It proved a record-setting day for Australians but a tough day at the office for the New Zealanders at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
Craig Alexander grabbed his third Ironman World Championship in stellar style, winning in a new race record and becoming the first person to win both the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 world titles in the same year.
The Australian enjoyed a remarkable day to win in 8:03.56, 12 seconds inside the 1996 record of Belgian Luc van Lierde.
It proved an Australian one-two with Sydney's Pete Jacobs finishing second with Germany's Andreas Raelert, runner-up last year, finishing third.
It was not such a good day for 10-time Ironman New Zealand champion Cameron Brown who was forced to withdraw on the run after being well back throughout.
Three-time winner Chrissie Wellington made it four in the women's race in a superb 8:55.08, just a minute outside her own race record.
She withstood a blistering marathon run record be defending champion Mirinda Carfrae to win by just under three minutes.
Carfrae, the Australian who finished runner-up at Ironman New Zealand this year, ran 2:52.41 to break her own marathon run record at the race with her British training partner, Leanda Cave, finishing third.
Leading New Zealander was Samantha Warriner, who finished in 17th place in her Ironman debut in 9:43.25.
Warriner had a solid swim in 58:44, worked her way into the top eight at one stage on the bike in 5:04.09 but suffered, as so many do in the heat first time at Hawaii, with a 3:31.38 marathon.
Six-time Ironman New Zealand champion Jo Lawn finished in 19th place.
