Later that Friday evening, the rower-turn-triathlete bit his tongue and entered the iconic East Coast race.

But only after a quick turnaround in how his sore body was feeling and a gift bike from champion cyclist Richie Porte ensured Foot rocketed home first at the Coles Bay Half ironman on Saturday.

Foot was coming straight off a credible 11th place after he also recorded a personal best and nearly cracked the four-hour barrier at Ironman 70.3 Geelong last Saturday.

But the elite Launceston 31-year-old athlete appeared to have paid a hefty price ahead of one of his favourite triathlon events.

"Everything sort of just happened at once," Foot said.

"I didn't have a whole lot of work in me the two weeks leading into Geelong, so I wasn't sure how I'd pull up.

"It all went well in the end.

"I was a bit ordinary during the week and decided late Friday to give it a blast."

He crossed the line to win in a time of four hours, six minutes and 43 seconds.

Foot held Nathan Jackson, 43, and Mark Padgett, 40, the ex-Coles Bay race organiser, off to set an all-Launceston podium finish.

Conditioning aside, the 2012 London Olympian had his mind rather than his body on more important things.

But that changed quickly for the multi-sport star. 

Foot had only got married to wife Monique at the start of February and in the middle of the triathlon season the pair had a short honeymoon before he returned straight into competition.

"I was sort of in two minds all week and on Wednesday I was still feeling pretty ordinary too," he said.

"I didn't have the best run today, but it was still good.

"I can say that I had the best-ever bike I've done."

Porte had spent some time with Foot over the summer and paid out of his own pocket a new Trek-Segafredo time-trial bike for his good mate to try out and improve his cycle leg.

Foot has since changed his riding position on the bike after trialing it first seven days earlier at Geelong.

"It was well worth it - it's helped heaps," he said.

Favourite Mel Clark was the first woman across the line, leading all the way through the 1.9km swim, 90km ride and 21.1km run.

The Launceston competitor stood out of last year's race - that Jenny Gillard won and would do the same this year - to only return for a second victory in three years.

Clark in her trademark leap at the line finished in 5:15:26 ahead of Danika Bumford and Michele Kline.

Sarah Hardy won the Coles Bay sprint triathlon from Brooke Fehlberg and Pia Austin.

Stuart Page took out the male sprint from Mark Dawson and Andre Felisberto.

More than 250 entrants tackled the near-perfect 24C day that also included more than 50 teams.

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