Thousands of spectators filled the streets with their most encouraging applause and loudest whistles to cheer on the 2,500 athletes that endured Wisconsin’s 11th annual Iron Man.
The race kicked off at 7 a.m. with a 2.4-mile swim in Lake Monona, which led to a 112-mile bike ride through rural areas of the city and concluded with a 26.2 mile run that went through State Street and finished off in front of the Capitol. The race ended around midnight on Monday.
The Iron Man brought out many professional triathletes, amateurs and everyone in between.
Professional Ben Hoffman, 29, was first to cross the finish line at 8 hours, 32 minutes and 51 seconds, breaking the record for Iron Man Wisconsin.
He said finishing the race was “beyond words” and even though the last ten miles of running were difficult, the crowd kept him going. He said every time he hit a low point in the race, the fans in funny costumes cheered him up.
“The crowd is easily the best crowd I’ve ever [experienced] at a race,” Hoffman said. “It was incredible.”
The second place winner was Eduardo Sturla from Argentina. He finished in 8 hours, 46 minutes and 29 seconds.
He said the race was different than any he had done in the past because it was outdoors and the people were so friendly to him, especially for being from out of the country.
The first woman to finish the race was Elizabeth Lyles, who finished in 9 hours, 34 minutes and 35 seconds. She took time off from 2008 to 2011 to raise her children, a four-year-old boy and two-year-old girl, and this was her first year as a professional triathlete, she said.
When asked if she could ever see herself as the first female to finish an Iron Man, she responded, “Only in my dreams.” She said she grew up watching professional women athletes and becoming a pro herself has been a life-long dream.
She said being a stay-at-home mom is very hard work, as is the Iron Man, and that she was instantly driven to get back into training after having her children.
“It’s never too late to go for your dreams,” Lyle said. “I always need a challenge in my life.”
Zach Lammers, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse and the youngest competitor at 18 years old, finished the race in 10 hours, 13 minutes and 27 seconds.
Lammers said it was a unique experience to be one of the youngest to do the race and it was a good feeling to cross the finish line. He said his goal was to finish in less than 11 hours.
He said he had been training for a triathlon for two years and had been training for this Iron Man specifically since January. He added although he struggled with the run between miles 14 and 22, the last four miles of the run were his favorite part overall.
“The Iron Man is just an amazing experience and I think anyone can definitely do it if they set their mind to it and train right for it,” Lammers said.
