Matthew Nelson (GBR) put on a dominant performance winning Enea IRONMAN 5150 Warsaw 2018 while Agnieszka Jerzyk (POL) repeated her last year’s success on a very hot race day in Warsaw. Over 1300 athletes took part in the race finishing on the banks of the Vistula river in the city center.
Enea IRONMAN 5150 Warsaw is a famous triathlon race in Poland at the Olympic distance: 1,5 km swim + 40 km bike + 10 km run!
Photo: © Michal Firszt / Maratomania.pl
A group of five leaders, including Matthew Nelson (GBR) and last year winner, Aliaksandr Vasilevich (BLR) exited the swim separated by just a few seconds. However, it was the bike course where the Brit put on a show and entered T2 with a dominant 3-minute lead over the chasing group, led by Maciej Chmura (POL).
Photo: © Piotr Naskrent / Maratomania.pl
On a 10 km run along the Vistula river banks, with some Warsaw’s landmarks located just at the course and the heat amounting to 30℃, Nelson was even able to extend the lead up to 3:37 in the middle of the distance and could easily control the remainder of the race. He crossed the finish line at the foot of the Copernicus Science Centre in 1:54:53, followed by Maciej Bodnar (POL, 1:58:05) and Robert Wilkowiecki (POL, 1:58:29). Triathlete Aliaksandr Vasilevich from Belarus took the 4th place while Chmura dropped into 5th place, completing the group of five athletes who managed to break 2 hours.
Photo: © Piotr Koperski
– The conditions were really tough, I did not expect such extreme heat here in Warsaw. Since I was going alone for the most part of the race, I had several crises to fight off. But the atmosphere was great and it helped a lot – said Matthew Nelson.
Photo: © Pawel Naskrent / Maratomania.pl
Meanwhile, Agnieszka Jerzyk came out of the water in 21:50, just 2 second behind another Pole, Paulina Klimas. Hanna Maksimava (BLR) who was considered the main contender for Jerzyk got on the bike on the 3rd place, nearly 2 minutes behind Jerzyk, who already overtook Klimas in the first transition.
Photo: © Pawel Naskrent / Maratomania.pl
Similarly to the male race, Jerzyk built up a dominant lead on the bike, entering T2 in 1:25:55, over 4 minuted ahead of Klimas who had another 90 seconds gap over Maksimava.
Photo: © Pawel Naskrent / Maratomania.pl
While Jerzyk safely continued her quest for the second victory in Enea IRONMAN 5150 Warsaw 2018, eventually finishing in 2:07:20, fans in Warsaw saw a close battle for the second place with Klimas still holding a 9-seconds lead over Maksimava 5km before the finish. Yet, she finally had to give up and Maksimava finished second in 2:13:25, nearly half a minute ahead of Klimas who completed the women’s podium.
– My plan was to push hard and build up the lead on the bike – said Agnieszka Jerzyk. – I managed to that and could control the race on the run, saving some energy for the next week’s World Military Triathlon Championships – she added.
Photo: © Daniel Strzalinski / Maratomania.pl
A total of 1154 individual athletes took part in the race accompanied by 61 relay teams. Lake Zegrzynski served as the swim venue with athletes heading on bikes to the city center of Warsaw, running along the Vistula and finishing on the river boulevards with a view for the National Stadium and landmark Swietokrzyski Bridge. All in sight of the city’s legendary symbol – the Mermaid of Warsaw.
Photo: © Michal Firszt / Maratomania.pl
– Once again, it has been an incredible Enea IRONMAN 5150 Warsaw Triathlon. The great attendance of athletes and a perfectly executed event shows that Poland and IRONMAN is a match made in heaven – said Thomas Veje Olsen, Regional Director IRONMAN Scandinavia, Poland & Baltic Countries.
Photo: © Pawel Naskrent / Maratomania.pl
Enea IRONMAN 5150 Warsaw saw its third edition on June 10, 2018. Now, the Polish triathlon scene is going to focus its attention on Enea IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia coming August 5, 2018!
Photo: © Piotr Koperski
© Piotr Jakóbik , Sport Evolution
European Sports Promoter: EMG
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