Mitch Robins back to back wins in Ironman 70.3 Japan

Australian triathlete Mitch Robins has successfully defended his 2015 Japan 70.3 victory with a come from behind effort to retain the title in 2016.

Robins began his day with an unusually slow swim, putting him on the back foot from the gun. However, he remained cool and collected throughout the 90km cycle, with company in the form of Fredrik Croneborg, Rodrigo Acevedo and Tim George, posting a 2:14:07 on a technical, hilly and wet bike course.

Robins took the lead from Guy Crawford at the 7km mark on the run and didn’t look back, posting a 1:16:18 run split to see him across the finish line in a time of 4:01:50.

After the finish, Robins revealed he was relieved and excited, saying, “I’m really happy to be here, what a challenging race in a beautiful country. I was patient today and had good run legs, so very pleased to defend my title here from last year.”

Robins has had some excellent results so far in 2016, indicating a return to his best form. After a short break he will be preparing for a shot at the 70.3 World Championships to be held in September in Mooloolaba.

About Mitch Robins

Born and raised in Port Macquarie, NSW Australia, Robins grew up on the beach surfing, running and playing soccer. Started with triathlon in 2008 under the guidance of Grant Giles (Aeromax Team), winning his first professional race at the Port Macquarie Half Ironman in 2010. Represented Australia at the Beijing ITU World Championships in 2011 and won races in Asia, USA, Australia and Europe.

A devastating foot injury in 2012 saw Mitch sidelined for 2 years, during which time he completed a Bachelor of Human Movement and Secondary Education at the University of Technology, Sydney. Robins began his return to competition with a win at Challenge Foster 2014 and has continued to make his way back to top form throughout 2015 and 2016.