The 26-year-old professional triathlete finished second behind Mitch Robins last year but made 2011 his own with a stellar showing at yesterday’s annual event.

Reed was third off the bike and was forced to run down training partner Joseph Lampe and Port Macquarie’s Adam Holborow in the mid distance race (2km swim, 60km ride and 15km run).

It took him a while to close the gap but once he reached the lead halfway through the final 15km leg, Reed could not be headed.

He crossed the new-look finish line in a time of two hours, 54 minutes and 15 seconds (2:54:15), almost 60 seconds ahead of Lampe (2:55:07) and close to four minutes in front of Holborow (2:58:04).

The victory came less than fortnight after Reed, who shares his time between Norfolk Island, Sydney and the US, arrived in Australia.

“It has been a long season for me [racing in the US] and I only got home a week-and-a-half ago,” Reed said.

“But I came here to have a good race and to keep the threshold high.

“I trained pretty hard for a week leading up to this and it was a great hit out for me.”

Reed said he enjoyed the longer, new-look course at the Maitland Triathlon and will now turn his attention to the half ironman scene in Australia featuring races in Port Macquarie, Canberra and Nepean.

Redhead’s Nathan Stewart (3:01:45) was the best of the Hunter contingent yesterday, placing fourth.

In the women’s mid distance race, 24-year-old Matilda Raynolds from Braidwood comfortably took out the title in a time of 3:18:31 after Lisa Marangon withdrew mid-race.

Marangon, who won the Maitland event in 2006 and 2007, was leading from Raynolds in the bike leg but a punctured tyre left her on the side of the road and out of contention.

Raynolds took full advantage in her first Maitland Triathlon.

“Lisa [Marangon] pulled out but there wasn’t much I could do about that,” Raynolds said. “It was my first race of the season and I hadn’t raced in six months. The head wind was pretty tough but I was glad I could pull [the win] off in the end.”

Monica Dalidowicz and Grace McPherson finished second and third respectively.

There was $2000 prize money distributed across the mid-distance place getters.

In the sprint distance (500m swim, 20km ride, 5km run) it was Alexander Reithmeirer and Angie Sharp successful in the men’s and women’s sections respectively, while Maitland Triathlon Club’s Bryce Murry was third across the line.

Don’t miss tomorrow’s Maitland Mercury for a

four-page liftout with all the results from the Maitland Triathlon and fun runs.