Granger and Blake win in Penticton

Belinda Granger and Jasper Blake claimed big victories today at Subaru Ironman Canada

Long known as one of the most talented athletes in the sport, Jasper Blake always seemed to be a bike ride away from an Ironman win. Today that bike ride appeared and when the 32-year-old finished the second leg of the race within six minutes of the lead it quickly became apparent that this was going to be his day.

For Belinda Granger today's race was supposed to be a test to see whether her new run training was working. The answer came back loud and clear: it most certainly is! After having been passed five years in a row at Ironman Australia by Lisa Bentley during the marathon, today Granger managed to hold off the fast running Canadian and claim her third Ironman title, and fourth Ironman distance win.

running of the event twice today – once to start the pros at 6:45 AM, and then again at 7 AM.

As is customary in any swim that Jan Sibbersen is involved in, the day began with a fast opening leg led by the German. It didn’t take long for Australia’s Courtney Ogden to take over the lead once they were on the bike, though, a lead which he wouldn’t relinquish through the rest of the ride and through the first nine miles of the run.

 
Which is where Blake came through. His 4:50 bike split had left him just over five minutes behind Ogden starting the run, and his blazing 2:48 marathon split quickly put him ahead of the Australian.

 
On this day no one would challenge Blake as he claimed the Ironman title that many in the sport have been predicting would come ever since his fourth place debut here in 2000. After that race Peter Reid told us all to keep our eyes on Jasper Blake because he was going to be Canada’s next Ironman hero. It took a bit longer than we expected, but today it did happen, and it happened in dramatic style as Blake ran his way to his very first Ironman title where it all began six years ago.

 
Ogden hung on for second, while Gordo Byrn used a 2:56 marathon split to run his way to third. Calgary athletes Kyle Marcotte and Scott Curry rounded out the top five, putting four Canadians in the first five positions.

 
Coming into this year’s event many considered it a safe bet that Lisa Bentley would claim her third title here in Penticton, and her 11^th title overall. Five of those wins have come at Ironman Australia, and at each one of those came after Granger had led off the bike, only to have Bentley run by during the marathon.

 
Today Granger turned the tables on Bentley … coming to Canada and using a blazingly fast 5:03 bike split to give herself a 17:30 cushion starting the marathon. Even that almost wasn’t enough as Bentley managed to run her way to within three minutes with a few miles to go. Granger’s new run training paid off over the closing miles of the marathon as she hung tough over the final miles while Bentley finally ran out of gas and began to lose time on the 35-year-old Australian.

 
Granger had enough of a lead that she could enjoy the final kilometer of the run, celebrating with the huge crowd assembled here in Penticton. After the race Bentley was completely spent after her superhuman effort, while an exuberant Granger looked fresh enough to run some more.

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Both will be back at it again in Kona in a couple of months, too ...

Granger and Bentley finished well ahead of the rest of the women competing here today – Lori-Lynn Leach would eventually run her way to third, followed by fellow Canadian Charlene Waldner and Sara Gross from the UK.

 
For a complete recap of the incredible day of racing here at Subaru Ironman Canada, click on the link in our “latest” box at the top of the main page.

 

Men:

1.        JASPER BLAKE                   8:33:58
2.         COURTNEY OGDEN         8:47:46
3.         GORDO BYRN                    8:51:23
4.         KYLE MARCOTTE                         8:54:41
5.         SCOTT CURRY                   8:55:57
6.         CHRISTOPHE BASTIE       8:59:22
7.         DAVE HARJU                     9:03:58
8.         CHRIS BRANDS                 9:05:42
9.         ALEX PEDERSEN              9:08:55
10.       TORSTEN ABEL                 9:14:42

  

Women:
1.         BELINDA GRANGER        9:25:13
2.         LISA BENTLEY                  9:28:18
3.         LORI-LYNN LEACH          10:09:23
4.         CHARLENE WALDNER    10:11:17
5.         SARA GROSS                      10:12:35
6.         CHARLOTTE PAUL           10:12:42
7.         MARIE DANAIS                 10:17:10
8.         LUCY SMITH                      10:18:15
9.         BARBARA SCATCHARD             10:26:42
10.       WENDY INGRAHAM        10:30:28