COEUR d'ALENE - Craig Alexander, the two-time Ironman World Champion, reached the second transition point of the 2011 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene, dropped off his bike and donned his running shoes.

Ahead lay the 26.2-mile marathon route, the final leg of Sunday's triathlon, and the 38-year-old Australian was more than nine minutes behind German-born Maik Twelsiek.

The chase was on.

"I was confident I could run a steady marathon," Alexander said. "I was good enough in the end."

Good enough to close that nine-minute gap, overtake Twelsiek between miles 15 and 16 and charge to the finish line on Sherman Avenue, where he became the Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene champion.

His official time was 8 hours, 19 minutes, 48 seconds, a new course record.

"I'm really happy to win, and do a great time. The honest truth is I felt great until probably five or six miles to go, and then I started to tighten up a little bit," Alexander said. "But the crowd support brought me home. It's an amazing atmosphere."

On Sunday Alexander was still battling the aftereffects of a respiratory viral infection he contracted this spring. He had coughed for eight weeks, popped his rib cartilage and strained intercostal muscles; his training was put on hold for four weeks.

"Sometimes, rest is just what the doctor ordered, so to speak," Alexander said. "I'm glad I made the decision to race here."

Twelsiek finished second overall with a time of 8:24:59, setting a new bike course record - 4:29:10 - along the way. He became ill following the race, and was unavailable for comment.

"Those two chaps (Alexander and Twelsiek) are a whole different level," said Tom Evans of Penticton, British Columbia, the third-place finisher (8:49:54). "It was quite incredible to see what they did."

Evans, a two-time Ironman Coeur d'Alene champion, was the first swimmer to leave Lake Coeur d'Alene, but soon relinquished the lead spot.

"It wasn't even a race. I just let them go,?? he said. "I knew before the gun went off that the race was for third place."

Great Britain's Julie Dibens crossed the line in a course-record 9:16:40 to capture the women's crown.

She was the first female swimmer to come ashore, and the first to ride her bike 112 miles. The race went smoothly until mile 14 of the marathon, where Dibens hit a rough patch - her body ran out of calories, she said - and walked a portion of the course.

But she grabbed some extra fuel from the aid stations and closed out the race.

"To come through that and still hold on for the win, I'm pretty happy with that," the 36-year-old said. "I think there's just like a stubbornness in all of us. You've just got to keep going."

The bike course was "unbelievable," she added. "And I probably ended up riding it a little bit too hard, just 'cuz I was having way too much fun out there."

About 15 minutes behind Dibens, Caitlin Snow finished in 9:29:18. Her swim was slower than she wanted, she said, but her biking felt good.

Snow, from Brockton, Mass., wasn't surprised by Dibens' record-setting performance.

"I knew she was strong coming into the race," Snow said. "She's always so strong on the bike."

Snow was in third place after the 2.4-mile swim, and moved into second on the long bike stretch. She cut into Dibens' lead during the run but couldn't overtake the eventual champ.

Her marathon effort, 3:03:12, set a Coeur d'Alene run course record.

"It was tough. It got warm out there," Snow said. "Out on the bike, it's beautiful. You come through the crowds, they're amazing. It was a fun race."

The 2011 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene drew 2,347 competitors. Brian Hadley of Coeur d'Alene was the top local finisher, taking fourth place overall and notching a time of 9:02:44.

Thousands of spectators lined the course, waving signs and clanging cowbells.

"You couldn't ask for more perfect weather," said Wendy Culpepper of Coeur d'Alene, who watched the race from several spots along the course. "It makes everybody want to be an Ironman next year."

Heidi Haller cheered on the athletes from Lakeside Avenue. Her husband, Dean, and son, Derek, volunteered as wetsuit-peelers this year.

"I think it's awesome," Haller said of the race. "It's very inspirational."

Many of the pro triathletes expressed their appreciation for the local cheering sections. Dibens described the atmosphere as "unbelievable," and said she understands why Coeur d'Alene is such a special Ironman.

Alexander shared similar thoughts.

"I've raced all over the world, and haven't raced in too many atmospheres like (Coeur d'Alene)," he said. "The people all over town, and even all over the bike course, are just amazing."