German Patrick Lange became the first triathlete to break 8 hours at a Kona Ironman World Championship, repeating as winner of the 140-mile endurance test in Hawaii on Saturday.
Lange, 32, broke the tape in an unofficial 7 hours, 52 minutes, 42 seconds, after a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and a marathon run. He lowered the course record he set last year of 8:01:40.
When Lange crossed the line, Swiss Daniela Ryf was on pace to shatter her female course record and win a fourth straight title.
Ryf, who finished seventh and 40th in two Olympic triathlons, rallied from a deficit of 9:13 after Saturday morning’s swim.