October 13, 2007 (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) - Chrissie Wellington claimed victory at the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship.
Battling the heat, Wellington dominated during the bike and held onto it throughout the run, leading a determined women's field that included Samantha McGlone, Kate Major, Joanna Lawn, Dede Griesbauer and Leanda Cave.
The event saw 1,787 athletes officially start the race and attempt to conquer a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run through the lava fields of Kailua-Kona, HI. While weather conditions were nearly ideal, many of the professional athletes dropped out of today's event. Those include six-time World Champion, Natascha Badmann; last year's female winner, Michellie Jones; two-time World Champion, Normann Stadler and 2005 World Champion, Faris Al-Sultan. Competitors, ranging in age from 18 years old to 78 years old, included several inspirational age group athletes to include:
The Emmy Award winning Ford Ironman World Championship broadcast will air on December 1, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST on NBC. Please check your local listings for specific details.
For complete race day coverage and results from the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship, visit www.ironman.com. For media-related inquiries, contact Blair LaHaye at Blair@ironman.com or Jessica Weidensall at Jessica@ironman.com.