REDDING, Calif. — Jason West of Boulder, Colorado, won the first-ever Ironman 70.3 Northern California held on Sunday, Aug, 16, in Redding. His finishing time was 3 hours, 39 minutes, 23 seconds.
Jackson Laundry and Sam Long finished close behind West to round out the top three. Grace Alexander of South Carolina won the women’s race.
Competitors Jason West, Jackson Laundry and Sam Long atop the IRONMAN 70.3 podium on Aug. 16, in Redding. (KRCR)
The event offered a $40,000 prize pool, with $5,500 awarded for first place.
West said his preparation has come together over the past year as his family life has settled.
“I think life has just settled down. We had a baby about a year ago. Just been figuring it out as a family and things have normalized and I feel like I’ve been able to really start pushing and turning all the dials that I can and my performance today showed it,” West said.
IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California started with a 1.2 mile swim at Whiskeytown Lake on Aug. 16. (KRCR)
The race began at Whiskeytown Lake with a 1.2-mile swim led by the pro men and women’s groups. Athletes then transitioned to a 56-mile bike ride through Shasta County’s rolling hills before finishing with a 13.1-mile run that started and ended on the convention center grounds. Runners crossed Sundial Bridge and then headed through a tunnel of cheering fans at the finish line.