unclear how her injuries would affect her ability to compete in this year’s championship. But compete she did in her toughest battle yet for the the title after overcoming a serious deficit on the swim that left her starting the bike leg in 10th place.
As everyone watched and wondered, Chrissie proved that she wasn’t out for the count by laying down the fastest women’s bike split of the day before blazing through the run course, managing to hold off defending champion Mirinda Carfrae of Australia by just three minutes. Chrissie looked like she was in shock when she came across the finish line, physically and emotionally drained, but managed to lay down and do her traditional “Blazeman Roll” in support of Jon Blais and the Blazeman Warriors. A huge congratulations goes out to Chrissie!
Our congratulations also go out to the rest of the men’s and women’s pros who put it all on the line, as well as the age-groupers from around the world who fulfilled a dream by racing among the lava fields in Kona! Special props go out to some of our local rock starts – Jon King, Josh Wolf, and Bob Schloegel who took fourth place in his age group – way to go guys!
For full coverage and results be sure to visit ironman.com.