Alexander, Steffen seek CT Ironman repeat

MANILA, Philippines - Five-time world champion Craig Alexander and Caroline Steffen try to make it back-to-back as they banner the elite field in the Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 which gets going on March 12 in Subic Bay.

Alexander and Steffen took command in the 21km run stage of the premier triathlon event, which includes the 1.9km swim and 90km bike legs, to dominate their respective sides last year but the duo braces for a tougher outing this time against a field featuring some of the world’s leading triathletes.

They include Tim Reed, the inaugural CT Ironman champion who is out to atone for his third place finish last year, along with fellow Aussies Tin Van Berkel, Dan Brown, David Mainwaring and Sam Betten, Germans Michael Raelert, Till Schramm and Johannes Moldan, Swiss Ruedi Wild and Sven Riederer, Eric Watson of Bahrain, Ritchie Nicholls of Great Britain, American Kevin Collington and South African Johan Stofberg.

Firming up the stellar men’s roster in the event put up by title sponsor Century Tuna and presented by Century Quality Bangus are Kyle Buckingham of South Africa, Dan Wilson, Jake Montgomery, Jason Hall and Guy Crawford of Australia, and Benjamin Williams and Iain Alexandriris of the US.

Steffen will also be hard-pressed to keep her women’s tiara with Czech Radka Kahlefeldt, Germany’s Imke Oelerich, and Aussies Dimity Lee Duke, Kate Bevilaqua, Sarah Lester and Imogen Simmonds going all-out to foil her back-to-back title drive.