Congratulations to WattsUp Ironman 70.3 World Championship Finishers!!
Congratulations to all the WattsUp members who raced in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St George! It was a cold, crowded race course out there, but our athletes braved the conditions and pushed themselves to new levels! .
Members whom completed the race with their times and recap:
Geoff Steffens
Geoff finished in a time of 4:55:47. Swim: 29:10 Bike: 2:37:26 Run: 1:38:58
Geoff’s collection of Full Ironman and 70.3 Ironman World Championship qualifier coins!
This was Geoff’s 4th Ironman 70.3 World Championship race and 2nd in St. George. Geoff was just coming off racing the Full Ironman World Championship race in Kona, so the legs were feeling it! Geoff’s Age Group started after most of the other men’s groups so the field was super crowded by the time he got onto the course! The run was perhaps the most crowded ever seen during a 70.3 race, making it hard for strong runners to run through the field.
He was grateful to be out there and enjoyed a day of hard racing with friends!
Sean Mazer
Unfortunately Sean was unable to attend the World Championship, but is looking forward to next years 2023 70.3 World Championship in Finland!
Shawn Clark
Shawn finished in a time of 4:40:48. Swim: 31:45 Bike: 2:26:20 Run: 1:35:03
This was my 2nd 70.3 World Championship Race and I was hoping to best my time in Coeur d’Alene, which was 4:38:49. I was happy to be close to that 70.3 PR time with 4:40:48, which was 8 minutes faster than last year. I also improved my swimming by quite a bit, hitting a PR of 31:45 for that discipline.
The course and conditions felt slightly harder than the previous year and the dynamics on the bike course also made it hard as I had to put in many surges to get around large groups of men drafting off each other. Overall, It felt even harder of an effort than last year. I remind myself to have faith in the process, while I continue to improve.
Jane Pilger
Jane finished in a time of 5:39:52. Swim: 31:07 Bike: 2:56:45 Run: 2:00:09
All of the women raced on Friday with morning temps in the high 30s, warming up through the day. The men raced on Saturday with a bit warmer weather but a much larger field.
It was so great to race among some of the best and to also be able to connect with friends and training partners from near and far. My coach was there too so that was amazing!
I’m already thinking and dreaming about next year while I rest a bit for the final training to come this year. It has been a wild ride and I’m here for all of it!
Paul Gallardo
Paul finished in a time of 5:29:42. Swim: 37:37 Bike: 2:52:45 Run: 1:48:21
This event was somewhat of a redemption race for me, even though I just raced 13 days before Ironman Arizona 70.3. (Qualified for Finland Worlds 2023).
I went into this race with the mind set of enjoying the race and just wanted to improve my time from last year.
This course was very challenging. Pre-swim was very cold, Bike course was a little different from the year before, (I did get a bike drafting penalty) and the run was difficult. All in all, it was a very fun and interesting race and I beat my last years’ time by 13 minutes.
It would have been nice to meet up with our WattsUp group after the race, however the finish line was just too busy, which made it impossible to do. I just wanted to get out of the crowded areas.
Jeff Fink
Jeff finished in a time of 5:05:33. Swim: 38:11 Bike: 2:36:38 Run: 1:40:02
This was an absolutely stunning and very challenging course! I’m feeling blessed to be able to compete at the World Championship level of Competition.
Eric Russell
Eric finished in a time of 5:44:09. Swim: 35:37 Bike: 2:47:11 Run: 2:08:16
The course was tough for me but I hit the times I was looking for. The weather turned out to be perfect and a non factor.
The experience was amazing. The crowds, the area, the course, the volunteers all made it so much fun. The bike course in particular was my favorite part. Some hard climbs but tons of pay off. Smooth roads, no wind. It was great!
I loved every minute and hop I am fortunate enough to qualify in the future.
Karl Smith
Karl finished in a time of 5:34:24. Swim: 42:09 Bike: 2:48:34 Run: 1:51:27
This was my first experience at a World Championship, and I was determined to soak up the environment. The most impressive aspect was the caliber of athlete, it definitely lived up to the billing of WC. As for the actual race, I had no specific goals for time, but was able to hit my overall goal of experiencing the race and being present throughout. I wanted to end the season with appreciation for the sport, and gratitude for my ability to compete, and most importantly, gratitude for those who surround and support me.
Thank you everyone for your support! We had a great time and hope to do it again! Until that day, keep training and stay healthy!
The End!
