RICHLAND, Wash. – The Tri-Cities Ironman concluded this afternoon, bringing nearly 2,000 athletes from across the country and the world to compete.
The event began at 6:30 a.m. as participants set off from Howard Amon Park, swimming downstream to Columbia Point.
The first swimmers exited the water after 30 to 40 minutes and made their way to the bike transition area. Athletes then embarked on a 56-mile bike ride through Richland.
Fans cheered on their loved ones, including Kevin McFadden, who was there to support his brother. “This is the first half ironman competition that he’s done. He’s been doing triathlons for about five years now. So this is his first half ironman,” McFadden said.
Jack Wild was also present, supporting his wife.
“She qualified for worlds in November, so she’s very serious about the sport and competitive. And we’re very excited,” he said. He added a message for her, saying, “I would say go faster ha ha ha… No, no, I love you, hun. You’re crushing it.”
Around 9:00 a.m., the first bikes returned, and athletes transitioned to the running portion of the race.
As the race progressed, the first runners approached the finish line. Luke Creger crossed in first place, raising his arms in victory.
Reflecting on the race, he said, “Today was a lot of fun. I loved the swim. It was really cool. Was pretty scenic to just go by docks or floating down the river, and it’s really fast. Getting under the bike, I loved everything about it and some good rolling hills and some wineries. It was a bit windy and gusty, but every course has its conditions. But the run was flat and fast, so can’t complain.”
Kevin Lewis, CEO of Visit Tri Cities, shared his thoughts on the event.
“It’s uplifting in the world today. We need more of this kind of stuff. Things that people are building each other, lifting each other, supporting each other to do difficult things because life is hard and, you know, getting something like this gives you hope, gives you opportunity. And we’ve seen as you saw out there, you see just all kinds of support and inspiration going on,” he said.
