Tyson 30th at Ironman Cd'A, qualifies for Kona
COEUR d’ALENE — “You are an Ironman!” the announcer declared as more than 2,300 competitors crossed the finish line on Sunday during the 2013 Coeur d’Alene Ironman Race.
Sandpoint’s Steven Tyson earned the right to hear those words again in October, accomplishing his goal of qualifying for the Kona Ironman, the world championships of the 2.3 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run endurance challenge.
Despite a tough swim on Sunday, Tyson, 35, was able to rally on the bike and run, clocking a 9:33.50 to finish 30th overall and fifth in his age group. Even more impressive, he shaved 21 minutes off last year’s time, when he finished 33rd overall, saying the race drew a lot more elite competitors this year.
Tyson finished the swim in 1:14, coming out of the water in 821st place, before clocking a 5:02 on the bike to vault into 72nd place, then closing strong with a 3:09 marathon to pass 42 other racers.
“My swim was bad. I just felt tight and couldn’t warm up,” said Tyson. “I had to push on my bike because my swim was so bad. I had to hammer it on the bike.”
Despite the swim, Tyson was happy with his results. He’s still trending down timewise and believes he’ll be able to crack the 9 hour barrier in a future Ironman.
Qualifying for Kona was a longtime goal for Tyson, who was honoring his late father Ken Tyson, one of his biggest supporters.
“I did it for my dad who passed away in February; that was the inspiration behind it,” said Tyson, calling it a once in a lifetime opportunity. “I just want to enjoy the experience. It’s pretty cool.”
Tyson will race in a couple of Olympic distance triathlons to prepare for Kona, and will also run the Sandpoint Scenic Half Marathon, where he finished second last year. He wished to thank the Sandpoint community for all of its support.
Another local finisher, Sagle’s Andrea Wells, clocked a 13:34.51 to finish 43rd in the women’s 40-44 division, improving upon a 57th place finish two years ago. Unlike Tyson, the swim was her strongest leg, as she left the water just two minutes after Tyson at 1:16, before clocking a 6:46 on the bike and a 5:19 on the run.
Both winners in the Ironman Coeur d’Alene men’s and women’s pro division set course records on Sunday.
Ben Hoffman, 29, of Boulder, Colo., won with a time of 8 hours, 17 minutes and 13 seconds. The previous best time for the Coeur d’Alene Ironman race was set in 2011 by Craig Alexander at 8:19.48.
In the women’s pro division, Heather Wurtele, 33, of Kelowna, British Columbia, finished in 9 hours, 16 minutes and 2 seconds. The previous women’s record for the Coeur d’Alene course was also set in 2011 by Julie Higgens, who finished it in 9:16.40.