With ideal conditions, Lake Tahoe provided athletes from around the world a challenging but beautiful course for the 2015 Ironman 70.3 Lake Tahoe and Ironman Lake Tahoe triathlons.
Stephen O’Mara (M30-34) who lives in San Rafael, California but hails from Ireland was the first to cross the finish line winning the men’s Ironman 70.3 Lake Tahoe age-group race in a time of 4:25:27. On the Women’s side, Erica Clevenger (F18-24) a student at the University of Arizona was the top female age-grouper in the Ironman 70.3 Lake Tahoe race with a time of 4:54:25.
 Stephen O'Mara |
 Erica Clevenger |
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| Photos: FinisherPix; click to enlarge | ||
For Ironman Lake Tahoe, Gregory Lindquist (M30-34) from Boulder, Colorado earned the win in the men’s age-group race with a time of 9:39:23 while Sonja Wieck (F35-39) from Greenwood Village, Colorado took home the women’s age-group race with a time of 10:28:55. Wieck was originally signed up to compete in the Ironman 70.3 race, but upon arriving in Lake Tahoe decided to push herself even further in the 140.6-mile Ironman Lake Tahoe race.
 Gregory Lindquist |
 Sonja Wieck |
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| Photos: FinisherPix; click to enlarge | ||
[Note: I think the clock in the photos shows the time of day rather than the race time. I was confused until I checked their bib numbers against the results. — Dave]
More than 2,000 total athletes competed in the 2015 Ironman Lake Tahoe or Ironman 70.3 Lake Tahoe triathlons. One of more than 40 events in the global Ironman Series, the Ironman Lake Tahoe triathlon consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. Competitors ranged in age from 19 to 70 and represented 32 countries and 45 states. The event offered 50 coveted age-group qualifying slots to the 2016 Ironman World Championship, taking place on Oct. 8 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i.
The Ironman 70.3 Lake Tahoe triathlon is one of more than 80 events in the global Ironman 70.3 series and consisted of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run. Competitors ranged in age from 18 to 72 and represented 20 countries and 38 states. The race offered 30 coveted age-group qualifying slots to the 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, taking place in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Both courses utilized the scenic backdrops provided by Lake Tahoe, California and surrounding areas. The swim took place in the clean and clear waters of North Lake Tahoe, while the bike course traversed through the Truckee River corridor that included a few challenging climbs. Athletes then enjoyed a relatively flat run course that offered one of the most picturesque stretches in the world. The day ended for athletes with a welcoming and energetic finish line at Squaw Valley, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics.
