Battle for the line

Queenslander Luke McKenzie is tipped to be leading the pack when the SunSmart Ironman 70.3 Busselton hosts its biggest ever field tomorrow.

A record 1600 individuals and 500 teams from 25 countries will compete in the race, taking on a 1.9km swim, 90.1km bike ride and 21.1km run around Busselton Event manager Ashleigh Davis said she thought 2010 winner and current course record holder McKenzie would cross the line first, although he faced some tough competition from the 37 professionals competing.

“We do have Luke Bell, and he could potentially give the other Luke a run for his money,” Davis said.

“He’s a very good cyclist, so if he gets in front we could have a sprint to the finish.”

Victorian Bell has plenty of credentials behind him, including a first place at the 2011 Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, while Davis said South Australian Matty White would also be hard to beat, after finishing second in Busselton last year.

For the women, Davis said Canberra’s Michelle Wu, in her first trip to Busselton, and WA local Kate Bevilaqua were among the favourites, after both recently recorded podium finishes in Singapore.

Veteran Belinda Granger, with 15 years’ experience and numerous Ironman titles to her name, will also be a strong contender.

“Really, it comes down to the run. Anyone can win it from there,” Davis said.

Rain is a possibility on the day of the event, but Davis said she did not think it would worry most of the athletes.

She said rain often paired with still conditions, which could result in a faster race than usual.

“I think if it rained, not too many people would be disappointed,” she said.

The Ironman 70.3 Busselton is part of the Busselton Festival of Triathlon, which kicked off last night with the Chat with the Pros event at The Esplanade.

The Retail Expo, Swim with the Pros and Kids Triathlon take place today, before the main event starts at Barnard Park, 7am tomorrow.

For more information, visit www.busseltonhalf.com. Organisers are also seeking more volunteers for the event.