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4:45AM Tuesday 02 December, 2008

Bennett’s top run continues

10 October 2008

Greg Bennett, Noosa’s man with the Midas touch when it comes to the big-money triathlon races, has done it again.

Bennett, 36, has defended his US Open Triathlon title in Dallas and secured his third Life Time Fitness Series Title, earning a cool $A165,544.

Last year the popular Australian racer did not strike oil in Texas, but a rich vein of golden form.

His 2007 US Open win gave him a clean sweep in the five-race series and secured the largest payday in triathlon history – more than $A460,000.

Bennett this year earned a $A82,772 cheque for first place, plus the same again for the series championship after holding off American Andy Potts and Great Britain’s Stuart Hayes over the testing Olympic distance.

He told local media it was a real dogfight for the top finish, with none of his challengers backing off at any stage.

“It’s probably the best performance of my career,” Bennett said. “The quality of the field was second to none ... everyone desperately wanted to win the big pay day.

“My mantra was: ‘Make them catch you. Make them catch you’.”

The three veteran racers were together in the swim leg and on the bike, but in the final run leg Bennett put on the pressure – clocking in the old terminology an astonishing 4 min 40 sec for the first mile. He then hung tough over the closing 10km to finish in a time of 1 hr 46 min 52 sec.

Bennett, who has won six World Cup titles over a 20-year career and finished fourth at the 2004 Athens Olympics, believed he started to dominate the pace in the 40km bike leg.

Sweden’s Lisa Norden joined Bennett in the winner’s circle to claim the $A82,772 first prize.

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