St. George, Utah provided breathtaking scenery for athletes on Saturday, May 1 as they swam 1.2-miles, biked 56-miles and ran 13.1 miles through southern Utah for the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship St. George triathlon. With a large and talented female and male professional field, many have viewed this event as a preview for the Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission which will also be taking place in St. George in 2021. Lionel Sanders (CAN) and Daniela Ryf (CHE) took the top honors with finishing times of 3:42:56 and 4:04:47 respectively. Today’s event also marked the kickoff for live broadcast coverage on Facebook Watch via the IRONMAN Now channel.
Rounding out the men’s professional podium was Sam Long (USA), who came in second with a finish time of 3:43:02 and Magnus Ditlev (DNK) who posted a 3:45:12 finishing time that was good for third place. On the female side, Jeanni Metzler (ZAF) took second in 4:09:16, while Emma Pallant-Brown (GBR) finished in third with a 4:10:03 performance.
Watch the epic sprint finish here.
Top five professional men’s results:
| SWIM | BIKE | RUN | FINISH | |
| 1. Lionel Sanders (CAN) | 25:02 | 2:02:56 | 1:09:43 | 03:42:56 |
| 2. Sam Long (USA) | 25:25 | 2:02:39 | 1:09:43 | 03:43:02 |
| 3. Magnus Ditlev (DNK) | 23:26 | 2:01:26 | 1:14:44 | 03:45:12 |
| 4. Rodolphe Von Berg (USA) | 23:15 | 2:02:39 | 1:11:58 | 03:45:29 |
| 5. Jackson Laundry (CAN) | 23:52 | 2:04:46 | 1:13:45 | 03:45:44 |
Top five professional women’s results:
| SWIM | BIKE | RUN | FINISH | |
|
1. Daniela Ryf (CHE)
|
23:45 | 2:14:12 | 1:20:54 | 04:04:47 |
| 2. Jeanni Metzler (ZAF) | 23:45 | 2:21:33 | 1:18:11 | 04:09:16 |
| 3. Emma Pallant-Brown (GBR) | 25:09 | 2:19:16 | 1:20:03 | 04:10:03 |
| 4. Paula Findlay (CAN) | 23:51 | 2:21:40 | 1:21:51 | 04:13:07 |
| 5. Skye Moench (USA) | 25:16 | 2:19:47 | 1:22:23 | 04:13:24 |
Earlier this week, IRONMAN announced that the city of St. George, Utah, will once again play host to a full-distance IRONMAN® triathlon for the first time since 2012, with the event scheduled for May 7, 2022 and again in 2024. In addition, the new IRONMAN St. George will be designated as the 2022 and 2024 IRONMAN North America Championships.
The striking Southwestern community of St. George has been a host venue for IRONMAN 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. It is also only a two-hour drive from the nightlife of Las Vegas, with its never-ending entertainment options.
The 2021 IRONMAN Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship St. George triathlon saw 2,800 athletes start the race leading athletes along a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run throughout St. George, Utah and its surrounding areas. The swim took place in the waters of the Sand Hallow Reservoir. During the first half of the scenic and a dynamic point-to-point bike course, athletes experienced rolling hills while second half of the course navigated through St. George along a flat fast section before tackling the signature climb through Snow Canyon State Park. Once off the bike in St. George’s historic Town Square, athletes began a one-loop run that offered amazing views of the city while running along the bluff before returning to the finish line located on Main Street right in the heart of downtown St. George. The 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship St. George offered 250 qualifying slots to the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission; There was also an additional 50 Women For Tri qualifying slots up for grabs for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
