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In a repeat of the 2009 Subaru Vancouver Triathlon, hometown heroes Jasper Blake and Cheryl Murphy took the respective men’s and women’s titles over the half ironman distance in the 14th edition of the New Balance Victoria Triathlon.
Blake, the 2006 Ironman Canada Champion, blazed his way through the run clocking a course record 1:10:57 run split on way to a 3:54:39 overall time. Steven Kilshaw, Blake’s protégé, was not far behind equaling Blake off the bike and posting a 1:12:09 run split to finish just 72 seconds back. Rounding out the podium was former National and Commonwealth Games
Team member Kelly Guest with a 4:04:45 clocking.
On the woman’s side, the duel between two of the best Master’s women athletes in the world, Cheryl Murphy and Lucy Smith, did not materialize however Smith’s 1:22:49 run split, the best of the day, was enough to move her into a second place finish (4:42:14) to Murphy (4:36:18). In a close third was Vancouver’s Amy Kirkham in 4:42:24.
Over 800 participants took part in this classic event including 20% of the field from the US representing 11 different states. This year’s race also included a Sprint division for the first time. The overall results are as follows:
New Balance Half Results
Victoria, BC, Canada, June 21, 2009
Men
1st – Jasper Blake, 3:54:39
2nd – Steven Kilshaw, 3:55:51
3rd – Kelly Guest, 4:04:45
4th – Adam O’Meara, 4:06:09
5th – Paddy McCluskey, 4:11:34
Women
1st – Cheryl Murphy, 4:36:18
2nd – Lucy Smith, 4:42:14
3rd – Amy Kirkham, 4:42:24
4th – Carolyn Hubbard, 4:45:01
5th – Janet Nielsen, 4:45:12
New Balance Sprint Triathlon Results
Men
1st – Jairus Streight, 1:01:33
2nd – Mike Janes, 1:02:36
3rd – Ben Rutledge, 1:03:59
Women
1st – Lysanne Lavigne, 1:08:20
2nd – Shelley Thomson, 1:10:54
3rd – Sandy Wilson, 1:13:18