WAIMEA — Triathletes from all over the globe voyaged to West Hawaii last weekend to compete in the Ironman 70.3 Hawai‘i — also known as a half Ironman — and the top performers did not disappoint.
Competitors of all ages began their sunny Saturday morning journey by jumping into the crystal-clear waters off the grounds of Fairmont Orchid and swimming 1.2 miles through the warm Pacific Ocean. Athletes then transitioned into the 56-mile bike race through the rolling hills of the Kohala Coast before turning back at Hawi. In the final leg of the triathlon, competitors jogged 13.1 miles through the quaint Mauna Lani Golf Course and desolate lava fields before finishing at the oceanfront of Fairmont Orchid. This year’s event was not a qualifier for future races.
Brazil men’s triathlete Ciro Damiani (40-44 division) finished with the top overall time in the men’s and women’s races— finishing in 4:06:59. Damiani posted the fastest time at Ironman Hawai‘i 70.3 since 2014, when Canada’s Brent McMahon raced in 3:59:35. The star swam in 11:59, biked in 2:19:00 and ran in 1:29:20. Damiani’s bike ride was the fastest of all men’s and women’s competitors, while his run was the fastest of the men’s 40-44 division.
Damiani claimed he was challenged by the large gusts of wind throughout the competition, but was able to overcome the obstacle swiftly.
“This place is magical; I always feel good (while competing) here,” he told West Hawaii Today post race. “This was my third time visiting the island — I came here in 2022 for the (Ironman) World Championship. (Saturday) was difficult due to the wind, but I was glad that I overcame it.”
Finishing behind Damiani was Kamehameha Schools alum Davis Kaahanui, who raced in 4:09:54 to earn silver. Racing in the men’s 25-29 division, Kaahanui swam in 12:15, biked in 2:30:17 and ran in 1:21:18, His half-marathon time was the fastest of all racers. Kaahanui beat his time at Hawai‘i from a year ago, when he finished in 4:44:43.
Claiming third overall was the United States’ Jason Smith, who crossed the finish line at the 4:14:30 mark. Smith had the fastest time of the men’s 45-49 division in the swim (10:31), bike (2:23:11) and run (1:34:49).
Meghan Grant of the United States finished as the top women’s racer in 4:48:46, posting the 39th-best time overall. Grant swam in 11:51, biked in 2:47:19 and ran in 1:41:38 — good enough for an average pace of 7:46 per mile. Her runtime was the top time among all the women competitors.
“I’m immensely grateful to the community in Hawaii — thank you (to Ironman organizers) for inviting us to your beautiful home and allowing us to embark on this epic journey,” Grant said. “A huge shoutout to all of the volunteers — triathlons would be impssible without you.
“Crossing that finish line still feels like a dream and one I won’t soon forget. My heart is full.”
The United States’ Casey Adams finished right behind Grant in the women’s race with a 4:51:15 time for second place. Beginning the day with a swim of 13:24, Adams then logged the fastest overall bike time in the overall women’s division (2:46:26) and the fastest run time in the women’s 35-39 group (1:44:04).
Kayla Kielar of the United States earned bronze in the women’s race, finishing in 4:52:30.
She began the event by swimming the fastest time of the women’s 40-44 group (11:46), followed by biking in 2:48:36 and running in 1:44:40.
Over in relays, Team Run3rd Alliance won over 44 other teams in dominant fashion — beating second-place finisher Team Da Bbds by nearly 20 minutes (4:35:51). Run3rd Alliance swam in 10:09, biked in 2:42:34 and ran in 1:37:05. The squad’s 13.1-mile time was the best among relay teams.
To see more results from Saturday’s race, please see Page 3B. Full results can be found on Ironman’s website.