JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds of endurance athletes from around the globe came to Jacksonville for the city’s first-ever Ironman triathlon, which officially wrapped up at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
The grueling event pushed competitors to their limits with a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run, while also bringing heavy traffic delays for local residents.
But the morning after the race, many athletes said one thing stood out most: the energy and support from the Jacksonville community.
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For Kansas City resident Tami Meyer, the race marked her 13th Ironman completion. Before the event, Meyer said she was looking forward to crossing the finish line.
She ultimately finished the course in under 15 hours and described the experience as emotional.
“It’s bittersweet, right,” Meyer said. “Because you train and you train and you’re trained to reach this goal.”
Athletes said the support from spectators throughout Jacksonville helped push them through the toughest parts of the race.
Athlete Dayle Peabody recalled one moment that nearly brought him to tears.
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“I had one guy tell me, ‘This is your day,’ and I just almost cried,” Peabody said. “It was really cool.”
Others said the city’s enthusiasm never faded.
“The city came out, there was a lot of cheering, so there was a lot of energy that helped everyone out,” athlete Preston Price said.
Fellow competitor Erin Cantwell agreed, describing spectators as “high-spirited.”
“They were just pushing us on every mile and we couldn’t be happier,” Cantwell said.
The large-scale event also caused traffic backups across parts of Jacksonville. Athletes acknowledged the inconvenience but said they appreciated the patience shown by drivers.
“There was tons of cars backed up, and they were just sitting,” athlete Caleb Pierce said. “But there was people yelling out the car, just super happy for us, cheering us on.”
Cantwell also sympathized with drivers caught in race-day traffic.
“I felt bad for them, but they were being so accommodating to the cyclists,” she said.
Now that Jacksonville’s first Ironman is in the books, athletes and residents alike are reflecting on what many described as a successful debut for the international event in the city.
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