Yvonne Van Vlerken Destroys Ironman World Record At 2008 Quelle Challenge Roth

• Posted: July 13, 2008
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• Author: Shéamus
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• Filed under: Ironman Triathlon
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• Tags: Ironman, Quelle Challenge Roth, World Record, Yvonne Van Vlerken

In only her fourth attempt at the distance, Dutch triathlete Yvonne van Vlerken won the Ironman-distance 2008 Quelle Challenge Roth with a winning time of 8:45:48, beating Paula Newby-Fraser’s 1994 record pace of 8:50:53 by over five minutes.

Van Vlerken, who has already been sub-nine hours twice, was the defending champion at Roth, having posted an 8:51:55 in 2007. Two months later in Almere, at the Dutch Ironman, she raced to an 8:58:28.

Only a few women have managed to break the nine-hour barrier over the Ironman distance - Newby-Fraser (four times), Lori Bowden (three), Sue Latshaw, Joanna Lawn, Irma Heeren, Katinka Wiltenburg and Thea Sybesma.

The men’s race was won by Frenchman Patrick Vernay, in a relatively slow 8:09:34. Germany’s Thomas Hellriegel finished fifth. Chris McCormack, who became the first top pro to race Ironman-distance events in back-to-back weekends, dropped out 75K into the bike leg, despite being very much in contention.

Men

1. Vernay, Patrick (Fra) 8:09:34
2. Jacobs, Pete (Aus) 8:12:53 +3:19
3. Sindballe, Torbjorn (Den) 8:15:59 +6:25
4. Mcdonald, Chris (Aus) 8:20:59 +11:25
5. Chabaud, Francois (Fra) 8:23:44 +14:10
6. Hellriegel, Thomas (Ger) 8:25:19 +15:45
7. Forster, Markus (Ger) 8:29:19 +19:45
8. Sundberg, Swen (Ger) 8:30:47 +21:13
9. Vuckovic, Stephan (Ger) 8:31:33 +21:59
10. Pschebizin, Marc (Ger) 8:34:55 +25:21

Women

1. Van Vlerken, Yvonne (Ned) 8:45:48
2. Csomor, Erika (Hun) 8:47:05 +1:17
3. Ferguson, Gina (Nze) 8:57:18 +11:30
4. Granger, Belinda (Aus) 8:58:08 +12:20
5. Keat, Rebekah (Aus) 9:02:34 +16:46
6. Biscay, Hillary (Usa) 9:24:19 +38:31
7. Cave, Leanda (Gbr) 9:28:03 +42:15
8. Matthes, Dagmar (Ger) 9:30:14 +44:26
9. Novakova, Eva (Tch) 9:38:35 +52:47
10. Hohenester, Melanie (Ger) 9:40:49 +55:01

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While absolutely Ironman in length, the Quelle Challenge Roth is longer sanctioned as an official Ironman event and it’ll be interesting to see if Van Vlerken’s time is recognised by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). Luc Van Lierde, the world record holder for the men, also set his time at Roth back in 1997, but in those days it was an official Ironman race. The WTC tends to focus on the fastest times at Kona and a lot of people think of that as the world’s top speed, and everything else as almost second class. But Van Vlerken’s time is a massive improvement on Newby-Fraser’s and assuming the Roth course was the correct length, she deserves the plaudits.

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