Australian triathlon star Mirinda Carfrae has made a successful return to Ironman-distance racing, finishing runner-up in Cairns.
The three-time Hawaiian Ironman champion was six minutes behind New Zealander Teresa Adam, who set the women's course record of eight hours 53 minutes 17 seconds at the Asia-Pacific Championships.
Adam broke the women's mark of 8:58, set by Australian Sarah Crowley a year ago on the way to her breakthrough third place last October at Hawaii.
Sunday was Carfrae's first Ironman-distance race since she finished second behind Swiss rival Daniela Ryf in Hawaii two years ago.
The Australian had a year off for the birth of her first child, Isabelle.
Carfrae had raced the Hawaiian Ironman every year since 2009.
She and Craig Alexander are the only Australians to win triathlon's most famous race three times.
Carfrae aims to make that four titles in October.
But a few hours after Sunday's successful Ironman comeback, Ryf also showed she remains the woman to beat.
Ryf won the Switzerland Ironman 70.3 - or half-Ironman race - by a whopping 15 minutes.
Carfrae clocked 8:59:17 and American Beth McKenzie, the wife of top Australian Luke McKenzie, was third in 9:03:10.
It was a big day for New Zealand in Cairns, with Braden Currie also breaking the men's course record in the Ironman.
He clocked 7:54:58 to beat Spanish star Javier Gomez by 1:40.
It was Gomez's Ironman-distance debut and he also went under the course record of 8:02, set by Australian Josh Amberger.
Currie's compatriot Terenzo Bozzone took third place and was only six seconds over the eight-hour mark.
Carfrae's American husband Tim O'Donnell was fourth.
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