Hello from Oceanside. We'll be providing updates from Saturday's race, along with live athlete tracking. The day gets started with the first pro wave at 6:40 local time.
Here's a list of the pro men and women who will be competing in Ironman 70.3 California:
BIB# First Name Last Name Gender Age Country Rep
1 Matty Reed M 36 USA
2 Richie Cunningham M 38 AUS
3 Chris Mcdonald M 33 AUS
5 Paul Ambrose M 27 GBR
8 Ben Hoffman M 28 USA
9 Leon Griffin M 31 AUS
10 Matt Lieto M 33 USA
11 Jesse Thomas M 32 USA
12 MIKEL ELGEZABAL M 32 ESP
13 Jason Smith M 32 USA
14 Christian Kemp M 31 AUS
15 Stephen Kilshaw M 27 CAN
16 Jeff Symonds M 26 CAN
17 Eric Clarkson M 30 USA
18 Erich Wegscheider M 26 USA
19 Jonathan Shearon M 32 USA
20 Dantley Young M 27 USA
21 Steven Garza M 32 USA
22 Justin Park M 32 USA
23 Billy Edwards M 34 USA
25 Mac Brown M 34 USA
26 Ryan Borger M 27 USA
27 Mauro Cavanha M 27 BRA
28 Martin Lamontagne Lacasse M 38 CAN
29 Domenico Passuello M 34 ITA
30 Gavin Anderson M 33 USA
31 Nicholas Thompson M 29 USA
32 Igor Amorelli M 27 BRA
33 Kevin Taddonio M 29 USA
34 Jesse Vondracek M 30 USA
35 Jose Jeuland M 30 FRA
36 Karl Bordine M 37 USA
37 Olly Piggin M 36 NZL
38 Chris Boudreaux M 32 USA
39 Grant Burwash M 25 CAN
40 Jim Lubinski M 33 USA
42 Markus Mlinar M 32 AUT
43 Ryan Cain M 31 CAN
44 Andy Potts M 35 USA
45 Dmitry Rostyagaev M 23 RUS
46 Brendan Halpin M 27 USA
47 Chris Bagg M 32 USA
48 John Dahlz M 27 USA
49 Monte Still M 41 USA
50 Brian Fleischmann M 33 USA
51 Kosuke Amano M 27 USA
55 Heather Jackson F 27 USA
56 Lesley Paterson F 31 GBR
57 Magali Tisseyre F 30 CAN
58 MELANIE MCQUAID F 38 CAN
59 Linsey Corbin F 31 USA
60 Meredith Kessler F 33 USA
63 Haley Cooper-Scott F 31 USA
64 Beth Shutt F 32 USA
66 Jessica Smith F 30 USA
67 Jennifer Luebke F 25 USA
68 Rachel McBride F 34 CAN
69 Trish Deim F 32 USA
70 Beth Walsh F 32 USA
71 Kristen Peterson F 26 USA
72 Amber Ferreira F 29 USA
74 Kathleen Calkins F 36 USA
75 Rachel Challis F 36 NZL
76 Karen Thibodeau F 32 CAN
77 Kristin Andrews F 30 USA
78 Katya Meyers F 31 USA
80 Melody Ramirez F 30 MEX
Welcome to the 2012 Ironman 70.3 California from beautiful Oceanside. We're about 20 mins away from the pro men's start at 6:40am PST. The pro women will start 3 minutes later.
It looks like we're going to have great conditions for todays race. It's currently 55 degrees, with an expected high of 65. Light winds (for now). The water temp is 58.2 degrees.
It's a big weekend of with todays Ironman 70.3 California and tomorrow's Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas from Galveston. So, make sure you tune in tomorrow for full coverage of that race as well.
With 928 votes in from our Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Ironmantri)question, Lance Armstrong leads with 428 votes. Followed closely by 2 time Ironman 70.3 world champion Michael Raelert with 379 votes. Make sure to get your vote in.
We're 5 minutes from race start. The National Anthem just finished and the pro men are walking down the start ramp. We're expecting to see Andy Potts go to the front from the gun.
They're off! One pro man was late getting in the water and was 50 meters away from the start when the cannon fired. He's got his work cut out for him to try to get on the group.
The pro women are entering the water. Word is that last year's 2nd place finisher Heather Jackson has a much improved swim this year. Should be a great race!
The women are off! Next wave is the Challenged Athlete's.
The first of the 20 age group waves is off. We'll be starting athletes all the way until 7:48 PST to get everyone out on this great course.
A special thanks to the great city of Oceanside and MCB Camp Pendleton for hosting today's event. Also to the US Coast Guard Auxilary for letting us use their facilities to bring you today's coverage.
If you have friends or family racing today you can check their splits as they cross the various timing matts by clicking on the "Tracking" tab.
Andy Potts is out of the water 1st in 22:48. John Dahlz from S. San Francisco stayed close, coming out in 23:20. He was followed closely by a pack of 5.
Andy Potts was first out of T1. This is a familiar position for Andy. He knows this race extremely well having won here in 2007, 2008 & 2011.
We have one woman well in front, in fact she's swam into the back of the men's pro field who started 3 mins in front of her. We believe it's Meredith Kessler.
Place Swim Tot Dif Numbe Lname Fname City Pro Cnt
===== ======= ======= ===== ========================== ========== === ===
1 22:48 44 Potts, Andy COLORADO S CO USA
2 23:20 0:32 48 Dahlz, John SOUTH SAN CA USA
3 24:10 1:22 30 Anderson, Gavin LOUISVILLE CO USA
4 24:12 1:25 5 Ambrose, Paul SYDNEY NSW AUS
5 24:15 1:27 2 Cunningham, Richie BOULDER CO USA
6 24:17 1:29 14 Kemp, Christian LAGUNA BEA CA USA
7 24:17 1:29 1 Reed, Matty BOULDER CO USA
8 24:41 1:53 27 Cavanha, Mauro CURITIBA BRA
9 24:42 1:54 8 Hoffman, Ben TUCSON AZ USA
10 25:31 2:44 39 Burwash, Grant CALGARY AB CAN
11 25:33 2:45 16 Symonds, Jeff PENTICTON BC CAN
12 25:33 2:45 10 Lieto, Matt BEND OR USA
13 25:34 2:46 17 Clarkson, Eric SANTA CRUZ CA USA
14 25:34 2:46 32 Amorelli, Igor BALNEARIO BRA
15 25:34 2:47 11 Thomas, Jesse SPRINGFIEL OR USA
Top Women out of the waterPlace Swim Tot Dif Numbe Lname Fname City Pro Cnt
===== ======= ======= ===== ========================== ========== === ===
1 25:31 60 Kessler, Meredith SAN FRANCI CA USA
2 26:36 1:05 71 Peterson, Kristen BOULDER CO USA
Andy Potts took a 1 minute lead onto the start of the bike course.
Top 10 Pro Women Swim
Place Swim Tot Dif Numbe Lname Fname City Pro Cnt
===== ======= ======= ===== ========================== ========== === ===
1 25:31 60 Kessler, Meredith SAN FRANCI CA USA
2 26:36 1:05 71 Peterson, Kristen BOULDER CO USA
3 27:44 2:14 67 Luebke, Jennifer MISSOULA MT USA
4 27:45 2:15 57 Tisseyre, Magali ST. SAUVEU QC CAN
5 27:46 2:16 66 Smith, Jessica STANFORD CA USA
6 27:46 2:16 68 McBride, Rachel VANCOUVER BC CAN
7 27:48 2:18 80 Ramirez, Melody XALAPA MEX
8 27:52 2:22 76 Thibodeau, Karen VICTORIA BC CAN
9 28:09 2:39 58 McQuaid, Melanie VICTORIA BC CAN
10 28:13 2:43 75 Challis, Rachel CARLSBAD CA USA
At 5 miles, Andy Potts is in the lead
Ambrose, Kemp, Cunningham, Berkel and Hoffman are together 1:45 back of Potts. Matt Reed is at 2:10.
Women at mile 5 - Meredith Kessler has extended her lead.
Peterson, McQuaid and McBride are 1:23 back. Challis & Corbin are at 2:19. Luebke is 2:40 back. Ferreira is at 2:55. Jessica Smith is at 3:02.
It's great to have multiple time Xterra World Champion Melanie McQuaid racing here in one of her forays into road triathlon.
Our spotters are reporting that the marine layer and mist are heavy out on the bike course and that the roads are getting slick.
At mile 10, Andy Potts has extended his lead to 2:15 over a group made up of Ambrose, Kemp, Cunningham, Lacasse, Reed and Hoffman.
Another minute back is a group consisting of Matt Lieto, Griffin, Thomas & Amorelli.
At mile 10, Kessler continues to lead the women's race. McQuaid is closing the gap and is now only 49 seconds back. McBride is at :51. Peterson at 1:53 & Linsey Corbin at 2:03.
Our women's spotter reports that Heather Jackson is flying and
came through in 8th, up 6 places from her swim and has already closed 1 min of her 4 min gap from the swim.
Andy Potts has just gone through 20 miles. According to our lead vehicle there is no one else in site.
We'll have a litte gap in updates while the racers go up the bike path and campground portion of this course. We can't get our spotter vehicles on this section of the course.
At 15 miles in the women's race, Melanie McQuaid has closed to 17 seconds behind Kessler. McBride is keeping pace and is just 10 seconds behind McQuiad.
At approx 25 miles Andy Potts has increased his lead to 2:45 over a chase group 10 strong! In that group are Reed, Cunningham, Ambrose, Griffin, Lieto, Thomas, Smith, Kemp, Amorelli and Dahlz.
Based on Facebook fan votes, nearly all of you think tomorrow's Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas will be a showdown between Lance Armstrong and 2 time Ironman 70.3 world champion Michael Raelert. There's an incredibly deep men's field who will be doing their best to change that.
At 25 miles Melanie McQuaid has moved to the front of the women's race. McBride has also overtaken Kessler and is 20 seconds back of McQuaid. Kessler is at 30 seconds and Linsey Corbin is 4th at 2:45.
Andy Potts has just crested the top of San Mateo hill (Mt. San Mateo for those of you who've ridden it). The group is just visible at the bottom of the hill.
That group crested the hill at the same 2:45 gap down to Potts they had 5 miles ago. Potts is following his tried and true formula of leading this race from the gun.
Our spotter reports that the mist & fog are still heavy. So much so that most of the pro men have ditched their sunglasses.
Our men's spotter reports that there is no wind to speak of out on the back part of the bike course. Usually the winds on this portion of the course are significant.
Heather Jackson is in 5th at 25 miles but she has lost time to new leader McQuaid. She's 3:45 down.
We've just heard there is a pod of dolphins hanging out at the swim turnaround! Wonder who's having the most fun?
Melaine McQuaid is in her element smashing it up San Mateo hill. Our spotter reports she passed 2 pro men up that climb.
Welcome to the 2012 Ironman 70.3 California from beautiful Oceanside. We're about 20 mins away from the pro men's start at 6:40am PST. The pro women will start 3 minutes later.