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5 to Follow: IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast
By Jennifer Ward , 05/11/23, 11:45AM EDT
This weekend, we head down to the Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast for a men’s only race. Who will take the win?
MAY 10, 2023
The Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast takes place on Sunday, May 13, 2023 and will be broadcast live on Outside Watch . The coverage of the men’s professional race starts at 5:30 am CT. (There is no female professional race at this year’s edition.) Below, we've zeroed in on five pros we think are worth keeping your eye on as the day unfolds, and broadcast commentators Dede Greisbauer and Joe Gambles weigh in with their picks.
With some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and idyllic weather, Panama City Beach sets the perfect stage for a fast day. With a buoyant saltwater swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a non-technical bike ride through the Florida pines, and a fast, spectator-filled run course along the coast, this iconic beach town is ready to welcome athletes and pros alike.
Sam Long
This Boulder-based pro comes to this race fresh off his inaugural win of 2023 at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George. He’ll be riding a high from that race and hopefully will be recovered enough to put on another clinic on the flat, fast bike course. "The Big Unit," as he's called, this Boulder, Colo. native was born as one of three premature triplets and told that he'd develop more slowly than his peers. At 6 feet 4 inches and remarkably successful at long-course triathlon, he's continuing to prove that theory wrong.
Trevor Foley
This 23-year-old American came into 2023 with a lot of promise, and he has already been delivering. He came second to Long last weekend, with bike and run splits dangerously close to the more seasoned athlete’s.
"For me the winner of Gulf Coast will come down to the swim—the athlete I will be watching for is Trevor Foley. Last weekend at St. George he lost 2:28 in the swim to Long (the eventual winner) but came away with the fastest bike and run splits. If Foley can limit this deficit, he could put himself in a position to run for the victory. It will be an exciting race!" - Joe Gambles
Lionel Sanders
Continuing with the “St. George redux” theme, this Canadian pro returns to racing just a week after his fourth-place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George. Sanders can always be relied on to put the hammer down on the bike and run, no matter what the course and day deliver.
Jackson Laundry
Another Canadian in the mix, Laundry is fresh off third-place finishes at both IRONMAN 70.3 St. George and IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside. This young Ontario native had a breakthrough year in 2022 notching solid results at several races through the season.
"On this flat Gulf Coast course, it will be hard for Long to get away as he did in St. George, so I think we'll see all of these five contenders off the bike together T.O. will have the freshest legs, but I think we'll see Long and Foley ultimately duke it out for the win. Foley has a scorching run leg, but Long wasn't pushed to the limits last week so he may find another gear to make it a sprint finish." - Dede Griesbauer
Tim O’Donnell
A favorite on the IRONMAN 70.3 and IRONMAN circuits, “T.O.” kicked off his 2023 season with a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Peru earlier this year. O’Donnell suffered a heart attack in early 2021 and came back in 2022 to record a number of podium finishes, not to mention an impressive 13th at the IRONMAN World Championship.
A Fighting Chance: Episode 2
- By IRONMAN 08/24/2023, 7:00pm EDT
- The pros are preparing for a big weekend at the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
A Fighting Chance: Episode 1
- By IRONMAN 08/23/2023, 3:00pm EDT
- Hear from a few of the North American pros competing at the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship this weekend in Lahti, Finland.
Elevate Your Triathlon Experience with IRONMAN Xclusive Challenge
- By IRONMAN 08/11/2023, 6:00am EDT
- IRONMAN Xclusive Challenge (XC) is your ticket to an unparalleled race experience that redefines the way you approach racing.
IRONMAN Kärnten-Klagenfurt, Austria to Celebrate 25 Years in 2024
- By Jordan Cantwell 08/09/2023, 9:00am EDT
- This crown jewel of the IRONMAN European circuit will mark a milestone next year. Read more of its history below.
Tag(s): Gulf Coast 70.3 News Pros
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