How to Watch Ironman 70.3 Boulder
This article originally appeared on Triathlete
This weekend it’s time for the Boulder world championships--also known as the long-standing Ironman 70.3 Boulder. With so many pro triathletes living nearby and so many more in town for training camps in between races, the field is nearly always a mix of big names and locals who are also big names. It’s also the return of the North American 70.3 races on Outside Watch--so you can catch all the action.
The pro men go off at 7:05 MT (local time) on Saturday, Aug. 6, with the pro women following them into the water. Don’t miss it.
The 70.3 Boulder course
If you’ve ever been to Boulder (or if you just follow a lot of triathletes on Instagram), then you know that the Boulder Reservoir is the hub of all triathlon activity. The 70.3 is no different. Athletes will swim in the reservoir, where water has been warm lately thanks to the heat wave-and the pro field will likely see a non-wetsuit swim. They’ll then exit the reservoir into the rolling roads that make up northern Boulder. With the mountains jutting straight up to the west and the plains to the east, it can be a hilly ride but a fast one at elevation, with Boulder sitting just over 5,200 feet high. That elevation (and thin air!) will likely be a bigger factor on the run, where athletes will be back around the reservoir for two slightly hilly laps on primarily dirt roads and wide trails.
It’s not an easy race, but it is fun to watch.
Who to watch
Local pros Tim O’Donnell and Chris Lieferman are topping the start list--with TO looking to continue his return to racing post-heart attack and pre-Kona, and Lieferman following up an impressive 4th place at the Ironman World Championship in St. George back in May. Other Boulder-based athletes, like Justin Metzler, and Canadian Olympian Matthew Sharpe will join them, plus those in town for training camps, like perennial long-course contender Ben Hoffman.
On the women’s side, the local v. non-local matchups include multi-time world champ Mirinda Carfrae as she’s returned to racing herself and 70.3 world champ Holly Lawrence making her Boulder debut. They’ll face Danielle Lewis, who beat Rinny in Oregon last month, super swimmer Lauren Brandon, and New Zealand’s Hannah Wells.
Check out a quick pre-race check in with pros Andres Lopes, Rachel Olsen, Ben Hoffman, and Hannah Wells, who will be vying for a $30,000 prize purse:
How to watch
Lucky for you, Ironman 70.3 Boulder is one of the dozen 70.3 races broadcast on Outside Watch this year. You can watch live for free on Outside Watch, with the pre-show starting at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, Aug. 6. (Athletes start about 30 minutes later.)
Or, if you’re in the U.S. or Canada, download the Outside app. Replays will be available after the race for O+ members.
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