Race Conditions
After last year’s sub-8 and sub-9 winning times, we saw another fast race – but a little bit slower with an adjustment of 17:10 compared to last year’s 22:28. A big chunk of the difference comes from the swim, which was three minutes slower this year. Florida solidified its standing as one of the fastest courses on the IM calendar, currently only Brazil (by a few seconds) and Sweden (after just one, but crazy fast race) are quicker. (Of course, we also have the Challenge courses in Roth and Copenhagen that are quicker.)
Male Race Results
Andy Starykowicz nailed his first Ironman, posting a new fastest ever bike time with a 4:04. (I’m not exactly sure where the previous record was set – probably 4:11 by Andi Raelert in his world best in Roth 2011 – any info is appreciated.) A very impressive improvement. He could then afford to run a little bit slower, a (probably controlled) 3:06 was enough to hold off previous winner Jan Raphael and a number of faster runners who posted sub-2:50 marathons.
| Rank | Name | Nation | Swim | Bike | Run | Actual Time | Expected Time |
| 1 | Andrew Starykowicz | USA | 00:49:51 | 04:04:39 | 03:06:42 | 08:06:17 | n/a |
| 2 | Jan Raphael | GER | 00:50:36 | 04:23:35 | 02:49:53 | 08:08:49 | 08:19:13 |
| 3 | Scott Defilippis | USA | 00:57:44 | 04:18:46 | 02:47:29 | 08:09:33 | 08:57:55 |
| 4 | David Plese | SVN | 00:57:46 | 04:24:21 | 02:47:01 | 08:14:28 | n/a |
| 5 | Denis Chevrot | FRA | 00:48:52 | 04:25:16 | 02:57:03 | 08:16:49 | n/a |
| 6 | Jens Petersen-Bach | DNK | 00:54:00 | 04:24:24 | 02:54:29 | 08:18:25 | 08:22:22 |
| 7 | Christophe Bastie | FRA | 00:56:07 | 04:17:23 | 03:00:40 | 08:19:31 | 08:35:04 |
| 8 | Petr Vabrousek | CZE | 00:57:43 | 04:16:36 | 03:04:07 | 08:23:47 | 08:38:11 |
| 9 | James McCurdy | USA | 00:57:49 | 04:19:17 | 03:06:45 | 08:29:04 | n/a |
| 10 | Kirill Kotshegarov | EST | 00:54:06 | 04:19:43 | 03:12:15 | 08:32:12 | 08:26:07 |
| 11 | Thomas Gerlach | USA | 00:57:45 | 04:15:57 | 03:14:54 | 08:33:26 | 09:12:43 |
| 12 | Daniel Bretscher | USA | 00:54:01 | 04:20:49 | 03:14:00 | 08:34:00 | 08:50:48 |
| 13 | Andreas Fuchs | AUT | 00:57:45 | 04:15:36 | 03:16:39 | 08:35:23 | 08:52:52 |
| 14 | Ciro Violin | BRA | 00:53:17 | 04:34:43 | 03:06:44 | 08:40:54 | n/a |
| 15 | Ryan Cain | CAN | 00:58:32 | 04:41:26 | 02:59:45 | 08:45:28 | 09:27:04 |
| 16 | Sean Donnelly | GER | 00:50:14 | 04:27:06 | 03:23:52 | 08:47:11 | 09:58:30 |
| 17 | David Naesvik | SWE | 00:57:54 | 04:24:54 | 03:38:25 | 09:07:11 | 08:46:45 |
| 18 | Timothy Tapply | USA | 01:03:41 | 04:51:53 | 03:07:48 | 09:08:45 | 09:18:40 |
| 19 | Raymond Botelho | USA | 00:58:23 | 04:38:30 | 03:40:20 | 09:23:45 | 09:34:28 |
| 20 | Alfred Rahm | GER | 01:07:07 | 04:47:58 | 03:23:53 | 09:26:33 | 09:24:48 |
| 21 | Erik Strand | SWE | 00:51:09 | 04:59:23 | 03:31:54 | 09:27:31 | n/a |
| 22 | Blake Becker | USA | 00:57:50 | 04:27:11 | 04:03:24 | 09:33:15 | 09:23:40 |
| 23 | Daniel Schmoll | GER | 00:51:12 | 04:33:05 | 04:09:23 | 09:39:03 | 08:53:46 |
| 24 | Rodrigo Faria | BRA | 01:01:29 | 05:01:28 | 03:38:54 | 09:49:10 | n/a |
| 25 | Timothy Beardall | AUS | 01:02:14 | 04:32:43 | 04:31:39 | 10:12:28 | 09:27:07 |
| 26 | Heinrich Sickl | AUT | 00:57:56 | 04:45:49 | 04:37:36 | 10:28:02 | 09:18:03 |
| 27 | Kyle Pawlaczyk | USA | 00:58:00 | 04:56:04 | 05:23:13 | 11:23:06 | 09:18:17 |
| 28 | Matjaz Kovac | SVN | 01:00:16 | 06:25:28 | 06:48:55 | 14:32:33 | 09:33:38 |
Female Race Results
On the women’s side, Yvonne Van Vlerken had a great comeback race after a whole series of frustrating Ironman DNFs. Her 4:40 put enough distance between her and the other racers, and only 3rd place Ashley Clifford posted a sub-3 hour marathon. Mirinda Carfrae posted her first sub-5 hour bike ever in an Ironman, and admitted to running a bit faster than the intended “just jog and validate”. Still, she is the first athlete with a secure spot for Kona 2013!
| Rank | Name | Nation | Swim | Bike | Run | Actual Time | Expected Time |
| 1 | Yvonne Van Vlerken | AUT | 01:01:26 | 04:40:20 | 03:04:45 | 08:51:35 | 09:00:49 |
| 2 | Mirinda Carfrae | AUS | 00:58:53 | 04:57:06 | 03:03:26 | 09:05:03 | 08:51:27 |
| 3 | Ashley Clifford | USA | 00:56:41 | 05:07:51 | 02:57:31 | 09:07:34 | n/a |
| 4 | Meredith Kessler | USA | 00:52:44 | 04:47:00 | 03:22:52 | 09:08:28 | 09:13:35 |
| 5 | Stephanie Jones | USA | 01:10:15 | 04:51:36 | 03:05:29 | 09:13:18 | 09:58:46 |
| 6 | Carrie Lester | AUS | 00:58:13 | 04:57:34 | 03:16:59 | 09:17:53 | 09:16:17 |
| 7 | Jennie Hansen | USA | 01:09:11 | 04:53:47 | 03:11:34 | 09:21:09 | 09:38:29 |
| 8 | Eva Nystrom | Swe | 01:07:24 | 04:50:04 | 03:23:34 | 09:26:19 | 09:50:20 |
| 9 | Yvette Grice | GBR | 00:58:36 | 05:08:30 | 03:16:34 | 09:28:53 | 09:52:10 |
| 10 | Heleen Bij De Vaate | NLD | 01:09:22 | 04:48:21 | 03:28:08 | 09:30:57 | 09:28:25 |
| 11 | Kristin Lie | NOR | 01:16:48 | 04:46:38 | 03:24:05 | 09:33:34 | 09:49:38 |
| 12 | Suzanne Serpico | USA | 00:58:10 | 05:03:48 | 03:30:37 | 09:38:28 | 09:55:39 |
| 13 | Asa Lundström | SWE | 01:04:18 | 05:01:06 | 03:28:16 | 09:38:44 | 09:30:49 |
| 14 | Missy Kuck | USA | 00:57:53 | 04:57:37 | 03:51:05 | 09:52:18 | n/a |
| 15 | Kelly Fillnow | USA | 01:13:37 | 05:13:53 | 03:23:36 | 09:57:43 | 10:00:55 |
| 16 | Natasha Van der Merwe | USA | 01:09:23 | 04:54:05 | 03:50:00 | 09:59:06 | n/a |
| 17 | Rebekka Essmüller | GER | 01:01:13 | 04:56:23 | 04:07:22 | 10:10:16 | 09:53:21 |
| 18 | Heather Leiggi | USA | 01:08:37 | 05:04:35 | 04:02:17 | 10:21:27 | n/a |
| 19 | Ann Ciaverella | USA | 01:09:02 | 05:19:47 | 03:58:22 | 10:33:16 | 10:36:54 |
| 20 | Emelie Gunnarsson | SWE | 00:58:57 | 05:48:10 | 05:33:09 | 12:26:52 | n/a |