Search
shop

McNamee and Lewis earn IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin victories

Congratulations to Sarah Lewis on a first IRONMAN 70.3 title in Dublin. David McNamee had to run very hard for a second victory in Ireland.
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

David defends in Dublin; Sarah stops a Susie three-peat…

The third edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin (which we had previewed recently) saw some close racing to the finish. Scotland’s David McNamee was able to add a second consecutive win in Ireland, but Susie Cheetham’s attempt to extend her winning run to three was ended on the run course with a first IRONMAN 70.3 victory for Sarah Lewis.

The Men

Second earlier this year at IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire, Romain Guillaume (FRA) – a regular visitor to UK-based M-Dot events – set his stall out early on the bike to try and build a lead. 30 seconds up at 30km, he extended that significantly to two and half minutes by 55km (over McNamee and Sean Donnelly (GER)). By T2 his efforts had earned him a 4:45 lead over McNamee, Donnelly and the always hard-riding Bryan McCrystal (IRL). McNamee is a fine runner and was always likely to be the fastest of Guillaume’s chasers… but would it be too much to bridge?

By 6km the gap was down to three minutes and at 13km, 1:24. 10-miles was passed just 35 seconds down on the Frenchman and shortly after the pass was made – but he had been made to work for it, finishing with a 1:11:42 split. Donnelly took third, McCrystal fourth and Elliot Smales was once again the fastest of the ‘chase pack’ to run through to fifth. In his first Pro season, he’s gaining valuable experience – and will be well aware that a step-up in his TT riding over the winter should net him some even better results in 2018.

DUBLIN, IRELAND - AUGUST 20: Athlete David McNamee from Great Britain celebrates winning the men race of IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin triathlon at the finish line on August 20, 2017 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN

The Women

Possible expected to be a head-to-head between two-time champion Susie Cheetham and Lucy Gossage, that prediction was off the cards before the race even started, with Lucy ill overnight and unable to start.

Cheetham and Sarah Lewis exited the swim together in just over 28 and a half minutes. Cheetham built a lead of a minute and a half during the middle section of the cycle, but Lewis was able to reduce that buffer to barely 30 seconds by the time the half marathon run started. The race was on.

By 6km Lewis had was on the shoulder of the reigning champion and was clearly having a great day, pushing on and building a lead of over two and a half minutes by the 10-mile mark. With third place well back, Cheetham was not under threat for second place, but the day would belong to Lewis who has overcome a horrendous early season bike crash to reach the top step of an IRONMAN 70.3 podium for the first time.

IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin – Sunday 20th August 2017
1.9km / 90km / 21.1km

PRO MEN

1st – David McNamee (GBR) – 3:48:14
2nd – Romain Guillaume (FRA) – 3:48:44
3rd – Sean Donnelly (GER) – 3:56:06
4th – Bryan McCrystal (IRL) – 3:58:44
5th – Elliot Smales (GBR) – 3:59:14
6th – Fraser Cartmell (GBR) – 4:02:51

DUBLIN, IRELAND - AUGUST 20: Athlete David McNamee from Great Britain celebrates winning the men race of IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin with Romain Guillaume from France (L) second and Sean Donnelly from Germany (R) third at the finish line on August 20, 2017 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN

PRO WOMEN

1st – Sarah Lewis (GBR) – 4:23:12
2nd – Susie Cheetham (GBR) – 4:26:26
3rd – Amanda Wilson (AUS) – 4:34:44
4th – Aine Donegan (IRL) – 4:36:23
5th – Emma Deary (GBR) – 4:36:40
6th – Magdalena Nieuwoudt (RSA) – 4:44:16

DUBLIN, IRELAND - AUGUST 20: Athlete Sarah Lewis from Great Britain celebrates winning the women race of IRONMAN 70.3 Dublin with Sussie Chetham from Great Britain (L) second and Amanda Wilson from Australia (R) third at the finish line on August 20, 2017 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images for IRONMAN
John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
Ruth Astle finishing IRONMAN Vitoria 2024
PremiumHow to cope with a DNF: Elite athletes share their stories
PremiumIs your evening workout routine wrecking your recovery? Expert physiologist on how to improve recovery and what NOT to do
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
03/07/2025 - Tour de France 2025 - Grand départ Jour 2 - Lille - Présentation des équipes -Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike)
PremiumWhat triathletes can learn from the Tour de France pro peloton
latest News
lionel sanders wins oceanside 2024 [Photo credit: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN]
Lionel Sanders pinpoints the BIGGEST difference from Mark Allen era of triathlon
Sam Laidlow celebrates Challenge Roth win 2025
Triathlon superstar Sam Laidlow went from near DNS at Challenge Roth to epic glory
Alex Yee supertri Neom 2024 win Photo credit: Darren Wheeler | supertri
Supertri Toronto 2025: How to watch live as Alex Yee makes his triathlon return
Dan Lorang Head of Performance BORA - hansgrohe
Touching and heartfelt tribute from Anne Haug’s coach after she announces triathlon retirement
Sam Long - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
‘No No No’ – culture shock and bike crash for American star Sam Long in Italy
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...