Posted: July 23, 2007

Triathlon: Granger Takes Title at Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid

From: H. Manning LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Just over 2,200 athletes took to the waters of Mirror Lake this morning in the ninth annual Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid. Under sunny but cool skies the athletes began the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run event through the Adirondack region. The women’s pro race was featured here this year, alternating with Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene which hosted the men’s championship in 2007. It was a race dominated by Australian Belinda Granger. Granger, the pre-race favorite went onto the bike in sight of the leaders and then proceeded to dominate the bike course, putting just over fourteen minutes between her and the rest of the women’s pro field. She continued to hold off all contenders and despite losing some time in the last stages of the marathon finished first in a time of 9:40:20. This is Granger’s fifth Ironman title and her fourth Ironman race in the 2007 season. Second place went to Tyler Stewart, a former Ford Ironman World Championship age group winner, now racing in the professional ranks. Stewart put together a solid effort over the challenging Lake Placid course holding her own and finishing in a time of 9:47:38. Third place was claimed by Erika Csomor of Hungary. Csomor, a former World Duathalon and 2004 Ironman Austria Champion, fought through some illness on the course and was pleased to finish on the podium. The top five women were rounded out by Karen Holloway of Richmond, VA and Linsey Corbin, Missoula, MT in times of 10:03:13 and 10:04:9 respectively. The men’s race was won by Alex Mroszoczyk-McDonald, Burlington VT in a time of 9:16:02 followed by Pierre Lavoie, Quebec, Canada in 9:21:43 and Craig Howie, Longmond, CO in third with a time of 9:25:2 Athletes competing in the 2007 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid Triathlon were competing for 80 qualifying spots to the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The 2007 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid featured a $50,000 professional women’s only prize purse. For more information please log onto www.ironmanusa.com or for live coverage Ironman.com. Editor's Note: The men's winner, Alex Mroszoczyk-McDonald, is a coach with TriSmarter.com and a Runner's Web contributor. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest