Reid Reigns Again

But the biggest DNF came in the form of the defending world champion: Tim DeBoom. Calmly in control all day in the swim and bike, he looked like he would three-peat as he strode away from Reid and Cameron Widoff early in the marathon.

But Reid was to the task, surging to pull even with DeBoom at the Alii Drive south turnaround, then surging again to leave DeBoom, capture bike leader Normann Stadler up the road and take the lead all the way in to a cheering crowd at the Alii finish line in 8:22:35.

Amid much contention by many athletes that the bike would be the deciding factor of the day, it was quite the reverse. German Faris Al-Sultan held a solo lead most of the day on the bike, with a group of men that was a true group, all heavy hitters. Reid, DeBoom, Germans Jürgen Zäck, Timo Bracht and Thomas Hellriegel, New Zealander Cameron Brown, Americans DeBoom, Chris Lieto, Cameron Widoff, France's Francois Chabaud and Patrick Vernay, Australians Luke Bell, Chris Legh and Chris McCormack, and Belgian Rutger Beke.

Reid and Hellriegel both made early efforts to separate themselves from the group, to no avail. In the process, several athletes were selected out of the group (Bracht was disqualified to penalties, Vernay couldn't keep pace and faded back), and the pack stayed together, playing by the new pro stagger rules that allow an athlete to spread across the lane as long as they're not directly lined up behind a competitor, regardless of distance from that competitor.

It wasn't until the turn at Kawaiihae when an attack stuck. Stadler made a concerted effort and powered the gradual incline to the Hawi turnaround. The move brought him past Al-Sultan for the lead on the way back to town, and the powerful German motored solo back to town and started the run with a 4:40 lead, hoping it would be enough to keep the top runners at bay. Al-Sultan was reeled in by the chase group just 30 miles from the bike finish.

DeBoom led the chase onto the run, while Reid and Brown lost time in a transition area gaffe; Reid was handed Brown's bike-to-run bag, and had to double back, grab his bag and hand Brown's off to the Kiwi. Selection began immediately; McCormack faded quickly, chasing in vain a group including fellow countryman Bell, Widoff, Jürgen Zäck, Brown, Al-Sultan and Beke.

While DeBoom surged into second with Reid in third, Beke silently crept past Brown and Zäck. By mile six, Reid was even with DeBoom; by mile seven, Reid had escaped DeBoom, bearing down on Stadler for the lead.

DeBoom gamely chased the Canadian onto the Queen K, fading to 1:53 back by mile 12 with Beke another minute back. No sooner had DeBoom passed Stadler than he dropped out of the race at a feed station on the Queen K Highway approaching the Energy Lab.

Once in the lead, Reid maintained his winning pace to record a 2:47 marathon and handily win in 8:22:35. Threatened by Brown late in the run, Beke, this year's Half Ironman California runner-up to DeBoom, held off the surge to surprise the field in his first-ever full Ironman, taking second in 8:28:27. Brown made the podium for the third straight year, taking third place in 8:30:08. Stadler held on for fourth, while Bell, the top Aussie, was fifth. After battling injuries for several years, Zack finished with a solid 3:01 marathon and an impressive sixth-place finish. Al Sultan's daring solo bike day was rewarded with a seventh-place finish.

Widoff overtook Lovato for the top American spot at eighth place. Chabaud and McCormack, blown from the day's efforts, hung on to finish, Chabaud in 9:27:43, McCormack in 9:35:51. The top male age grouper was James Beuselinck, a 35-39 age grouper who took 26th overall in 8:59:36.

Overall Men
1. Peter Reid (CAN), 8:22:35
2. Rutger Beke (BEL), 8:28:27
3. Cameron Brown (NZL), 8:30:08
4. Normann Stadler (GER), 8:32:47
5. Luke Bell (AUS), 8:34:38
6. Jurgen Zack (GER) 8:35:19
7. Faris Al-Sultan (GER), 8:35:51
8. Cameron Widoff (USA), 8:35:59
9. Michael Lovato (USA), 8:36:56
10. Mika Luoto (FIN), 8:37:19

Triathlete Magazine