California’s Central Coast and San Luis Obispo County played host to the inaugural edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Morro Bay on Saturday, May 20.
IRONMAN reported that more than 1,800 athletes from 46 US States and 23 countries, regions and territories embarked on the new 70.3-mile race in California.
Athletes raced through Morro Bay and scenic coastal Highway 1, enjoying ocean views and the area’s coastal communities. In the age group race, Maksim Kniazev (Pleasanton, CA) won the men’s race with a time of 4:01:41, while Marissa Lovell (Eugene, OR) crossed the finish line first in the women’s race with a time of 4:31:37.
The event began with a 1.2-mile swim in Morro Bay, before heading into a rolling 56-mile bike course that followed an out-and-back format along coastal Highway 1. The day’s racing continued with a 13.1-mile run taking athletes from the base of Morro Rock through the Embarcadero and on to views of the Pacific Ocean and Morro Bay State Park. The race culminated in a downtown finish on the Embarcadero.
