World Champions and Top Contenders To Highlight High Caliber Pro Field At Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside Triathlon To Kick Off The 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 North American Series

March 30, 2023

- Triathlon’s top talent to descend on Oceanside, Calif. to compete for $50,000 professional prize purse - Live race coverage of the 2023 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon to air on Outside TV in first broadcast of the year; Free Coverage begins at 6:00 a.m. PT with pre-race show

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (March 30, 2023) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Top talent from around the globe along with approximately 2,800 age group athletes will descend on the South Coast of California on Saturday, April 1 at the 2023 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Oceanside triathlon. A world-class field of professional athletes featuring IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Champions as well as some of the biggest names in the sport will vie for a $50,000 prize purse. Live coverage of Saturday’s event will be available airing live on Outside TV.

Below are some of biggest names to watch on Saturday at the 2023 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon:

Pro Men

Jackson Laundry (CAN)

This young Ontario native had a breakthrough year in 2022, beginning his season with an epic victory in Oceanside last April. In the final mile of the race, he surged past two-time Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee (GBR) and staved off fellow Canadian Lionel Sanders in a sprint finish. Laundry went on to notch solid results at a number of races through the season, capping it off with a second-place finish at the 2022 Trainual IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells-La Quinta triathlon in December. Laundry is likely eager to continue his forward trajectory with a fresh new year of racing.

Ben Kanute (USA)

An American favorite at the half-distance triathlon, Kanute has finished in the top 10 at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on four occasions, most recently with a 2nd place at the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 WC in STG: 2nd at Chattanooga in 2017, 4th at Port Elizabeth in South Africa in 2018, and 10th in Nice in 2019. He’s also won twice at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside races, and knows what it takes to swim, bike, and run with the best down the final miles of The Strand.

Sam Long (USA)

“The Big Unit,” as he’s called, this Boulder, Colo. native was born as one of three premature triplets and told that he’d develop more slowly than his peers. At 6 feet 4 inches and remarkably successful at long-course triathlon, he’s continuing to prove that theory wrong. Last year, Long spent time racing in Europe in order to add to his already impressive resume. Watch for Long to be a force on the bike at this year’s Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon. He finished out the 2022 season with a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells-La Quinta over Jackson Laundry.

Leo Bergere (FRA)

The 2022 World Triathlon Championship Series champion, and Olympian will be starting at his second ever IRONMAN 70.3 event. He raced his only IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon in 2022 at Lanzarote where he took the win over a challenging course and against a strong field. With his short course speed, fans are excited to see him mix it up at the front and see if he can challenge the veterans. Leo had been finalizing his preparation in Oceanside over the past couple of weeks in anticipation of the upcoming event.

Pro Women

Chelsea Sodaro (USA)

California elite runner Chelsea Sodaro took up triathlon late in life as an alternative to running when she became injured. It was an immediate fit, and Sodaro rose quickly to the top of her game, enjoying hard-won success at the half-distance. With only a single full-distance IRONMAN under her belt before taking on the inimitable VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Hawai`i, Sodaro swam and biked with the best in the world and soared to victory on the heels of a truly elite-level marathon performance. Sodaro became the first American woman to win the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon since 1996 and only 18 months after giving birth to her daughter.

Holly Lawrence (GBR)

Another triplet in the mix, Lawrence was born and raised in the UK but has called California home since 2015. She comes to this race with boatloads of experience at the distance, including an IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon win in 2016, a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon in 2017, and too many more wins and podiums to list. Lawrence has also struggled with injury and hasn’t seen much on top over the past year (despite a list of solid top-10’s); she has been quietly working her way back to top form and will be fun to watch her 2023 debut at a race she has shined at in the past.

Paula Findlay (CAN)

Another Olympian in the mix, Canadian Paula Findlay is always one to watch at this distance and is strong across all three disciplines. Findlay has wowed fans from across the world, right to her hometown backyard of Edmonton, Alberta. She and her boyfriend Eric Lagerstrom (also on the start line on the men’s side at this race) document their training and racing on the popular vlog That Triathlon Life, and fans will undoubtably be rooting for Findlay as they watch for follow-up success this year, after her second-place finish at the 2022 Intermountain Health IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon, presented by Utah Sports Commission in St. George, Utah last fall and season-capping victory at the Trainual IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells-La Quinta triathlon.

Kat Matthews (GBR)

A physiotherapist in the British Army, Matthews worked her way up the age-group ranks and turned pro in 2019 with very promising results. In her second year as a pro, Matthews won the 2020 Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN Florida, and in 2021 she took the IRONMAN UK triathlon, along with a series of notable results in years. She was on a tear last year, including placing second to Daniela Ryf at the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship in St. George Utah in May of 2022, when she was struck by a car in Houston, Texas while training for the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race. Matthews sustained life-threatening injuries and the long road to recovery will be celebrated this weekend, regardless of the outcome.

Tamara Jewett (CAN)

This Canadian has a run weapon that will be hard to match on race day. At the 2022 Intermountain Health IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon presented by Utah Sports Commission in St. George, Utah, her 1:16:04 was leagues ahead of the rest of the field, only barely touched by Emma Pallant-Browne’s 1:17:44. If Jewett has raised her swim-bike game, watch for her to be a real force on the half marathon.

For a full start list of professional athletes competing at the 2023 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/pro-athletes.

In the first broadcast of the year, live race coverage of the 2023 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon to air on Outside TV. Coverage will begin with a pre-race show at 6:00 a.m. PT (9:00 a.m. ET) that previews the pro field and course while also including exclusive interviews with triathlon personalities and other special guests. The professionals will hit the water in Oceanside Harbor at 6:40 a.m. PT to kick off the race. Live broadcast programming to feature 12 IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon events throughout the 2023 season.

In addition to the professional field, approximately 2,800 age group athletes at the 2023 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon will compete for 30 Age Group Qualifying slots, and 50 Extra Slots for Women to the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on 26 – 27 August 2023 in Lahti, Finland.

For more information on the 2023 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/im703-oceanside. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, 1010data and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.