Long considered the pinnacle of the long-distance triathlon, the Hawaii Ironman on Kona Island is renowned for its tough conditions and considered a yardstick for elite endurance athletes.
Veteran Australian professionals Belinda Granger (41), of Noosa, and Courtney Ogden (38), of Perth, both said the Challenge Wanaka outranked Hawaii in terms of toughness.
"I suffered all day. That is the toughest bike race I have ever done," Granger said.
Ogden, who won the West Australian Ironman last month, agreed and said the winds had also heaped misery on runners after their blasting on the bike.
Harper had a six-minute lead over Granger on the bike and was looking strong as she battled headwinds to reach the highway climb between Tarras and Luggate and turn for Wanaka.
A kilometre down the track, Harper was left bloodied, bruised, and disorientated, on the roadside after a gust sent her crashing from the bike.
Waikato athlete Keegan Williams was another top Kiwi contender to blow up, as he pushed to go one place better than his second and third placings during the past two years.
Williams was involved in a foot race duel with Ogden, as the Kiwi ran the Australian down on the first lap of the marathon course.
However, the effort of overtaking Ogden proved too much for Williams, when he hit the wall and collapsed near the 23km mark.
"He'd gone past me, but then I noticed him slowing up. Next thing he stopped, vomited, and then collapsed," Ogden said.
During the cycle back to Wanaka in headwinds gusting up to more than 50kmh, Ogden said he prayed to be hit by a car to "put me out of my misery".
"It was terrible out there on the bike. Just brutal. It's harder than Hawaii by far ... The hardest thing I've ever done," he said.
