Rewriting history: Eimear Mullan is victorious at Ironman UK

Eimear Mullan has become the first female triathlete to win the UK 70.3 and full Ironman in the same year, making it a great year for Irish women in triathlon.

The Northern Irish triathlete triumphed at the Ironman UK event in Bolton yesterday, beating close rival Amanda Stevens and winning the race, to go along with the 70.3 race that Mullan won in June.

Eimear, 30, was trailing Stevens after the American built up a 15 minute lead after the 3.8k swim, with the lead still at 13 minutes after the 112 mile bike stage.

But a gutsy fightback and her superior run speed saw Mullan claw back the gap and take the lead. Eimear took 5 minutes out of Stevens' lead in the first seven miles and with the American struggling in the run, Mullan capitalised, running a 3:18:32 marathon (10:08:44 total) to becoming the first ever Irish winner of the UK Ironman.

The hills of the UK race suited Eimear so much better than Stevens, and resulted in Mullan being the first ever woman to win the 70.3 and full Ironman in the same year, in only her second attempt at a full Ironman, having finished eighth in Florida last year.

This month Eimear visited Velomotion to get a bike fit ahead of the UK Ironman, to ensure she could perform at her optimum level before the race in Bolton yesterday.