byLarry Eder
Chrissie Wellington, 2011 Ford Ironman Triathlon Championships, photo courtesy of Brooks Running
Chrissie Wellington’s fourth victory in Kona should be the stuff of legend!
Chrissie Wellington is, after yesterday, the four time winner of the Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championships. Her conservative swim, followed by an okay bicycle ride, followed by a marathon run where she literally ate up the road, finding herself 21 minutes behind at the start of the marathon, taking the lead at mile sixteen and achieving the second fastest time for a women on the course ever, 8:55:08! This performance was preceded by an accident on her bike just a few weeks before the Kona race!
In honor of Chrissie Wellington, her sponsor, Brooks Running shoes, has developed a special and limited racing footwear, the Wellington Racing shoe, from which the profits will be donated in honor of a dear friend of Chrissie’s, Jon Blais, who is the only triathlete with ALS to ever complete the Ironman Triathlon.
photo courtesy of Brooks Running
Brooks Sponsored Triathlete Chrissie Wellington, Breaks the Tape at Ironman® World Championships
Limited Edition Wellington Racing Shoe for Sale to Support Charity
Bothell, Wash. – Oct. 10, 2011 –
Brooks Sports sponsored athlete Chrissie Wellington crossed the finish
line with tears of joy and the British flag held high to reclaim her
title as World Champion at the Ford Ironman® World Championships in
Kona, Hawaii. Running happy even in the final miles, Wellington
completed the race in a time of 08:55:08 to earn the top spot on the
podium for the fourth time.
The
race was won by Wellington on the run. After a slow swim performance
due to injuries from a bike crash just two weeks ago and fast bike times
by her competitors, she started out the marathon in sixth place, 21
minutes back from the leader. During the first half of the run,
Wellington continued to pick off her competitors. She eventually took
the lead near mile 16 and never looked back. Her finishing time of
08:55:06 was the second fastest women’s time ever at Kona. The first
being Wellington’s course record of 08:54:02 from 2009.
“Chrissie
is the epitome of Brook’s “Run Happy” ethos, and she proved that today
not only with her amazing performance, but the way she smiled and pushed
herself hard throughout the entire race,” said Dave Larson, Brooks vice
president of marketing. “We are inspired by Chrissie’s passion and the
way she motivates her fans to run and be active, and are proud to have
her as part of the Brooks team.”
In
celebration of Wellington’s triumphant return to Kona, Brooks is
selling 200 pairs of a limited edition “Wellington” T7 Racer. All
proceeds from the shoe sales will be donated to the Blazeman Foundation
for ALS (www.waronals.com),
a charity created in honor of the late Jon “Blazeman” Blais, the only
individual with ALS to complete an Ironman and a close friend of
Wellington’s. This special version of the ultra lightweight, flexible
racing flat includes:
- An early release of the new bright NightLife color that will officially launch in Feb. 2012
- Convenient loops on tongue and heel for easy transition from bike to run
- The British flag on the heel celebrating Chrissie’s heritage
- “War on ALS” inscription on heel area overlay in honor of Jon “Blazeman” Blais and the Blazeman Foundation
- A special message on the sockliner wishing Chrissie good luck!
The limited edition T7 Racer is being sold exclusively on www.brooksrunning.com for $85 each, while supplies last.
The
Blazeman Foundation is a charity close to Wellington’s heart. The
foundation’s mission is to raise awareness about ALS by leveraging the
energy, commitment and compassion of the multi-sport community and to
raise funds that help further scientific research to find treatments and
an eventual cure for ALS.
While
Wellington has trained and competed in Brooks shoes for several years,
she chose to name Brooks her official performance running shoe brand in
January 2010. She is the first triathlete to join Brooks’ elite group of
professional athletes.
For
more information about Chrissie Wellington, other Brooks professional
athletes, or to purchase a pair of the “Wellington” T7 Racer, please
visit www.brooksrunning.com.
About Brooks
Brooks
Sports, Inc. is a leading running company that designs and markets a
line of performance footwear, apparel, and accessories in more than 60
countries worldwide. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Brooks was
founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle.
The company’s mission is to inspire everyone to run and be active by
creating innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther, and
faster. Visit www.brooksrunning.com for more information, and to follow frequent brand updates on Twitter (@brooksrunning) and Facebook (Brooks Running).
About Chrissie Wellington
Get to know Chrissie Wellington, including her races, results, and other sponsors, at her Web site: www.chrissiewellington.org.
