2019

Kona Kings & Queens is a collaboration project with sports photographer James Mitchell to highlight some of the Pros racing in Kona. James supplies his awesome pictures (for more check his Instagram account), I add some data and commentary.

It’s always fun to see Sarah race: She isn’t interested in “placing” but looks for ways to win. In the last two years in Kona she was trying to go with Daniela on the bike when she was working her way to the front. Even if she eventually had to let Daniela go, this helped her start the run in a great position. In 2017 she was able to claim third place after a run battle with Heather Jackson, in 2018 things didn’t go quite as well but she still finished in sixth place.

This year she has been injury-free and improved all her PRs: Fastest swim in Cairns, fastest bike, run and overall in Roth. Her run PR now stands at 3:00:02, and if she can do her first sub-3 marathon in Kona, she’ll definitely be once again in contention for the podium. But she won’t just be resting her legs for a fast run, just as in the last two years I expect her to go with Daniela on the bike. How long will she be able to stay with Daniela this year?

This is an excerpt from my “Kona 2019 Rating Report”. You can download your copy here.

Kona Kings & Queens is a collaboration project with sports photographer James Mitchell to highlight some of the Pros racing in Kona. James supplies his awesome pictures (for more check his Instagram account), I add some data and commentary.

Cameron has made huge gains as a triathlete in 2017 (17th in Kona) and 2018 (9th in Kona) In both races he was the fastest bike rider and T2 leader but fell back on the run. His better placing in 2018 was mainly due to an improved run, but his 3:06 marathon last year was just good enough for a Top 10.

Cam has continued to improve his run in the 2019 season: His marathon times have been 2:56 (Western Australia, December 2018), 2:50 (Australia, May 2019), 2:50 (Roth, July) and then an impressive run course record 2:45 in Italy (September).

All of these improvements indicate that he’ll be an even bigger Kona player than last year. He was roughly ten minutes behind third place, so a 2:55 marathon would put him into podium territory which would certainly be another nice step forward. But will three weeks be enough to recover from Italy for another great race in Kona?

After Italy, the other contenders can’t be 100% certain to catch him on the run, so Cam will make them work a bit harder on the bike. A better run will also mean that he can hold on to his lead even longer than last year .. and leading in Kona can give you an extra spring in your step. Once again the out-and-back section in the Energy Lab could play an important role in the race: Either the leader gains confidence because his lead is still large – or the chasers will realize that they will be able to close the gap.

With his racing in 2019 and the final strong performance in Italy just three weeks out from Kona, Cam has already achieved one important goal: He’ll be in every male Pros’s head for Kona 2019!

This is an excerpt from my “Kona 2019 Rating Report”. You can download your copy here.