ST. GEORGE — The Ironman 70.3 World Championship women’s race is now underway, with the first triathletes just having entered the water at Sand Hollow Reservoir.
With the water temperature measuring a chilly 65 degrees just prior to the start, the first wave of competitors began their 1.2-mile swim at 7:30 a.m. After exiting the water, they’ll run up the boat ramp and to the transition zone, where they’ll swap their wetsuits for bicycles and begin the 56-mile winding second stage that will take them from Hurricane to downtown St. George.
After the athletes dismount their bikes on Tabernacle Street, the third and final leg will be a 13.1-mile run that will loop back to the finish line on Main Street between Tabernacle and 100 South.
The top professional athletes are expected to begin crossing the finish line shortly after 11:30 a.m. and St. George News is here to have you covered along the way with live updates you can find here.
Update 12:08 p.m. Taylor Knibb (USA) crossed the finish line at 11:33:21 a.m. to win the women’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Check back with St. George News early Friday afternoon for a full recap of race results.
Update 10:30 a.m. Taylor Knibb (USA) was the first athlete to complete the bicycle leg, entering the transition zone at 10:10:55 a.m. for an average pace of 24.99 mph over the 56-mile leg. She had about a six-minute lead over the next three racers, who were all right together: Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), Flora Duffy (BER) and Paula Findlay (CAN).
About the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George
This marks the second straight year St. George has hosted the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, having also done so last September. In that event, the men’s and women’s races were staged at the same time, with Gustav Iden of Norway and Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain emerging as the respective overall winners.
This year, the races are separated by sex, with the women racing on Friday and the men on Saturday. According to race officials, some 6,811 athletes are registered to compete, from more than 100 countries. Of those, approximately one-third, or around 2,200, are women.
St. George also hosted a full-distance (140.6 miles) Ironman race in May of this year. That event was technically considered to be the 2021 Ironman World Championship, even though it took place in 2022. Postponed and rescheduled due to COVID-19 concerns, it was the first time the annual event had been held outside its traditional home in Kona, Hawaii. Daniela Ryf of Switzerland was the women’s winner, while Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway won the men’s race.
Kona resumed its historic role as Ironman World Championship host earlier this month, staging the 2022 event on Oct. 6. Iden won the men’s race, while Chelsea Sodaro of California was the women’s winner, with Charles-Barclay taking second.
Both Sodaro and Charles-Barclay are among the top professionals entered in Friday’s race in St. George. Several other contenders include past winners of both the full Ironman and 70.3 events:
The veterans will be out in full force this week. 10 of our Women Pros have been on an IRONMAN 70.3 podium 10 or more times…. 🤯
But reigning champ, Lucy Charles-Barclay might have something to say about that #IM703WC2022 #IRONMANtri pic.twitter.com/RWYOTSmtop
— IRONMAN Triathlon (@IRONMANtri) October 27, 2022
Check back on St. George News for periodic updates throughout the race, with a recap story and other highlights to follow.
Photo Gallery
Taylor Knibb crosses the finish line in 4:03:20, winning the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News Competitors prepare to enter the water at Sand Hollow Reservoir at the start of the women's Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of Ironman via Outside Live, St. George News Competitors enter the water at Sand Hollow Reservoir at the start of the women's Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of Ironman via Outside Live, St. George News Competitors prepare to enter the water at Sand Hollow Reservoir at the start of the women's Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of Ironman via Outside Live, St. George News Sand Hollow Reservoir just prior to the start of the women's Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of Ironman via Outside Live, St. George News Competitors prepare to enter the water at Sand Hollow Reservoir at the start of the women's Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of Ironman via Outside Live, St. George News Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) is in the lead during the first part of the bike portion of the women's Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of Ironman via Outside Live, St. George News Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), followed closely by Lotte Wilms (FRA) and Taylor Knibb (USA) transition from swimming to biking at the women's Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of Ironman via Outside Live, St. George News Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), followed closely by Lotte Wilms (FRA) and Taylor Knibb (USA) transition from swimming to biking at the women's Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Hurricane, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of Ironman via Outside Live, St. George News Taylor Knibb of Washington, D.C. was in first place at the end of the second (bicycle) leg of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News Taylor Knibb of Washington, D.C. was in first place at the end of the second (bicycle) leg of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News Taylor Knibb of Washington, D.C. was in first place at the end of the second (bicycle) leg of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News Second transition zone, Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News Lucy Charles-Barclay (right) and Flora Duffy enter the bike-to-run transition zone, Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Oct. 28, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News Lucy Charles-Barclay of England finishes the Women's Pro swim leg during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on Oct. 28, 2022 in St. George, Utah | Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN, St. George News Age group athletes look on prior to the start of the Women's Pro Race for the swim leg during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on Oct. 28, 2022 in St George, Utah | Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN, St. George News
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