First-time Champions In Tempe

In a day that saw a number or records broken, Andreas Raelert won his Ironman debut in impressive style, Heleen Van de Vaat claimed her first Ironman title and an Ironman legend called it an Ironman career. Read the story »

Older Stories

Ford Ironman Arizona: 2008 Part 2

Josef Major will be back to defend the title he claimed last April, while the women's champion, Erika Csomor, has been forced to withdraw due to illness. Read the story »

Csomor's Cosmic Rise

After impressive wins at Ford Ironman 70.3 California and Ford Ironman Arizona, Erika Csomor has quickly become a major player on the Ironman scene. Read the story »

Ford Ironman Arizona Recap: The Gruenfeld Version

Tempe.

Say it soft and it sounds like...Tempe.

It may not have the scenic grandeur of Lake Placid or the tropical charm of St. Croix or the exotic mystique of Kona - think Cleveland without the awesome views - but Ford Ironman Arizona has quickly gained a reputation as perhaps the most spectator-friendly course on the circuit.

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Racing to the wire in Arizona

Just hours after Bella Comerford sprinted to a five-second victory at Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa, Jozsef Major found himself sprinting to the line just seconds ahead of TJ Tollakson in Tempe, Arizona, to claim his first Ironman title. Read the story »

Beke To Defend Ford Ironman Arizona Title

The 2007 Ford Ironman Arizona Champion Rutger Beke will return to the Tempe event to defend his title against a talented field of American and international athletes. The 30-year-old native of Belgium won his first Ironman title at this event beating out Americans Tim DeBoom and Michael Lovato. Beke has also posted strong results at the Ford Ironman World Championship, finishing second at the 2003 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii with a strong overall time of eight hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds. Beke had a fifth place finish at the Ford Ironman World Championship in 2004 and followed that with a fourth place finishes there in 2005 and 2006. Read the story »

Stellar Women's Field Competing at 2008 Ford Ironman Arizona

A star studded field of women triathletes will line up for the 2008 Ford Ironman Arizona title. Included in that group are two returning champions, the 2006 winner Michellie Jones and last year's champion Heather Gollnick. Read the story »

Second Ford Ironman Race for Arizona in 2008

North America Sports announces the addition of a second Ford Ironman Arizona Race to their 2008 event schedule. The city of Tempe and the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community will again partner with NA Sports to host a Ford Ironman Arizona event on November 23, 2008. Read the story »

Rutger Beke Claims His First Ironman

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About the Race

Qualifier for Ford Ironman World Championship Entering its third year, Ford Ironman Arizona has quickly become a top-rated event as some of the world's best Ironman triathletes converge on Tempe. The transition area, swim course and expo are all very close together, and thanks to the three-loop bike and run courses, race day viewing is nothing short of spectacular.

Tempe Town Lake looks more like a river than a lake. It's relatively narrow, but is ready-made for a triathlon swim - spectators can follow the entire swim race by simply walking along the shore. While the water is very murky (you can barely see your hand in front of you), the cool water (about 64 degrees in 2005), is very pleasant to swim in!

The three-loop - OK, three-loop-and-a-bit - bike course is surprisingly challenging thanks to the many on the course that goes through the city of Tempe and in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community located Northeast of the city.

The run course here at Ironman Arizona is the highlight of the day for the competitors. A lot of the marathon runs alongside Tempe Town Lake. This has more-than-a-few upsides: the course is very spectator friendly, is cooler because of the proximity to the water, and is also quite scenic.

Available Now from IronmanDVD

2007 Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 DVD
Relive the November 10, 2007 race with this DVD. Watch as Andy Potts, a highly decorated athlete with short-course success, sprinted to a first place 3:42:33 finish, while Australia�s Mirinda Carfrae broke the course record and claimed victory finishing at 4:07:25. In addition to the competitive professional field, more than 1,400 other triathletes ranging from 19 to 82 years old crossed the finish line, including Mark Rothbaum, manager of country music legend Willie Nelson, and Stacey Junio, who celebrated her recent weight loss in preparation for the event. $34.95 Available now.