Through the lens – Day 1: Top images of the 2022 Intermountain healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, presented by Utah Sports Commission
The 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN® 70.3® World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission triathlon once again returns to St. George, Utah, and the Land of Endurance. The two days of racing features nearly 100 professionals and 5,500 age-group athletes on Friday, Oct. 28 as professional and age-group women take the course followed by the professional and age-group men on Saturday, Oct. 29. In all, Greater Zion has hosted three world championship IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 events in the past 13 months showcasing why it is known as the Land of Endurance.
Athletes at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission took on a 1.2-mile (1.9km) ROKA Swim Course in the Sand Hollow Reservoir located in Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah; a challenging 56-mile (91.3km) FULGAZ Bike Course that treks through stunning desert landscapes with 3,201 feet (1003 meters) of elevation gain and an unforgettable climb into Snow Canyon State Park and surrounding Washington County; and concludes with the two-loop 13.1-mile (21.2km) HOKA Run Course through historic downtown St. George where the finish line is located, with the route also showcasing Dixie Red Hills Golf Course (the first golf course in St. George) on one end and the beautiful Vernon Worthen Park on the other.
HER CROWNING MOMENT: A triumph that she had been working towards for her entire life, Taylor Knibb (USA) turned in a phenomenal performance on Friday, Oct. 28 with a time of 4:03:20 to better her third-place finish from a year ago and earn the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title presented by Utah Sports Commission (Photo by: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN)ST GEORGE, UTAH – OCTOBER 28: Taylor Knibb of the United States finishes in in first place during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on October 28, 2022 in St George, Utah. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)ST GEORGE, UTAH – OCTOBER 28: Paula Findlay of Canada reacts after placing second place during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on October 28, 2022 in St George, Utah. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)ST GEORGE, UTAH – OCTOBER 28: Emma Pallant-Browne of Britain celebrates as she finishes in third place during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on October 28, 2022 in St George, Utah. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)FROM LAST TO FIRST: With just over a minute to spare to the cut off, athlete Zeinab Razaie was the final finisher during the women’s day at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, though her finish was one of the most profound as she became the first woman from Afghanistan to ever start or complete the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Despite her athletic ambitions, she was unable to compete in her home country due to the Taliban’s rules. Razaie completed her first marathon in 2017 and ran a multi-stage ultramarathon across 250 km of the Mongolian Gobi Desert in 2018. Then, in February 2020, she completed the IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai, becoming the first Afghan woman to finish an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon. In her defying feat today, she shared a message for all those who battle to earn basic life rights. “I did it not for myself but for the women and girls of my country who do not have the basic rights of education, work, travel, or sport,” said Razaie. “Not only was this for the women of my country but for the minorities and all the women across the world who do not have access to their basic rights.” (photo by Donald Miralle / IRONMAN)ST GEORGE, UTAH – OCTOBER 28: Start of the Women’s Pro Race for the swim leg during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on October 28, 2022 in St George, Utah. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)Photos by: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN)JUST KEEP SWIMMING: Athletes take on the challenge of the 1.2-mile ROKA Swim Course in Sand Hollow Reservoir at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission on Friday, Oct. 28 ( Photos by: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN)SAND IN THE SUN: The morning sun illuminates the red sand desert where a lone road with bikers follow the winding turns of the FULGAZ Bike Course at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission on Friday, Oct. 28 (Photo by: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images for IRONMAN)(Photos by: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN)CANYONEERING: Athletes bike through the iconic but challenging Snow Canyon portion of the FULGAZ Bike Course at the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022 (Photos by: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN)ST GEORGE, UTAH – OCTOBER 28: An aerial view as competitors run during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on October 28, 2022 in St George, Utah. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)ST GEORGE, UTAH – OCTOBER 28: An aerial view as competitors run during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on October 28, 2022 in St George, Utah. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)ST GEORGE, UTAH – OCTOBER 28: Paula Findlay of Canada competes in the running leg during the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on October 28, 2022 in St George, Utah. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
