BROWN RETAINS HALF IRONMAN CROWN
( results and story courtesy of Ian Hepenstal )

Tauranga, Jan 9 - Auckland's Cameron Brown successfully defended his crown at the 10th Port of Tauranga half Ironman triathlon at Mount Maunganui today.

Second in last weekend's national Olympic distance triathlon in Gisborne, Brown ran away from fellow Aucklander Peter Clode on the track around the Mount to claim the $5000 winner's purse, the richest for a domestic triathlon in New Zealand.

Former Wellington athlete Karyn Mills, recently moved to Christchurch, bagged her second half Ironman success with a come-from-behind performance in superb conditions.

Brown and Clode had a handy lead out of the water with Gisborne's Stephen Sheldrake and Wellington Steve Melsop. The Aucklanders were joined on the first lap of the 90km bike by three-time winner Tony O'Hagan (Dunedin) who was 1min 30sec behind out of the water with the trio opening a 2min 20sec advantage over former Olympic cyclist Paul Leitch, two-time winner Scott Ballance, Sheldrake and record holder Walter Thorburn (Hamilton).

Brown opened up a one minute advantage on the first lap around the Mount base track and from there was never threatened, clearing out to win by nearly three minutes from Clode and the fast finishing Ballance, who has placed in the first three in each of the 10 half Ironman events at Mount Maunganui.

There was double celebration for Ballance when partner Mills produced a devastating run to climb from a five minute deficit out of the water to repeat the title she won in 1997. Two-time world champion Jenny Rose, second out of the water behind Auckland's Megan Dalton, opened out a 1min 30sec lead but was caught late on the bike by defending champion Heidi Alexander (Pukekohe).

Alexander went to the front when Rose cramped badly early on the run until Mills, who had reduced the deficit to 3min 30sec off the bike, zeroed in with a superb 1hr 22min 17sec half marathon to clear out from the field.Alexander held on comfortably for second ahead of two-time winner Sue Clark (Auckland).

The local Port of Tauranga team with Nathan Richmond, Warren Clark and Paul Herlihy took out the teams event from the Haydn and Rollet combination of Brent Foster, Scott Guyton and Kerry Rogers.

Results:

Men:
Cameron Brown (Auckland)    3:55.00
Peter Clode (Auckland)      3:57.52
Scott Ballance (Wellington) 3:58.52
Walter Thorburn (Hamilton)  4:01.58
Rodney Gordon  (Auckland)   4:08.00

Women:
Karyn Mills (Wellington)    4:20.34
Heidi Alexander (Pukekohe)  4:25.35
Sue Clark (Auckland)        4:33.04
Fiona McKee (Dunedin)       4:36.04
Tara Lee Marshall (Taupo)   4:36.50

Teams:
Port of Tauranga (Nathan Richmond, Warren Clark, Paul Herlihy)   3:42.17
Haydn & Rollett (Brent Foster, Scott Guyton, Kerry Rogers)       3:43.21
Team Heb Contractors (Jacquie Milm, John Navarette, Mark Pulman) 3:49.33
Haydn & Rollett Red (John Munroe, David Lee, David Drummond)     3:50.47
Token Girl (Shelley King, John Ledger, Mark Ashcroft)            3:59.32