Callum Millward, Alicia Kaye Victorious At 70.3 Boulder

Published June 13, 2015 02:28PM

Despite bacteria levels shutting down the Boulder Reservoir earlier this week, conditions improved and athletes were ready to jump in the water early Saturday morning for a chance at the winner’s $12,000 prize. After swimming, the triathletes headed out on a bike loop through the Colorado countryside and then ran a two-loop course on the trails around the reservoir. The second-place professional took home $6,000, third got $4,000, down to $500 for eighth. In the end it was New Zealand’s Callum Millward and the United States’ Alicia Kaye who took home the victories.

Men’s Race
Davide Giardini (ITA), veteran Joe Umphenour (USA) and James Seear (AUS) were first out the water in 23:18, 23:22 and 23:25 respectively. A group followed about a minute later with Tim Don (GBR), Richie Cunningham (AUS), Greg Bennett (AUS) and Millward. Ben Hoffman (USA), Mark Bowstead (NZL) and Paul Ambrose (AUS) were right behind that group and ready to make up time on the bike.

The men stayed relatively close together on the bike with Giardini leading and the rest of the group spread out behind. About halfway through, Bowstead came to the front as the new leader of the men’s race. After biking a race-best 2:01:23, Bowstead entered T2 with a nearly two-minute lead on the others. Millward’s 2:03:53 got him off the bike second. Giardini was next after biking a 2:05:20, with Cunningham, Bennett, Don and Hoffman all well within range of winning. Farther back, Matt Russell (USA) used a 2:03:56 to move up from a swim that brought him out of the water five minutes back of the leaders.

Millward quickly cut into Bowstead’s lead on the run course, with Don speeding his way through the pack about two minutes back. By halfway through, Millward and Bowstead were running together briefly and Don had moved up into third. But Don’s charge slowed and he wasn’t able to close on Millward, whose 1:16:30 half-marathon got him across the line first in 3:46:47. Don’s 1:16:25 run earned him second and he managed to just hold off Bowstead, crossing in 3:48:11 with Bowstead coming into the finish in 3:48:34 after a 1:20:07 run.

Women’s Race
The women sped through the water with long-course superstar Jodie Swallow (GBR) out first in 25:06. Right on her heels were France’s Camille Donat (25:09) and Americans Kaye (25:10) and Katy Blakemore (25:13). Laura Bennett (USA) followed less than a minute later in 25:55, with South Africa’s Jeanni Seymour another 40 seconds back. A big group, that included super biker-runner Lesley Smith (USA), came into T1 over three minutes down on the Swallow.

Kaye, who won a big payday as the Life Time Series champion this past fall and has been on fire recently, quickly jumped to the front on the bike and pulled away from Blakemore and Swallow. She proceeded to open up a huge lead, with over four minutes on Swallow and Blakemore by halfway through the 56 miles. Seymore, Bennett, Donat, Danielle Mack (USA) and Smith trailed behind. After biking a race-best 2:15:40, Kaye came into T2 with over four minutes up on Swallow, who came in next after a 2:20:12 bike leg. Seymour (2:20:57), Blakemore (2:22:32), Mack (2:21:25) and Smith (2:23:37) followed, with hopes of making up time on the run.

It was all Kaye’s day, with her extending her lead on the run. All Swallow, Blakemore and Seymour could do was fight for the rest of the podium spots. By halfway, Blakemore had run her way into second and Swallow was hanging onto third, but nothing could stop the hard-charging Smith, who was coming from behind. Though she slowed down, Kaye couldn’t be caught. She ran 1:29:53 to come in first in 4:13:10, with Blakemore solidly in second (4:18:33) after a 1:28:17 run. Smith used a race-best 1:25:40 run to move up through the field to cross the line third in 4:20:47, while Swallow fell back to fifth on the run.

Ironman 70.3 Boulder
Boulder, Colo. – June 13, 2015
1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run

Men
1. Callum Millward (NZL) 3:46:47
2. Tim Don (GBR) 3:48:11
3. Mark Bowstead (NZL) 3:48:34
4. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 3:50:57
5. Ben Hoffman (USA) 3:53:23

Women
1. Alicia Kaye (USA) 4:13:10
2. Katy Blakemore (USA) 4:18:33
3. Lesley Smith (USA) 4:20:47
4. Danielle Mack (USA) 4:23:58
5. Jodie Swallow (GBR) 4:25:53