Ironman in fifth year in Sandusky

SANDUSKY — The Ironman Ohio 70.3 promises to be a fast race in its fifth year on the shores of Lake Erie. The Sandusky race is a qualifier for the 2027 70.3 world championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee. That will be the first time the world event will take place in the United States since 2017, which has ramped up interest in qualifying. "In previous years, it's been international so we're gonna have some people who will rock and roll," race director Casey Gilvin said. "They'll go get it this weekend." Age group winners qualify for the world championships. They get the first shot at slots. Thirty males and 30 females could qualify from the Sandusky race. The fastest winning time in Sandusky's Ironman race came in 2024 when Jack Harrell finished in 3 hours, 54 minutes, 30 seconds. Five men went under four hours that year. In the other three races, only the winners came in under four hours. About 1,500 competitors will jump off the Carlee Emily ferry boat starting at 6:30 a.m. Sunday. They will swim 1.2 miles before biking 56 miles and running 13.1 miles (a half marathon). Some of the athletes will be part of relays. The number of teams in the race is capped at 100. "Our feedback from our customers year over year is it's a very well-liked race," Gilvin said. "There's always gonna be newcomers and we get a lot of repeat customers, too." About 30 participants who have competed since the 2022 debut will be honored at the awards ceremony Sunday afternoon. Festivities begin at 6 a.m. from the ferry boat parked at Jackson Street Pier. The top finishers will turn onto Columbus Avenue about four hours later. City Commissioner Richard Koonce and his grandson Kane Johnson will hold the finish line tape for the men's winner. About a half hour later, Sandusky native Jackie Mayer, who was Miss America in 1963, will help hold the tape for the women's champion. Joining her will be four-time state track champion and St. Mary Central Catholic graduate Beth Weyer Hubans and Sandusky grad Roberta Collins, who was a three-time state champ. If the water temperature is above 76.1 (highly likely), wetsuits, which provide some buoyancy, can't be used by athletes who want to be eligible for awards or a shot at the world championship. "We're gonna be over the threshold — it'll be wetsuit optional," Gilvin said. "The temperature that will matter will be the one that we pull on race morning at 4:30. It will be announced on the Ironman app. From what it looks like out there, it's gonna be above that 76.1." When water temps are above 83.8 degrees, wetsuits are not permitted for any competitor. The course essentially remains unchanged other than a slight adjustment for bikes entering the city after completing the course west and southwest of the city. More than 1,000 volunteers will be spread throughout the race course, many of them working at aid stations. "It's a big lift for people to come out here and help out," Gilvin said. "The volunteers are the face of the race. It's a tough race for athletes. When you come to an aid station and you don't feel like you have enough and they're pumping you up, that's huge. "We're in the business of providing opportunities and special days. This might be a person's Super Bowl or they may be racing in honor of somebody. We want them to have great memories and the volunteers are a big part of that." Volunteer groups can earn money from grants offered by the Ironman Foundation. "The story is not just the race, it's about us giving back to the community," Gilvin said. "We have a lot of the same groups that come back year after year. People don't realize the money we put back in the community. "A lot of those groups are school groups or nonprofits and a part of their volunteering is they submit a grant to the Ironman Foundation and there's a grant opportunity where they get money back." This is the second year of a three-year extension between Ironman and the city. Next year's race is scheduled for July 18. "We're happy to be here," Gilvin said. "The community is amazing, from working with the volunteers to city services. Just good people and it's a great place to have a race. There's tons of stuff to do." 137 AREA COMPETITORS Bellevue (5)Derek Burkhart&emsp;Jenny Kaple&emsp;&emsp;Gabrielle Nasonti&emsp;&emsp;Derek Raifsnider&emsp;Alexis Strayer&emsp;&emsp;&emsp; Berlin Heights (2)Doug Green&emsp;&emsp;Kari Puckrin&emsp;&emsp; Castalia (12)Ryan Arnold&emsp;&emsp;Doug Freeh&emsp;&emsp;Abigail Gerber&emsp;Craig Hecht&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Justin Kaetzel&emsp;Koren Orman&emsp;&emsp;Macyn Phillips&emsp;Tim Robinson&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Audra Rooker&emsp;Johnathan Schaeffer&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Leanne Strack&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Cassandra Wineland&emsp; Clyde (1)Luke Kingsborough&emsp;&emsp; Huron (32)John Adams&emsp;&emsp;Barb Biltz&emsp;Kevin Brown&emsp;&emsp;Kyle CapodiceZachary Cobleigh&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Tom Dusza&emsp;&emsp;Paul Elli&emsp;&emsp;Jenae Finneran&emsp;Kacie Geretz&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Angie GreenCameron Greenawalt&emsp;Sandie Hoyles&emsp;Michael JachymJaclyn Jensen&emsp;&emsp;James Johns&emsp;&emsp;Andrew Johnson&emsp;Meghan JohnsonMichael Ladny&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Jim Lamb&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Greg Marsh&emsp;&emsp;Sara MasselloJonathan Merckens&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Chad MurrayZach Murray&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Bill Orshoski&emsp;&emsp;Raffaele RutaElijah Routh&emsp;&emsp;Lauren Sugalski&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Michael Werner&emsp;Chad Wright&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Elizabeth Yourkiewicz&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Thomas Yourkiewicz&emsp;&emsp; Lakeside/Marblehead (3)Rachel Chwalik&emsp;&emsp;Mary James&emsp;&emsp;Julie McDonald&emsp;&emsp; Milan (5)Tiffany Caponi&emsp;&emsp;Larry FletcherBen Simon&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Joey Sugalski&emsp;&emsp;Kim Wikel&emsp;&emsp; Monroeville (2)Jordan Barman&emsp;&emsp;Mark Caudill&emsp;&emsp;Norwalk (10)Dylan AmstutzJacob Blevins&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Ryan Centers&emsp;Kristi Crumrine&emsp;Andrew Dowell&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Nathan Ewell&emsp;&emsp;Aaron Feltner&emsp;Bethany JarrettJill Wangler&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Marty Wegner&emsp;&emsp; Port Clinton (4)Taylor Harris&emsp;&emsp;Meredith LinnHelen Smith&emsp;Kathryn Smith&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp; Sandusky (54)Katie Badamy&emsp;&emsp;William Barrett&emsp;&emsp;Lori BaumNathaneal BoggsSeth BoggsMatthew Bunn&emsp;&emsp;Kevin BurnsCassidy Capizzi&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Daniel Cobb&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Marisa CremeanEmily CullenKimberly Cullen&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Bradley DominyTodd Downing&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Eliot DyerAlexander Etchill&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Brandon EvansJamie Geasan&emsp;&emsp;David GrantMatt Gundlach&emsp;Brian Hackenburg&emsp;Tanya Hahn&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Sam HamadBritana Hanacek&emsp;&emsp;Jason Hayes&emsp;Joe Hunter&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Jon LimberBen Loomis&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;David MackNathan Majoy&emsp;Trenton MillerAndrew MulryJenna Mulry&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Collin NinkeJared Opfer&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Chris Parthemore&emsp;Mandi Paseka&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Steven Prentice&emsp;Michael Powers&emsp;&emsp;Monica Powers&emsp;Janice Rice&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Brett Reed&emsp;Dean RosiarJacob Smith&emsp;Jonathan Smith&emsp;&emsp;Mark Smith&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Samantha Smith&emsp;James Stacey III&emsp;&emsp;Zachary Taylor&emsp;Beth Werling&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Clayton WimmerOlivia Wimmer&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Anna Zelm&emsp;&emsp;Justin Zelm&emsp;&emsp; Vermilion (7)Kevin BaileyAndrew BrewerRyan Christofferson&emsp;Carl GuendelsbergerJared Lee&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Daniel Smith&emsp;&emsp;Elizabeth Thayer