Will Clarke clinched 2nd place at IM Brazil after a very solid performance and being at the front of the race all day long. A hard charge on the run saw Clarke cross the finish line in a time of 8:06:31. With this result the BMC-Vifit athlete also secured his Kona slot. Andy Potts (USA; 8:02:58) won the race as Frank Silvestrin (BRA; 8:10:31) rounded out the podium.
In contention all day long
As IM Texas didn’t bring the result Will Clarke was hoping for, he immediately set his eyes on IM Brazil. Will's intentions were clear from the start as he exited the water in 5th position, part of the big leading group of 12 athletes. Early on the bike, Will pushed the pace together with Igor Amorelli and Andy Potts. The trio opened up a gap of more than 4’ after 54k. The three leaders kept extending their advantage in the next kilometers. In the final 40k of the bike, Clarke settled for 3rd place conserving his energy for the closing marathon. Back in T2, the British athlete put on his running shoes in 3rd place with a deficit of 4’30 over first position. In the first 4k of the run, Will took over control of 2nd place and immediately opened up a gap on Amorelli in third. Just over halfway through the marathon, the gap towards the front had grown to 7’, but the BMC-Vifit athlete continued to fight and maintain a strong pace. Towards the end of the race, Will managed to break down the deficit, but ran out of kilometres. With a marathon time of 2:52:40, Clarke crossed the finish line in a time of 8:06:31. With his well-earned 2nd place, Will clinched his Kona slot and secured his qualification for the 2019 Ironman World Championships.
Very very happy
Afterwards a completely exhausted Will Clarke shared his thoughts about the race.
“What a day. I had to dig deep to finish this race today. I’m totally exhausted after this one, what a tough day. But I am really rally happy though. I lost to a stronger man on the day. I had a really solid swim and bike combination which set me up for the day getting myself, Amorelli and Potts an 8 minute lead on the rest of the field coming off the bike. But man I had to suffer on that marathon. But I never stopped believing the whole way through. I will definitely celebrate this 2nd place and Kona slot when the pain has worn off.”
