Ironman honors Ben Hastings at start of race

SANDUSKY — Ben Hastings competed in the first four Ironman 70.3 Ohio races. They were happy occasions, involving healthy competition and family. Hastings' family was back at the Ironman on Sunday morning to honor Ben, who died unexpectedly June 1. Anne Hastings, Ben's mother, sounded the horn on the Carlee Emily ferry boat to officially start the race at 7 a.m. There were no competitors on the boat — the swim portion was canceled due to windy conditions on Sandusky Bay — but Ben's spirit was felt by the family members who accompanied Anne. "He trained for it all year; he loved this race," Anne said. "He knew a lot of people in the area and it was just a really nice place for everybody to get together. He was always trying to do better than the year before." Before the race began, Ironman Ohio 70.3 race director Casey Gilvin presented Anne with a medal to honor Ben. "He was a great guy. He loved life, he loved people," Anne said. "He really didn't compete against other people. He was always pushing himself." The Hastings family was well-represented in Sunday's race. Jon Hastings (brother), Shari Hastings (sister-in-law), Alyssa Hastings (niece) and two of Ben's cousins — Sylvia Wolfe and Arthur DeVinnish — competed in his honor. It was Alyssa's first race. She turned 18 on Friday and completed a 56-mile bike ride as part of the Team Hastings Iron Fam Relay. Jon was scheduled to lead off with a swim and Shari crossed the finish line after running 13.1 miles. There was a moment of silence to honor Hastings in the transition before the race. "It definitely put my head in the right space to remember why I'm out here," said Kim Wikel, a triathlete who lives in Milan. "He was super inspirational, always out there smiling and high-fiving everybody." Ben Hastings, who worked at South Shore Marine, died at age 55. "He was in great health," Anne said. "Saturday (May 30) he helped pour 30 yards of concrete for a garage and drove to Columbus and back for his niece's graduation party. On Sunday, he did a 35-mile training ride on his bicycle and went on the motorcycle for a while. "On Monday he got up, worked out, went to work, came back and did an 18-mile training ride and then went over to the campground. He was just sitting around the campfire with friends and he was just gone." Ben, a 1988 Edison graduate, lived in Berlin Heights. He graduated from Heidelberg College with a degree in sports medicine. His father, Pete, got him interested in triathlons, a sport embraced by the Hastings family. "We used to compete all over Ohio," Anne said. "It was a family weekend thing." Ironman decided to honor Hastings — who raced in Kona, Hawaii, as a pro triathlete — after several people reached out. "Several people contacted Ironman," said Tina Hastings, Ben's girlfriend. "A friend of ours emailed them and other athletes reached out to them and they reached out to us. "What a honor. This race meant everything to Ben. All our date nights were put aside for training." A Celebration of Life will take place from 3-8 p.m. July 27 at The Farm 1893 in Berlin Heights.