A solid field of pros were on hand to contest Wildflower 2012 and that’s saying something when there are 4 WTC events going on in Australia(Busselton 70.3 and an Ironman in Port MacQuarie), Ironman St. George, Utah and the highly anticipated Ironman 70.3 St. Croix, all on the same weekend.

Over 7500 triathletes will be taking part in the Wildflower weekend of racing and some of the top pros in the world will be competing in the Long Course on Saturday May 5, 2012.

THE LONG COURSE

The long course is the traditional half-ironman distance but as it is not in the WTC family of races, it is simply called the long course.

The swim begins at the Lynch Ramp and will be a wave start.

The 90k bike course is challenging to say the least. The 56-mile ride includes a five-mile climb nicknamed Nasty Grade and the bike leg actually begins with a climb up Beach Hill that is short and steep.(one mile)

Many triathletes have told me they love the 21.1k run course as it is quite unique and includes more back-country trails(60%) than paved roads (40%).

The race had it’s beginnings back in 1983 and since the late 1980′s has been the standard half-ironman distances. During race weekend the Wildflower also includes an Olympic and Sprint Distance event and is expected to attract over 7000 entrants for the 2012 events.

What a great field of pro men. How do you choose between the likes of Jordan Rapp, Matt Lieto, Clayton Fettell, and Canada’s very own Trevor Wurtele who has been racing well of late?

Jesse Thomas won the 2011 edition but will be hard-pressed to beat this field and repeat as Wildflower champion.

PRO MEN

Gavin Anderson
Blake Becker
Karl Bordine
Mauro Cavanha
J
It's been 30 years for Wildflower
ames Cunnama
John Dahlz
Scott DeFilippis
Lewis Elliot
Clayton Fettell
Christopher Ganter
Steven Garza
Josh Hadway
Jose Jeuland
Stephen Kilshaw
Joseph Lampe
Andrew Langfield
Christopher Legh
Matt Lieto
Jim Lubinski
Arland Macasieb
Part of the Wildflower bike course
Timothy Marr
Paul Matthews
Dustin McLarty
Ian Mikelson
Justin Park
Ken Rakestraw
Jordan Rapp
Kevin Taddonio
Jesse Thomas
Nicholas Thompson
Nick Waninger
Brice Winkler
Trevor Wurtele

The field for the pro women is no less spectacular. Is this the race where Leander Cave will rise to the top once again after a few early season set-backs? It will be no easy task as she is up against a formidable field.

Tenille Hoogland of Canada is a serious podium threat. Then there is Linsey Corbin, Heather Jackson, Rebekah Keat, Melanine McQuaid, and Samantha Mclone(a past winner) who will also be on hand for the 2012 version of the Wildflower triatlon.

PRO WOMEN

Christine Anderson

Leanda Cave

Rachel Challis

Emily Cocks

Linsey Corbin

Naomi Fergusson

Heather Gollnick

Julia Grant

Tenille Hoogland

Heather Jackson

Rebekah Keat

Jennifer Luebke

Marilyn McDonald

Samantha McGlone

Melanie McQuaid

Katya Meyers

Janelle Morrison

Jenni Plane

Lisa Ribes

Alexis Smith

Jennifer Tetrick

Beth Walsh

Patrice Watson

Charisa Wernick

THE RACE
It was Clayton Fettel and Dustin McLarty who dominated the swim as they are two of the fastest in the sport.
They headed into transition with a two-minute lead over the rest of the pro men.
Defending champion Jesse Thomas and Paul Mathews were hot on their heels early on in the bike course.
It took Mathews until the infamous hill known as Nasty Grade to draw even with Fettel.
Jordan Rapp(a previous winner of Ironman Canada) took after the leaders and was joined late in the bike by last year's champion Jesse Thomas who had planned all along to sit back a bit on the the bike and not get caught up in the frenzy.
This strategy may have made all the difference in the world to the final outcome of the race.
James Cunnama used a similar strategy and it was a wise decision for him as well.
Jesse Thomas took over the lead at the 10k mark and was never headed as he went on to win the race with a finish time of 3:58:59.
Jordan Rapp hung on for second spot and James Cunnama finished in third.
Paul Mathews and Chris Legh rounded out the top five men.
For the pro women it was Leanda Cave who entered the swim/bike transition with the lead, but she was soon joined on the bike course be all the major players. 
Melanie McQuaid, Linsey Corbin, Magali Tisseyre, and Heather Jackson were soon battling it out on the front.
By mile-50 it was Linsey Corbin who surged to the front and took the lead from Leanda Cave who had hung on for as long as she could. 
It was Heather Jackson who had the best race-strategy of all as she charged toward the leaders on the run course and took over the race at the five-mile mark and never looked back and went on to win with a finish time of 4:26:29.
TOP FIVE PRO MALE FINISH TIMES:
1. Jesse Thomas........3:58:59
2. Jordan Rapp.........4:00:22
3. James Cunnama.......4:02:01
4. Paul Matthews.......4:03:20
5. Christopher Legh....4:04:56
TOP FIVE PRO FEMALE FINISH TIMES:
1. Heather Jackson.....04:26:29 
2. Linsey Corbin.......04:32:09
3. Magali Tisseyre.....04:34:30
4. Leanda Cave.........04:36:24
5. Charisa Wernick.....04:38:42
TOP PRO MALE FINISHERS:


Thomas, Jesse
Rapp, Jordan
Cunnama, James
Matthews, Paul
Legh, Christopher
Fettell, Clayton
Wurtele, Trevor
Mclarty, Dustin
Kilshaw, Stephen
Thompson, Nicholas
TOP TEN PRO FEMALE FINISHERS:


Jackson, Heather
Corbin, Linsey
Tisseyre, Magali
Cave, Leanda
Wernick, Charisa
Challis, Rachel
Keat, Rebekah
Mcquaid, Melanie
Tetrick, Jennifer
Grant, Julia
TOP TEN INDIVIDUAL MALE:
Sanders, Joe...........04:21:29
Zawaski, Steven........04:23:13
Mullenix, Andrew.......04:24:07
Bovee, Grant...........04:24:59
Macnaughton, Andrew....04:25:43
Lea, Rob...............04:27:09
Condon, David..........04:29:01
Widoff, Cameron........04:29:14
Coady, Kevin...........04:31:12
Fitzgerald, John.......04:31:33
TOP TEN INDIVIDUAL FEMALE:
Capone, Lauren.........05:04:21

Lee, Kendra............05:05:38

Travis, Rebecca........05:10:15

Yndestad, Cathy........05:10:47

Winkler, Kathy.........05:12:10

Battig, Alessandra.....05:12:27

Nelson, Shelley........05:13:23

Uehara, Mariane........05:13:38

Truxes, Nicole.........05:16:26

Crawford, Polly........05:19:33
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