News LIVE: Ironman 70.3 St. George; photo gallery

Ironman 70.3 North American Pro Champions St. George 2017 from L-R: British athletes Alistair Brownlee and Holly Lawrence. Finish line on Main Street in Historic Downtown St. George, Utah, May 6, 2017 | Photos by Sheldon Demke, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Nearly 2,500 triathletes from all over the world aim to cross the finish line Saturday in the Ironman 70.3 North American Pro Championship St. George, which got underway just after dawn. Championships were established among the pros with British competitors Alistair Brownlee and Holly Lawrence winning the race in their respective men’s and women’s pro classes.


NOTE: This LIVE Report is updated to noon Saturday.

See more: Brits Brownlee, Lawrence win Ironman 70.3 St. George; video

See more: Photo praises to the resolve of the ‘everyman’ in Ironman 70.3 St. George (with video)


Saturday’s competitors range in age from 18-77, come from 31 countries and 43 states, with 587 of them from Utah.

The race begins at Sand Hollow Reservoir in Hurricane with professional men’s and women’s class athletes in the swim at 6:5o and 6:54  a.m. just 21 minutes after sunrise – moved up by 10 minutes this year.

Organizers are trying to get everyone on the course faster due to wind predictions. Start times for the various divisions are scheduled in 21 successive waves, closer together than previously.

At 6 a.m. it’s about 70 degrees outside, 60 degrees in the water.

The course includes a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. Competitors have eight hours, 30 minutes to complete the race after the final swim wave. For more details, see the Athlete Guide.

Last year, Canadian professionals Lionel Sanders and heather Wurtele won the race, Sanders finishing in 3 hours, 48 minutes, 18 seconds, Wurtele in 4:16:48 – her second Ironman 70.3 win in St. George. Sanders competes again today

Personal accomplishment, personal best, Ironman pro points, qualifying for future Ironman races, bragging rights and of course a medal are among the many reasons people compete – for the winners: a $100,000 professional prize purse and 75 age-group qualifying slots for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Also, first out of the water in 26 age-group categories will receive a $50 gift card from Roka sports performance gear retailer.

Results follow the photo gallery. 

Watch for more photos and video to publish separately.

Photos in the gallery appear in reverse order with the most recent first.

Click on photo to enlarge, use left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Results, as posted to Ironman 70.3 St. George live blog:

Pro Men – Out Of Swim

1   23:16         Ben Kanute
2   23:18    0:03 Alistair Brownlee
3   23:21    0:05 Stuart Hayes
4   23:22    0:06 Sam Appleton
5   23:57    0:42 Tim Don
6   23:58    0:42 Brent McMahon
7   23:58    0:43 Sylvain Sudrie
8   23:59    0:44 Kevin Collington
9   24:00    0:44 Matt Chrabot
10   24:01    0:45 Joe Gambles
11   24:01    0:45 Antony Costes
12   24:02    0:47 Antoine Jolicoeur Des
13   24:03    0:48 Mark Buckingham
14   24:23    1:07 Jackson Laundry
15   25:03    1:48 Teylor Arboleda
16   25:04    1:48 Lucas Pozzetta
17   25:12    1:57 Steve Mantell
18   25:14    1:59 Kyle Buckingham
19   25:16    2:01 Ben Hoffman
20   25:18    2:03 Trevor Wurtele
21   25:23    2:07 Sebastian Kienle
22   25:57    2:42 Josiah Middaugh
23   25:59    2:43 Kennett Peterson
24   26:10    2:55 Chris Schroeder
25   26:13    2:58 Chris Leiferman
26   26:15    2:59 Tripp Hipple
27   26:16    3:01 Nicholas Granet
28   26:21    3:05 Cameron Wurf
29   26:25    3:09 Lionel Sanders
30   26:49    3:34 Domenico Passuello
31   26:54    3:38 Jesse Vondracek
32   26:55    3:40 Kevin Portmann
33   26:58    3:43 Andrew Langfield
34   27:51    4:36 Patrick McKeon
35   28:45    5:30 Alexander Chikin
36   28:54    5:38 Benjamin Williams
37   29:33    6:17 Ivan Doming

Pro Women – Out Of Swim

1   24:56         Holly Lawrence
2   24:59    0:03 Ellie Salthouse
3   25:03    0:07 Jeanni Seymour
4   26:20    1:24 Jackie Hering
5   27:18    2:23 Rachel Joyce
6   27:40    2:44 Lesley Smith
7   27:42    2:46 Ewa Bugdol
8   27:55    3:00 Lauren Capone
9   28:11    3:15 Skye Moench
10   30:16    5:20 Maggie Rusch
11   30:19    5:24 Amanda Wendorff
12   30:21    5:25 Terry Casey
13   30:22    5:26 Cecilia Davis-Hayes
14   30:22    5:27 Jen Annett
15   30:23    5:27 Sarah Jarvis
16   30:24    5:28 Carla Schubiger
17   30:25    5:30 Lisa Roberts
18   31:07    6:11 Sierra Smith
19   31:26    6:31 Caroline Martineau
20   31:29    6:33 Uli Bromme

Alistair Brownlee, from Great Britain, carried the lead among men’s pros through the first bike split. Although it’s Brownlee’s first Ironman 70.3 event, he’s certainly not new to triathlons, having two Olympic gold medals earned in 2012 and 2016, a news release issued by the Ironman organization noted Friday.

“Wow, Brownlee is absolutely destroying the field here early in St. George,” Matt Lieto posted on the Ironman 70.3 St. George blog a few minutes before the men’s pros passed Bike Split 1. “Destroying. Everyone bejhind (sic) is losing time besides Sanders who has only lost 20 seconds in the first 11 miles. Hold on people, this guy is meant to put on a show today.”

At about 8:15 a.m., Holly Lawrence is holding a firm lead among women’s pros, according to the Ironman 70.3 St. George blog. Lawrence finished the Ironman 70.3 St. George last year in second place.

“At this point no one seems to have any sort of response to Holly as she continues to just ride away from the field in St. George,” Lieto posted on the blog just after 8:20 a.m.

TOP 20 Pro Men – Thru Bike Split 1 – 11.0 mi

1 1:49:54         Alistair Brownlee
2 1:50:41    0:47 Ben Kanute
3 1:51:09    1:16 Sam Appleton
4 1:51:38    1:45 Antony Costes
5 1:51:42    1:48 Jackson Laundry
6 1:51:43    1:50 Joe Gambles
7 1:51:44    1:51 Tim Don
8 1:52:16    2:23 Matt Chrabot
9 1:52:18    2:24 Brent McMahon
10 1:52:19    2:25 Kevin Collington
11 1:52:21    2:27 Stuart Hayes
12 1:52:42    2:48 Lionel Sanders
13 1:52:43    2:49 Sylvain Sudrie
14 1:52:44    2:51 Sebastian Kienle
15 1:53:41    3:47 Cameron Wurf
16 1:53:42    3:49 Trevor Wurtele
17 1:53:47    3:53 Ben Hoffman
18 1:53:48    3:54 Mark Buckingham
19 1:53:49    3:55 Kennett Peterson
20 1:53:50    3:56 Steve Mantell

TOP 20 Pro Men – Thru Bike Split 3 – 39.2 mi

1 1:48:44         Alistair Brownlee
2 1:51:23    2:40 Lionel Sanders
3 1:51:26    2:43 Sebastian Kienle
4 1:52:22    3:39 Sam Appleton
5 1:52:25    3:42 Antony Costes
6 1:52:26    3:43 Tim Don
7 1:52:28    3:45 Ben Kanute
8 1:52:42    3:59 Jackson Laundry
9 1:53:06    4:23 Joe Gambles
10 1:53:40    4:57 Matt Chrabot
11 1:54:37    5:54 Cameron Wurf
12 1:55:44    7:01 Josiah Middaugh
13 1:55:45    7:02 Brent McMahon
14 1:55:48    7:05 Trevor Wurtele
15 1:55:50    7:07 Ben Hoffman
16 1:55:53    7:10 Kennett Peterson
17 1:55:54    7:11 Steve Mantell
18 1:55:56    7:13 Stuart Hayes
19 1:56:58    8:15 Lucas Pozzetta
20 1:57:05    8:22 Sylvain Sudrie

TOP 10 Pro Women – Thru Bike Split 3 – 39.2 mi

1 2:02:01         Holly Lawrence
2 2:07:19    5:19 Ellie Salthouse
3 2:07:22    5:22 Jeanni Seymour
4 2:10:23    8:23 Rachel Joyce
5 2:14:22   12:21 Jackie Hering
6 2:14:54   12:54 Skye Moench
7 2:15:52   13:52 Cecilia Davis-Hayes
8 2:16:05   14:05 Lesley Smith
9 2:16:49   14:48 Jen Annett
10 2:17:47   15:47 Ewa Bugdol

TOP 10 Pro Men – Thru 56-Mile Bike Finish

1 2:26:15         Alistair Brownlee
2 2:29:13    2:58 Sebastian Kienle
3 2:29:15    3:00 Lionel Sanders
4 2:30:50    4:35 Tim Don
5 2:31:27    5:12 Ben Kanute
6 2:31:39    5:24 Antony Costes
7 2:32:15    6:01 Jackson Laundry
8 2:32:25    6:10 Sam Appleton
9 2:33:25    7:10 Cameron Wurf
10 2:34:12    7:57 Joe Gambles

TOP 10 Pro Men – Thru Run Split 1 – 2.45 mi

1 2:41:21         Alistair Brownlee
2 2:44:04    2:43 Lionel Sanders
3 2:44:43    3:23 Sebastian Kienle
4 2:46:40    5:20 Tim Don
5 2:46:57    5:37 Ben Kanute
6 2:47:37    6:17 Antony Costes
7 2:48:29    7:09 Sam Appleton
8 2:48:34    7:14 Jackson Laundry
9 2:50:16    8:56 Joe Gambles
10 2:50:46    9:25 Brent McMahon

At about 10:30 a.m. Brownlee, from Great Britain, and Sanders, from Canada, crossed the finish line with course records. Brownlee came out of the water with over 3 minutes lead, allowing him to maintain first position to the finish, despite Sanders clocking fastest times on both the bike and run phases of the course.

“The British are coming!” someone shouted from the press box as the two neared the finish line. Sebastian Kienle, from Germany, followed in third place a few minutes behind.

Men’s Podium

    1 3:41:58         Alistair Brownlee
2 3:42:31    0:33 Lionel Sanders
3 3:46:20    4:23 Sebastian Kienle

Holly Lawrence is first in among the professional women.

“Her time total time today was 4:12:07 and she was never really pressured all day,” Lieto posted on the live Ironman 70.3 St. George blog.

Lawrence was followed by Jeanni Seymour, of South Africa, and Ellie Salthouse, of Australia.

TOP 3 Pro Women – Thru Run Split 4 – 10.93 mi

1 3:58:06         Holly Lawrence
2 4:01:48    3:42 Jeanni Seymour
3 4:08:24   10:19 Ellie Salthouse

St. George News reporter HOLLIE REINA contributed to this report from Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane and the finish line in St. George.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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2 Comments

  • Caveat_Emptor May 6, 2017 at 8:59 am

    Kudos to the whole SG News coverage team. Great photos and tabulation of results.
    This is an iconic event for SW Washington County, so we should be proud of how well it is organized, and executed each year.

    • NotSoFast May 6, 2017 at 12:14 pm

      You took the words out of my mind.

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