NewsIronmanlive: Eagleman Ironman 70.3
Kevin Mackinnon previews this weekend's Eagleman Ironman 70.3
Published Friday, June 6, 2008
I can't believe I'm not there. Rob Vigorito is too nice a guy to ever deck me, but I know he'd probably like to. I won't be at the Eagleman Ironman 70.3 race this weekend (although we'll be offering live athlete tracking so you'll be able to keep up with friends, family and the pros) and, believe me, I'm regretting it.
Everything about the Eagleman Ironman 70.3 is huge. There is possibly only one triathlon with more history and character - and that would be the Ford Ironman World Championship. Fletcher Hanks, a native of Oxford, Maryland, started the race in 1980. Back then it was called the Oxford Triathlon. (Go figure!) At a time when most people had no idea what triathlon was all about, Hanks was one of the first race directors to offer prize money, helping our sport develop to where it is today.
In 1990 Hanks moved the event across the river to Cambridge. Two years later he retired, which is when Vigorito and his crew from the Columbia Triathlon Association took over. “The event was renamed in honor of the majestic bald eagle, the symbol of freedom and opportunity and an inhabitant of Dorchester County and the vast Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, thru which much of the bike course goes,” says Vigorito on the tricolumbia.org website. “This event is as mentally and physically demanding as any Ironman 70.3 race. The water conditions can be very choppy and rough and the bike and run courses, while flat, can and often do get very windy and hot. There is little shade to be found. The shear challenge of these conditions cannot be underestimated. This race will select only the mentally and physically toughest to travel the "Road to Kona." BE READY TO SOAR!”
While Hanks was the pioneer for the event, Vigo’s unsurpassed and boundless energy has helped make it one of the outstanding races on the planet. While the prize money entices much of the incredible field that appears every year, it’s Vigo, his race crew and the welcoming community that ensures the incredible loyalty of both the pros and age group athletes who make it a regular date on their race calendar.
While the race course can be fast – as we saw last year when Natascha Badmann set what was then a world’s best Ironman 70.3 time of 4:08:18, the conditions are typically quite challenging. My wife, who raced in Cambridge two years ago, still jokes about the CHOPtank River, which lived up to it’s name in 2006. Even during a non-windy year in 2007, there were a few stretches with monstrous winds on the bike that stopped riders in their tracks.
While Badmann won’t be on hand this year to defend the title she’s owned for the last few years (she’s still recovering from her accident in Kona last year), the field this weekend still includes more than a few of the world’s best Ironman 70.3 distance competitors. Kim Loeffler, Joanna Zeiger and Fiona Docherty are just a few of the names you’re likely to recognize on the start list.
The men’s race looks to be even more competitive. Fresh off a win at Ironman 70.3 Boise, Terenzo Bozzone takes on a fast field that includes Richie Cunningham, Chris Legh, Bryan Rhodes, Viktor Zyemetsev and defending champion TJ Tollakson.
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It’s going to be a great day of racing and, while I won’t be on hand to watch it all, you can be sure that I’ll be keeping a close eye on all that action.
Pros registered for Eagleman Ironman 70.3:
Paul Amey
Chris Bagg
Tim Berkel
Terenzo Bozzone
Mike Caiazzo
Florence Chretien
Kelly Couch
Richie Cunningham
Fiona Docherty
Elizabeth Fedofsky
Nick Frank
Paul Fritzsche
Annie Gervais
Jacqui Gordon
Dede Griesbauer
Kelly Handel
Stephanie Jones
John Kenny
Terry Kerrigan
Christopher Legh
Helen Libby
Kim Loeffler
Arland Macasieb
Jason McMillian
Bryan Rhodes
Janda Ricci-Munn
TJ Tollakson
Mark Van Akkeren
Liz Vitai
Joanna Zeiger
Viktor Zyemtsev
You can reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin@ironman.com
