New Australian triathlon star Cam Wurf has proven his Hawaiian Ironman preparations are on target with a course record at Port Macquarie.
The former Olympic rower and professional cyclist won Ironman Australia on Sunday by more than three minutes.
His time of eight hours, six minutes and 17 seconds just beat the event record of 8:06:39, set by Finnish legend Pauli Kiuru on the old Forster course in 1992.
Second-placed Tim Reed also impressed with his 8:09:50 nearly seven minutes quicker than his 2016 win, but Wurf was too strong.
The 35-year-old finished ninth at last year's Hawaiian Ironman and has bumped up his run mileage dramatically as he aims to become a contender at the world championships.
He has set the bike course record for the last two years at Kona and he dominated that leg again at Port Macquarie on the NSW north coast.
While Wurf faded late in the run on Sunday, he's pleased with his progress.
"The course record - wow. That is the first I have got and that is what I am here to get," Wurf said.
"The bike records don't mean as much really but the course record is what I want and obviously the big one I want is in Kona and that is what I am working for every single day.
"I fell apart a bit at the end (of the run), but when I fell apart I was still moving pretty well which is a good sign of the work I have done."
New Zealander Laura Siddall won her third-straight title, beating Caroline Steffen a few days before the Swiss triathlete gains her Australian citizenship.
Siddall won the 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run event in 9:11:58, while Steffen clocked 9:17:28.
French triathlete Denis Chevrot posted an 8:16:05 and American Kelsey Withrow finished in 9:19:11 to round out the mens' and womens' podiums, respectively.
