Christine Schleifer out sprinted Sebastian "Sub 8" Kienle by one tenth of a second in a thrilling finish taking the win in 4:54.9 minutes.
Christine shadowed Sebastian the whole way along Alii Drive while he tried to get rid of her by kicking furiously many times and looking back to only see her staying on his heels. She was striding smoothly and showing no emotion.
On the home stretch, situated at the famous Ironman Hawaii finish line, Christine made the best of her track speed. She pulled alongside the long course triathlon pro who recently finished second at Challenge Roth in under eight hours during his first full Ironman distance race. Sebastian, not wanting to give in, stayed with her to the line, losing in a close call. Only the finish camera would later reveal Christine's win.
Third place went to Julia, who fought hard from the gun to keep the leading duo in sight. In best Ironman tradition, she never gave up and went balls to the wall straight to the line. It ain't over till it's over.
At the awards ceremony, Sebastian was visibly shaken to not have won the highly sought after MZUNGO t-shirt (no longer for sale!), as it was granted to the overall winner and the first female. With Christine taking both honors, the second t-shirt was Julia's who immediately decided to frame it for the living room wall.
"I raced the Ironman here but coming third at the MZUNGO MILE is HUGE!" she proclaimed, smiling ear to ear.
Once Sebastian's tears settled, he was able to truly appreciate his performance.
"Coming second at the MZUNGO MILE is a greater achievement than finishing second at the Ironman here. Now I have to win the Ironman or this MZUNGO MILE podium will define my career."
Stay tuned for the next edition of the MZUNGO MILE, already coming to you this Saturday in Dusseldorf, Germany.
MZUNGO MILE - free & funky!
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