Australian triathlon star Melissa Hauschildt has started her season by dominating the Challenge Melbourne long-course race.
As Hauschildt won by more than seven minutes, compatriot Leon Griffin held off strong surges from rising star Nick Kastelein and decorated veteran Peter Robertson to take the men's title.
The race was held in wet and windy conditions on Sunday morning.
Hauschildt, the two-time 70.3 world champion, was two minutes and 30 seconds down after the 1.9km swim.
But she quickly made up ground and took the lead from Christie Sym roughly two thirds through the 90km bike.
Hauschildt struggled late in the 21.1km run, but had a massive buffer and cruised to the win.
"I was really happy to only be two and a half minutes down after the swim," said Hauschildt, who has a strong running background.
"The plan was to ride as hard as I can - I like the wind.
"The rain made the corners a bit sketchy, so I took that real easy.
"The run on the last lap was where the legs fell off."
Hauschildt won in four hours 19 minutes and 12 seconds, with Sym next in 4:26:38.
Fellow Australian Lisa Marangon was third in 4:32:47.
Hauschildt's early-season goal is Challenge Dubai on February 27, the opening race of the new Middle East Triple Crown.
There is a $US1 million ($A1.29 million) prize for any athlete who can win all three races this year.
In the men's race on Sunday, Griffin caught early leaders Clayton Fettell and Todd Skipworth late in the bike.
Kastelein had the fastest run split, but he was unable to catch Griffin as Robertson also ran his way through the field.
Griffin won in 3:51:41, while Kastelein had a 1:13:56 run split to take second in 52:53.
Robertson, the two-time Olympian and three-time Olympic distance world champion, was third with 3:53:17.
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