The finish line at the Iron Man World Championship in St. George (Photo Cred: Bonnie Stray, KSL TV)
ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Ironman World Championship has been held annually in Hawaii, since 1978. However, organizers are breaking the tradition, moving the championship to St. George, Utah.
Over 2800 athletes competed in the championship. The track consisted of a two-and-a-half-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and a 26.2-mile run. The race began at about 6:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The athletes, knowing that they had almost 140 miles of race ahead of them, weren’t fazed at the race’s beginning. They were all ready to swim.
Racers were separated by age group and gender. KSL TV’s Bonnie Stray was on-site for the swimming section of the race.
Some professional athletes were racing in St. George. Including some Olympic athletes. There was a familiar face leading the women’s group in the swimming section of the course.
After over 2 miles of swimming, athletes were greeted by the longest section of the course. A 112-mile bike race.
Daniela Ryf, a Swiss triathlete, took a large lead in the bike race.
Many Utahns showed up to cheer on athletes at all points of the course.
Many racers had their own small support groups.
Kristian Blummenfelt, an Olympic athlete, showed off his new prototype bicycle.
Five people hit the running section of the course at the same time. Some might see this as the final stretch, but racers still had an entire marathon ahead of them.
Blummenfelt reached the running section almost 5 minutes after the first group. His Olympic running history helped him quickly gain ground.
Blummenfelt found his stride and pushed towards not only the finish line, but also those ahead of him.
There were also experienced women who were looking to close the gap during the running portion of the course.
There was a lot of movement in placements during the running section. Some gained ground, others lost.
Blummenfelt continued to close the gap.
Of course all racers wanted to win, but some consolation came with a podium spot.
Blummenfelt’s effort paid off. He ended up taking the lead and keeping it to finish strong.
Daniela Ryf, who built much of her lead during the bike race, joined Blummenfelt as a champion.
Finishing the course, regardless of placement, is a huge accomplishment. Finishing top 10 does come with some additional recognition, however.
The two champions ended up setting course records.
Utah proved to be a great home for the Iron Man World Championship, and Utahn’s hope to see the competition return to the state.