By Dylan Sciacca | Reporter
The annual Ironman 70.3 took place this past Sunday, which brought in hundreds of athletes who spent months preparing.
With an estimated 2,500 participants and 7,500 spectators in attendance according to KCEN, the event allowed attendees to experience the Ironman 70.3’s eighth annual event.
An Ironman is a long-distance race consisting of swimming, biking and running. The Ironman 70.3 is a half Ironman, which is a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.
For many athletes, Sunday was the day that all their hard work paid off and they got to prove to themselves that they could complete the Ironman 70.3. For Houston sophomore Miles Hewitt, it was more than just being fit for something that difficult.
“It was a way for me to better my mental health,” Hewitt said. “I really fell in love with all the training, with swimming, biking, running, and it kind of just gave me an escape, and I got really lost in it. I just found a passion for it.”
Hewitt said that his training consisted of runs around the city, an indoor training bike that he would use almost every day and the pool.
Despite his hard training, it can never fully emulate the real thing. Hardships and challenges that did not come up while training will happen during the race, and for Hewitt, his struggles were the worst during the biking section.
“On the bike from around, like, mile 20-ish to mile 45-ish, I was fully cramped on both hamstrings, and I just had to pedal through it,” Hewitt said. “I kept pushing and getting nutrition in to get rid of the cramp, but it wouldn’t go away, and it was awful.”
Hewitt and his friends and family understood that this was a difficult undertaking. Mansfield sophomore Mason Cotten is Hewitt’s roommate and friend. He said he understands how important it is to show up for your friends.
“I just had to be there and congratulate him,” Cotten said. “God bless, it was wet, and people were slipping and sliding. The weather was wild, and I wanted to see him do it.”
Despite the hardships and struggles that come with the Ironman 70.3, crossing the finish line is what makes it so special. Hewitt said that there are a few things to know for anyone who wants to compete, but in the end, it is worth it for anyone who feels called to take on the challenge.
“Being able to stay disciplined with your training, having that devotion to it while also maintaining your life outside of that and having a balance with everything,” Hewitt said. “If this is something you can do, then there shouldn’t be anything stopping you.”
