Around 1,700 triathletes from around the world flocked to Whiskeytown Lake’s Oak Bottom Marina in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, Aug. 16.
Competing in the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California, athletes tackled a grueling course that featured a 1.2-mile swim in Whiskeytown Lake, a 56-mile bike ride through Shasta County and a 13.1-mile run along the Sacramento River Trail.
Professional male athletes were the first to enter Whiskeytown Lake’s 75-degree waters at about 6:20 a.m., with the women’s professional field following 10 minutes later. By 7 a.m., competitors of all ages had begun making their way through the course.
Just before 10 a.m., hundreds of fans outside the Redding Civic Auditorium witnessed history. After 3 hours, 39 minutes and 23 seconds, 33-year-old Jason West of Boulder, Colorado, crossed the finish line, becoming the first winner of the IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California.
“It’s really special to come to a new place, come to a new city that’s supporting the sport,” West said. “The energy on the run course was really fun … anytime you get to break the tape at the finish line is really special.”
West, the No. 2 ranked pro heading into the race, has been competing professionally since 2014, and Sunday marks his 17th career victory.
“I’ve never been to this area before, so it was really nice to see it,” West said. “We looked around the bike course, and it was super fun, super dynamic. It was a beautiful lake out there. It’s been a great place to race.”
However, when West started the final leg of the race, he was behind Jackson Laundry. While on the run course, West got some words of encouragement that may or may not have contributed to the win.
“One little kid told me I got to run faster to catch the leader,” West said. “I said, ‘You got it, bro,’ and I did it.”
Laundry, a 33-year-old Canadian athlete, crossed the finish line two minutes later. Sam Long came in third. Laundry and Long both felt the energy of the course, and they credited the fans for bringing that energy.
“I just gotta give it to this town,” Long said after the race. “This was some of the best energy I’ve had on any run course ever. The volunteers were electric; they did not stop ringing those (cow) bells.”
At 10:47 a.m., 34-year-old Grace Alexander became the first woman to cross the finish line, posting a time of 4:17:02. Alexander made history in 2020 as the first female to win an overall age group against both men and women. She made more history here as the first woman to win IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California.
“I think this is a new favorite course for me,” Alexander said. “This one was just beautiful. The bike was very dynamic, and you never really got bored. And then the run, thankfully, is very shaded, and there’s great support out there.”
The top pros, along with the first-place finishers in each age group, will go on to compete in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in September in Nice, France. The top eight men’s and women’s professional racers also split a $40,000 purse, with West and Alexander receiving $5,000 each.
Following Alexander was 37-year-old New Zealand native Rebecca Clarke and 20-year-old Clare Dasso. Dasso, a student at Queens University of Charlotte, was nowhere near the top of the list of top professional athletes heading into the race.
Dasso started competing professionally a year ago and earned her first podium appearance.
“This is insane,” Dasso said. “I got eighth in my last race, and I guess I was shooting for that again because this was a stronger field. I just really tried super hard on the bike, and all of the sudden, when I was running, I ran into third and I couldn’t believe it.”
The pros showed up and showed out, but there were other notable competitors who took part, including Redding Mayor Mike Littau. Littau competed as part of Visit Redding’s relay team, and he completed the last leg of the race.
“It’s an honor to be able to run in this and have IRONMAN in our town,” Littau said. “Just the fact that I could be out there to cheer them along, high-five them, encourage them; I just want to be a representation of the city and show the enthusiasm.”
For those who missed Sunday’s event, IRONMAN will return next year. The Redding Tourism and Marketing Group invested $600,000 over a three-year period to get the IRONMAN to commit to Redding through 2028.
Littau and city officials hope the event is here to stay beyond that.
“This city really showed up. Not just Redding but the surrounding areas,” Littau said. “For the last two and a half hours, I was talking to runners that were passing me and saying that this was about the best event they’ve ever been to and they’re going to be back next year; I’m just really proud of our city.”
Brett Abrams is a sports reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. He covers high school and local sports in the Redding area. Reach out to Brett with any sports tips or news on X (formerly Twitter) @brabrams_ or by email at Brett.Abrams@Redding.com. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Jason West, Grace Alexander win first IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California
Reporting by Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
