There were several exciting storylines in Galveston on Sunday.
Photo: Getty Images for IRONMAN
Carfrae gives daughter Izzy a hug at the finish line. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman Photo: Getty Images for IRONMAN
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Athletes in the pro men’s division get ready to compete in Galveston. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
The pro men kick off the day of racing. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Melissa Hauschildt of Australia dives in to kick off her day of racing. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Age-group athletes await their turn to enter the water. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
The pro men exit the water and head toward T1. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
American Ben Kanute led out of the water and for a good part of the bike, but was eventually taken over by American Andrew Starykowicz. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Andrew Starykowicz had the fastest bike of the day at 2:00:56 to come into T2 in first place. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Canadian Heather Wurtele had a strong ride. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Kanute competed as part of the American Olympic team in 2016 and has now turned his focus to 70.3 racing. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Austria’s Michael Weiss is always strong on the bike course. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Mel Hauschildt is a world champion at this durance. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Daniil Sapunov of Ukraine on the bike. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
This race marked Mirinda Carfrae’s first time competing since giving birth to daughter Isabelle in August of 2017. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
70.3 Texas is known as being a hot race, but it was unseasonably cool this year. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Age group athletes compete on the bike course. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Hauschildt had the fastest run of the women, posting a 1:18:07 half marathon. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Matthew Russell raced six months after a devastating crash at the Ironman World Championship. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Carfrae was surprised by her second-place finish, saying on Instagram “2nd – Absolutely stoked. I said before the race I would be happy with a top 10 finish for my first race post Izzy. I feel I raced my best 70.3 in at least 5 years today. Congratulations to @melhauschildt on the win and @teamwurtele for rounding out the podium. #im703texas also a big thank you to all the fans and volunteers who came out today even though the weather was COLD.” Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Kanute put together a 23:19 swim, a 2:03:45 bike, and a 1:14:16 half-marathon to earn the victory in 3:43:44. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Michael Weiss of Austria in second, Ben Kanute in first, and Andrew Starykowicz in third celebrate on the podium. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Matthew Russell hugs his wife after crossing the finish line. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Hauschildt put together a 27:42 swim, a 2:18:49 bike, and a 1:18:07 run to earn the victory in 4:07:55. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Carfrae gives daughter Izzy a hug at the finish line. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Carfrae gives daughter Izzy a hug at the finish line. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
Mirinda Carfrae of Australia in second, Melissa Hauschildt of Australia in first, and Heather Wurtele of Canada in third celebrate on the podium. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman
The United States’ Ben Kanute and Australia’s Melissa Hauschildt earned the Ironman 70.3 Texas victories on an unseasonably cool day in Galveston, Texas.
While the speedy performances of both Kanute and Hauschildt were impressive, an equally important story was the comeback of two notable pros. Australia’s Mirinda Carfrae, a three-time Ironman world champion, competed for the first time since giving birth to her daughter, Isabelle, in August of 2017. Carfrae surprised herself with a 27:42 swim, a 2:18:49 bike, and a 1:18:07 run, putting her across the finish line in second at 4:09:50. Carfrae commented after the race that she thought the race was her best 70.3 of the last five years.
On the men’s side, American Matt Russell returned to the race course with triathletes from around the world cheering him on. Russell collided with a van on the bike about four hours into the Ironman World Championship last October, suffering serious injuries including a concussion and a laceration to the neck. He underwent several procedures and surgeries to address the life threatening injuries. On Sunday he produced a 26:07 swim, a 2:05:56 bike, and a 1:14:15 half-marathon to finish seventh at 3:49:33 in his comeback race. “Some things to improve on but it’s a big victory to just be out there racing again,” Russell posted on Instagram. “Finishing this race meant so much to me today.”
2018 Ironman 70.3 Texas
Galveston, Texas – April 9, 2018
1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run
Men
1. Ben Kanute (USA) 3:43:44
2. Michael Weiss (AUT) 3:45:40
3. Andrew Starykowicz (USA) 3:46:30
4. Matt Hanson (USA) 3:46:48
5. Paul Matthews (AUS) 3:49:09
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