IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 2022 Highlights: VIDEO

OCEANSIDE, CA — The IRONMAN 70.3 swept into Oceanside this weekend bringing thousands of triathletes and fans from around the world. The competition did not disappoint with plenty of exciting, fun, glory-filled and even painful moments.

The Patch was on hand to capture highlights starting with IRONMAN Village on Friday through the finish line on Saturday.

On Friday, IRONMAN Village was the place to be with competitors, fans and locals lining up to sample free non-alcoholic beer at the Athletic Brewing booth.

"As the official & exclusive worldwide non-alcoholic beer of Ironman, Athletic Brewing is thrilled to be back at Oceanside for a second year, helping athletes celebrate and recover." said Athletic Brewing co-founder and CEO, Bill Shufelt, "It's important to us to provide a great tasting brew so these athletes don't have to compromise on their social gatherings or sacrifice any training gains."

The Patch asked Bill how Oceanside compares to other IRONMAN locales. "Oceanside is the ultimate venue for the IRONMAN race season kickoff. The swim start happens at the break of dawn on the widest part of the beach down by the marina to the shot of a cannon, the bike loop is scenic and rolling through the Pendleton base, and the run loops are among some of the best waterfront coast in the west. Relative to your average race, Oceanside brings an elevated field of elite triathletes looking to kickoff the season at a big race to see where they are at. The town of Oceanside is very accommodating and let's the race and all the surrounding events takeover the city in a very positive way."

The busiest area in the village was undoubtedly the IRONMAN Store which was packed with a huge assortment of athletic gear for every member of the family.

Of course, the real excitement came bright and early on Saturday morning when over 3000 competitors took to the water for the start of the 1.2-mile swim course of the race.

Many of the athletes took advantage of help from the staff to remove their wetsuits for the transition to the bike course.

It was an amazing sight to see thousands of people strip down and jump on their bikes for the 56-mile ride through Camp Pendleton and back.

Crowds lined the streets to cheer on their favorite athletes, while many offered helpful support to all the competitors.

After completing the bike course the athletes ditched their bikes back at the harbor and set out for the final 13.1-mile running course. Jackson Laundry was in the top five to make the transition from bike to run with just seven seconds separating the lead pack.

We were not quite sure what this couple did to get into the Penalty Tent but they didn't seem too upset about it.

Excitement was building as the runners began their final stretch coming up the Strand.

The wear and tear of nearly 70 miles was beginning to show on the faces of the triathletes as they rounded the final corner to head up the Pier ramp.

As word got out that the lead competitors were within minutes of crossing the finish line the crowds packed the area to catch a glimpse as the winners approached.

Moments after his win, Jackson Laundry was being interviewed at the finish line as other competitors were still running to finish.

Not every athlete was able to keep on their feet after completing the grueling competition.

First place in the Pro-Women's competition went to Taylor Knibb (USA). She was joined on the Winner's podium by 2nd place Luisa Baptista (BRA) and 3rd place finisher Holly Lawrence (GBR).

Watch a highlights video for more IRONMAN action including the explosive moment that Jackson Laundry crossed the finish line in just 3 hours and 45 minutes.

For more information including complete race results visit the IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside website.