On a postcard-perfect Sunday morning in San Francisco, Australia's Michellie Jones and Great Britain's Simon Lessing took advantage of fast   conditions to destroy the course records on their way to winning the women's and men's pro events at the 2004 Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon.

Jones snatched her 8th Alcatraz championship, dismantling   her 2002 course record of 2:14:23 with a 2:08:54. Country-woman Liz Blatchford finished second in 2:09:17, and American Joanna Zeiger was 3rd in 2:11:36.

Lessing netted a 3rd Escape From Alcatraz triathlon championship with a jarring 1:54:41 performance, erasing Aussie Chris McCormack's 2001 record of 2:00:29. McCormack was second in 1:56:23, and Matthew Reed --- a native New Zealander who recently received American citizenship and, pending ITU approval, will be racing as an American --- finished 3rd in 1:56:33.

“I was very happy with my performance today," said Lessing, a five-time ITU World Champion."I felt very strong, even though I haven't done any speedwork." Lessing, who is now training under six-time Hawaii Ironman champion Dave Scott in Boulder, Colo., will be making his debut at the Hawaii Ironman this October.

Back after a toe injury kept her away from Alcatraz in 2003, Jones happily   returned to the winner's circle."It gets harder and harder to win here every year; it just get's more and more competitive."

The spree of record-breaking seemed inevitable after a tide estimated at 5 knots sailed the triathletes to the water exit on the Marina Green from off-shore start at Alcatraz. Swim times on the 1.5-mile course were roughly 10 minutes faster than in year's past where swells and rough-water have been a given.

In the men's competition, Lessing held a   15-second lead out of the water and going onto the 18-mile bike leg. Australian Craig Walton was second, and another twenty seconds back   stormed the primary pack in the men's pro race, led by McCormack. By the highly-feared 8-mile run leg, Walton and Lessing were locked in a two-way battle for first place, with Walton pulling into T-2 savoring   a six-second lead. A minute later Luc Bell and Chris McCormack filed into transition, and the chief question---considering that Walton was racing with a touchy hamstring-- would be if McCormack could make up ground on Lessing. As Walton fell back, McCormack pulled into within a minute of Lessing, but the dreaded"Sand Ladder" that racers must ascend after their run on Baker Beach zapped McCormack's legs, and the bid was off.

First out of the water, Zeiger relinqueshed her lead in the women's race after being passed by Jones and Blatchford early in the bike.   Blatchford looked like she might be able to upset   Jones, but official's tagged her with a stagger   violation, penalizing her with a one-minute stand-down during the bike leg. After that, it was the Michellie Jone's Show, as the silver-medalist in the 2000 Olympic Games cruised to the record and her 8th victory.

 Escape From Alcatraz
June 6, 2004
1.5-mile swim, 18-mile bike, 8-mile run

Men

1. Simon Lessing 1:54:51
2. Chris McCormack 1:56:23
3. Matthew Reed 1:57:06

Women

1. Michellie Jones 2:08:54
2. Liz Blatchford 2:09:17
3. Joanna Zeiger 2:11:36

Photo by: John Segesta
Jones broke her own record in claiming her 8th title.