Wild finish as Ruedi Wild captures Subic Ironman 70.3 crown

Ruedi Wild (center) poses with second placer Craig Alexander (left) and Tim Reed (right) after the 2017 Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay triathlon race. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson

SUBIC – Ruedi Wild lived up to his name in the final half of the course to win the 2017 Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay Sunday morning here.

The Swiss Olympian had a strong finishing kick as he took charge in the run course to log three hours, 48 minutes, and 24 seconds.

Wild fought back after placing eighth after the bike course, overcoming a minute and 40 second disadvantage behind then-pacesetter Jake Montgomery before eventually grabbing the lead in the run course.

Dethroned champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander finished second with a clocking of 3:48:57, 35 seconds behind his conqueror, while 2015 titlist Tim Reed came in at third with 3:50:17.

Sven Reiderer got fourth place with a time of 3:52:05, while Kevin Collington completed the top five with 3:52:13.

Wild won the $3,000 cash prize and will banner the 30 triathletes which qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in September in Chatanooga, Tennessee.

Radka Kahlefeldt atones last year’s defeat and tops Caroline Steffen in this year’s race. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson

Meanwhile, Radka Kahlefeldt topped the women’s pro, distancing herself from the pack as she finished the race in 4:22:13.

Last year’s champion Caroline Steffen was almost four minutes behind as she finished second  with 4:25:55, while Dimity Lee Duke was at third with a distant time of 4:41:57.

August Benedicto once again reigned on top in the Asian men’s elite category, logging a time of 4:22:45.

Fellow Filipino Benjamin Rana ranked second at 4:49:16, while Madhurjya Borah of India was third at 5:09:20.

Jenny Rose Guerrero was the lone finisher in the Asian female elite, clocking in at 5:14:23.

The athletes went on a three-part race: first a 1.9-kilometer swim course in Acea Beach; followed by a 90-kilometer bike course which saw the athletes traverse SCTEX to get to the Floridablanca interchange and back to the Subic Bay Convention Center (SBECC); and a 21-kilometer run course which took them back through the Subic Bay Airport, Acea Beach, and the finish line at SBECC. CBB