Chris McCormack, of Australia, crosses the finish line to win the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kailua, Kona. Elaine Thompson | Associated Press   Chrissie Wellington, of Britain, raises a ribbon at the finish as she won the women's Ironman Triathlon World Championship. Elaine Thompson | Associated Press

McCormack, known as Macca, was 11 minutes behind leader Torbjorn Sindballe of Denmark at the end of the 112-mile bicycle ride. But the Australian's fast run moved him to the front at the 15-mile mark of the 26.2-mile run.

His total time was 8 hours, 15 minutes, 34 seconds.

The 34-year-old from Sydney crossed the finish line waving an Australian flag and dedicated his victory to his mother, stricken with breast cancer.

McCormack is a five-time winner of the Ironman race in Australia, but he had never won in Hawaii. He finished second last year.

Craig Alexander, also of Australia, finished second in 8:19:04, followed by Sindballe in 8:21:30, two-time winner Tim DeBoom of Boulder, Colo., in 8:22:23, and Marino Vanhoenacker of Belgium in 8:23:31.

Chrissie Wellington of Britain won the women's race in 9:10:00. She took the lead late in the bicycle ride and was in front throughout the run. Her victory came less than two months after she won the Ironman race in South Korea.

Chris Lieto, of Danville, Calif., led through much of the bicycle ride and had opened a 4-minute lead over Sindballe at the 60-mile mark turnaround.

But Sindballe narrowed the lead to 1:50 by the 85-mile mark and passed Lieto just after 90 miles. Lieto, who passed Sindballe and retook the lead early in the run, finished sixth.

McCormack had closed the gap with the leader to 4:36 by the seven-mile mark of the run and to three minutes at 10 miles.

The bike ride took the athletes from the Kailua, Kona, pier through barren lava fields and rolling ranch lands to the turnaround at the village of Hawi at the northern tip of Hawai'i Island. The bike ride, which ended back at the pier, followed a 2.4-mile ocean swim in the calm waters of Kailua Bay.

Francisco Pontano of Spain was the first out of the water in 51:23, but Linda Gallo of Mountain View, Calif., and Luke McKenzie of Australia were 2 seconds behind. Pontano's time was more than 4 minutes behind the record pace of 46:44.

More than 140 professional triathletes started the race 15 minutes before another 1,700 age-group competitors from 49 states and 45 countries ranging in age from 19 to 78.

The field included most of the sport's top professionals, who vied for $560,000 in prize money, with the first man and woman each earning $110,000.

Defending champions Normann Stadler of Germany and Michellie Jones of Australia competed, but both dropped during the bike ride.