Athletes from around the globe head to St. George, Utah to compete in the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission on Oct. 28 & 29

October 24, 2022

More than 6,000 registered athletes from 104 countries, regions, and territories will converge in St. George, Utah for the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission; Legends Rising: St. George and Greater Zion true Land of Endurance in hosting third world championship IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 events in past 13 months

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Oct. 24, 2022) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – On Oct. 28 & 29 the Land of Endurance, Southern Utah will welcome over 6,000 registered athletes from 104 countries, regions, and territories to compete in the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission. This will mark the second year in a row that St. George, Utah will host the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in addition to also becoming the first location outside of Hawai`i to host the IRONMAN World Championship this past May. In all Greater Zion has hosted three world championship IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 events in the past 13 months showcasing why it is known as the Land of Endurance. Live race day coverage will be available on Outside Watch with race preview content available on all of IRONMAN’s social media channels.

“We cannot thank our hosts and partners in St. George and Greater Zion more for their hospitality and hosting of our world championship athletes and look forward to a great two days of racing,” said Diana Bertsch, Senior Vice President, World Championship events for The IRONMAN Group. “With over 6,000 registered athletes, we are excited to create a world championship experience for what is one of our largest and most international fields at any IRONMAN event in history.”

Breaking down the regional representation, North America leads the way with 42 percent* of athletes registered to race at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission. Europe follows North America with the second most, accounting for 37 percent of athletes. Latin America follows with 10 percent, Oceania with 4 percent, and Asia with nearly 2 percent make up the top five regions represented at the 2022 edition of the event.

The United States of America is the most represented nation with 2,331 registered athletes, followed by France (472), Canada (448), United Kingdom (405), Germany (348), and Australia (245). Other athletes from countries as far as Egypt, New Zealand, South Africa, and Jersey are traveling from around the globe to race the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission. Countries being represented for the first time include Cayman Islands, St. Martin, and Syria.

This year’s field boasts 12 age-group champions from the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission that took place in St. George on Sept. 18, 2021. On the women’s side, there is: Mexico’s Alina Hanschke Busch (F35-39), along with American’s Cathy Yndestad (F40-44), Juliet Hochman (F55-59), Colleen De Reuck (F55-59), Juliana Nievergelt (F60-64) and Diane Tracy (F70-74). On the men’s side, Luxembourg’s Olivier Godart (M45-49) returns to St. George. American’s Gennaro Magliulo (M75-79), Tim Bradley (M60-64), Andrew Hall (M35-39), Mike Wien (M70-74) and Ilya Slepov (M40-44).

Other notable age-group athletes competing at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission include:

• Rajesh Durbal was born as a triple amputee, but that hasn’t stopped him from competing in triathlons, traveling the world, and inspiring millions of people. His foundation, Live Free, conducts events and seminars which have trained more than 500,000 people in 16 different countries to achieve their full potential and experience life at the highest level possible. He became the first triple-amputee to compete in the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in 2010 and 2011. In addition, he holds a provisional patent in prosthetic quick-connect components to improve mobility and decrease limitations for amputees. Last year, with a group of athletes and para-athletes, he ascended the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. He will continue to inspire others who have had to overcome in St. George.
• In 2018, David Haywood, from Belfast, Great Britain set out on a journey like no other during his gap year. David decided to bike around the world, covering over 21,000 miles. The journey covered 33 countries in 349 days. David also is a Guinness World Record holder for ‘most countries visited by bicycle in seven days’.
• Athlete Zeinab Razaie will be the first Afghan woman to race in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Despite her athletic ambitions, she is unable to compete in her home country due to the Taliban’s rules. Razaie completed her first marathon in 2017 and ran a multi-stage ultramarathon across 250 km of the Mongolian Gobi Desert in 2018. Then, in February 2020, she completed the IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai and became the first Afghan woman to finish an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon.
• Joe Terry was drafted to the Seattle Seahawks out of college to play at the linebacker position. He was cut at just 22 years old and had to find a new purpose and meaning in life. Joe found triathlon as a challenge and decided to start competing. As he crossed the finish line of his first IRONMAN, Joe broke down in tears and was forever hooked on triathlons. Today, Joe works as a CEO at Culture Partners in San Francisco and trains to compete at his highest level.
• 10 years ago, Beth Ulibarri was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. A few years later, she started competing in IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races. She finds that her training helps her stay fit and healthy to manage and combat her MS.
• Salt Lake City-based Sara Whittingham will compete in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship to combat the pain of Parkinson’s Disease. In 2020, Whittingham assumed her triathlon days were over after being diagnosed with the disease. After participating in a research study at the Cleveland Clinic on the effects of cycling on disease progression, Whittingham found that cycling made her feel better. Encouraged, she signed up for IRONMAN 70.3 Ohio with her husband and completed her fastest IRONMAN 70.3 since 2001.

The 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission will kick off with a 1.2-mile (1.9km) ROKA Swim Course, which takes place in Sand Hollow Reservoir located in Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah. A challenging 56-mile (91.3km) FULGAZ Bike Course follows and will lead athletes through stunning desert landscapes with 3,201 feet (1003 meters) of elevation gain and an unforgettable climb into Snow Canyon State Park and surrounding Washington County. The 13.1-mile (21.2km) HOKA Run Course will take athletes on two loops through the stunning Red Hills Parkway and wind through historic downtown St. George where the finish line is located.

The striking Southwestern community of St. George and the Greater Zion region has been a host venue for IRONMAN races since 2010. St. George’s breathtaking scenery and views of the surrounding red rock canyons have made the community an ideal destination for athletes for years. The city’s walkable downtown area features great local fare and boutique shopping while providing an unmistakable backdrop. With breathtaking Southwest American scenery, downtown St. George also delivers athlete support and a finish line like few others are able.

Additional historical facts and stats on the field competing in the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission in St. George, Utah:

• Erwin Helml (DEU) is the oldest male participant at 82, while Ted Ward (GBR) is the youngest at 18
• Linda Ashmore (GBR) is the oldest female participant at 76, while Arina Niyaki (ZAF) is the youngest at 19
• 34 percent of the registered field of participants are female and will race on Friday
• 66 percent of the registered field of participants are male and will race on Saturday
• 42 is the average age of all registrants
• 18 athletes will be celebrating their birthdays on their respective race days
• All 50 U.S. states are accounted for, with the greatest number hailing from California (304), Texas (189), Florida (176), Colorado (168), New York (138), Illinois (112), Washington (102), Pennsylvania (93), Wisconsin (86), and Michigan (83) making up the top states.
• 2,514 athletes racing in this year’s Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission are IRONMAN All World Athletes™
• 18 new IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race locations were added to the calendar in 2022; – (New IRONMAN triathlons in France (Pays D’Aix), Israel, and USA (Alaska and Iowa); New IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons in Argentina, Germany, Greece, Morocco, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, South Africa, and Wales.
• More than 4,000 volunteers will help make the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission successful in 2022.

Enjoy live race-day coverage of the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission triathlon globally via Outside Watch.

“A Fighting Chance”

Follow the @ironmantri social channels for a behind the scenes view of what it takes to have a chance at world-title glory. The ‘A Fighting Chance’ IRONMAN series will drop a new episode Tuesday-Thursday of race week, giving audiences a glimpse of what it takes to prepare for race day, as well as the staging behind such an iconic event. Check out Outside Watch and IRONMAN social media for the latest episodes.

For more information about the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission event, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

*Percentages rounded, approximate

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About Intermountain Healthcare

Located in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada, Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, the Intermountain Medical Group with some 2,700 employed physicians and advanced care practitioners, a health plans division called SelectHealth, Homecare, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs.

About Utah Sports Commission

The Utah Sports Commission was created to be a catalyst for Utah in its Olympic legacy efforts and to help enhance Utah’s economy, image, and quality of life through the attraction, promotion, and development of national and international sports. Since the 2002 Olympics and Paralympic, the Utah Sports Commission has attracted nearly 900 major events to the state. The Sports Commission works closely with communities, sports entities, and organizations to provide event services ranging from the bid process, on-site logistics, volunteer coordination, sponsorships and promotional opportunities, and other related services. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 business league and Utah Sports Commission Foundation, a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization, is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees consisting of statewide sports, business, community, and government leaders. For more information, visit www.utahsportscommission.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

In 2006 the inaugural IRONMAN^® 70.3^® World Championship was held in Clearwater, Florida becoming another test for the world’s elite triathletes. Since that auspicious beginning, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship has grown in stature and popularity moving first to Henderson, Nevada in 2011, where athletes encountered a more challenging terrain and then to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec—its first stop on the new “global rotation” for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. The event reached European soil for the first time ever in 2015, with Zell am See, Austria, hosting an epic and memorable event. In 2016, the race moved from the mountains to the beaches of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. In 2017, the race returned to the United States, taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it became a two-day event for the first time. In 2018, the event reached the African continent for the first time and was hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa. Continuing the rotation, 2019 saw the French Riviera and Nice, France play host to the ever-growing IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship event. After a year in which the event was not able to take place due to a global pandemic, the race returned in 2021 with over 3,500 athletes competing in St. George, Utah. The event will again take place in St. George, Utah, returning to a two-day format on October 28-29, 2022, before shifting to Lahti, Finland on August 26-27, 2023 and Taupō, New Zealand on December 14-15, 2024. Historically, more than 200,000 athletes have participated annually in a series of qualifying races, consisting of over 100 global events. Hosting more than 5,000 athletes from around the world, participants in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship have ranged in age from 18 to 85-plus. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, 1010data and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.