Buckingham, Piampiano race to victory in largest field ever
Favorable weather conditions and world class competition conspired to produce record-shattering performances on Saturday, with nearly 2,000 athletes testing body and soul at the 27th annual Ironman Vineman triathlon.
The race, which included athletes representing 28 countries and 48 states, began at Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville with a 2.4-mile swim, transitioned into a 112-mile bike ride, and finished with a 26.2-mile marathon run ending at Windsor High School.
The 27th edition of the event is the first under Ironman ownership and included some significant changes to the course, most notably to the swim and run segments. The swim was reduced to one loop, while a revamped run course was trimmed from three loops to two.
The changes to the run segment created a lively atmosphere at Windsor’s Keiser Park, where huge crowds lined the course to cheer on the competitors.
Also new to the Ironman Vineman was a change in the professional prize structure of $50,000, which was shared among the top eight finishers. The race also awarded 40 qualifying slots for the 2016 Ironman World Championships to take place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii in October.
The 2016 Ironman Vineman was the largest ever, attracting many of the top professional athletes in the world. The result proved spectacular, as New Zealander Kyle Buckingham emerged from a tight pack to claim the men’s title in a course record, 8:27:58.
Rounding out the top five men were Australia’s Chris McDonald (8:34:53), Americans Jonathan Shearon (8:39:24), Brandon Barrett (8:44:17), and Australia’s Richie Cunningham (8:46:39).
In the women’s race, American Sarah Piampiano distanced herself from the pack during the bike segment and never looked back in posting a record-smashing time of 9:19:05, nearly 45 minutes faster than the nearest challenger.
For Piampiano, her first Ironman Vineman victory was especially sweet.
“I live in San Rafael which makes it really special to get a win here,” she said. “Everyone was so enthusiastic and so helpful, it was really a wonderful experience.”
Also cracking the top five women were Americans; Ashley Paulsen (10:03:38), Jessica Smith (10:17:17), Kyra Wiens (10:19:40), and Katy Cargiulo (10:36:41).
Whether it was the changes to the prize structure or course modifications that that led to record-shattering performances, the 27th Ironman Vineman will go down as a memorable one for both athletes and spectators alike.
“The weather was very good, but the course record times were a direct result of the pro field and $50,000 prize purse,” longtime race official and announcer Dave Latourette reasoned, before praising the local community. “If you saw and heard the atmosphere in Keiser Park you got a good feel for what the changes have brought. The volunteers and the community (especially Windsor) are the heartbeat of the event.”
