Ironman 70.3 New York 2024 Race Report
What a race! The Ironman 70.3 New York offered an incredible course layout, top-notch production, and some weather conditions that really tested our grit.
This was my first 70.3 race outside Canada, and I was excited to find an early fall event relatively close to home. Having completed Barrelman twice, I was looking for a new challenge when my friend Sonia suggested this race. It would be her first 70.3, so it was the perfect opportunity to support her while getting my own race under my belt. Fun fact: Sonia and I met back in 2017 at the Running Room’s Wednesday night run club, so racing a triathlon together felt like a full-circle moment!
After a ten-hour drive from the Greater Toronto Area to Jones Beach, we settled into a cozy Airbnb. Carb-loading? We nailed it with pancakes and pizza at some charming retro diners!
Kudos to Corey, the race director, and his team for organizing such a stellar event. I’ve participated in regional championship full-distance Ironman races, and I was genuinely impressed by the quality of this 70.3. Everything from ample parking to great merchandise and a well-organized transition area gave it a big event vibe. I wouldn’t be surprised if this race becomes a pro event in the future!
This season has been a whirlwind—Ironman Texas in April, Muskoka 70.3 in July, and Barrie Sprint in August. With my sights set on another full-distance Ironman in California at the end of October, I felt that a solid 70.3 would be a perfect fitness test.
On to the NY70.3!
I finished with a personal best of 5:26:48! That’s almost a 20-minute improvement over my previous best (excluding Barrelman’s unique course length). The course itself was well laid out and flat, but the weather posed a true challenge. While it was significantly better than last year’s inaugural event (which saw a shortened swim), we had rain and wind from start to finish. Fun fact: this was the first year the entire 70.3 distance was completed!
Swim: 44:44 mins (2:18/100m)
The waters of Zach’s Bay were choppy and dark. We were told we’d be swimming “uphill” out but getting a nice assist on the way back. My swim started well, but at around 300m, another swimmer accidentally kicked me in the chin just as a wave of water crashed into my mouth! Cue the panic! I had flashbacks of my DNF at Ironman Florida in 2021. Fortunately, a nearby kayak came to my rescue. After a brief moment to gather myself—reminding myself, “I’m a three-time Ironman; I can do this!”—I got back to swimming. Surprisingly, my sighting was solid, and I finished in my usual time. While I still have room for improvement, I didn’t lose a ton of time in the first leg.
Bike: 2:44 hours (33 kph)
The 2-loop bike course was fantastic! We enjoyed a completely traffic-free highway with three lanes in each direction for most of the race. The roads were smooth, and everything was well-organized—no complaints here! Just a heads-up: there’s a tricky 2-mile stretch of concrete with expansion joints, so pick your lane wisely and avoid getting your wheel caught!
The rain made everyone cautious, and we faced strong crosswinds (thankfully not the brutal headwinds I encountered in Texas). The winds were most noticeable in the open areas and on the bridges near the beach. I saw several crashes and flats, and I hope everyone is okay!
As a weaker swimmer, I spent the first 40 minutes battling through the crowd, but by the end of the bike, I had moved from 1394th out of the swim to 644th!
Run: 1:48 hours (5:10 min/km)
As someone who loves the run segment in triathlons, I was thrilled to tackle the flat 2-loop run along the beach and boardwalk. I started strong, hitting a 4:50/km pace for the first 5k, but the return leg brought a fierce headwind that required more effort. I remembered my coach Miranda’s advice to aim for a 5:30/km pace to avoid overdoing it before Ironman California in just four weeks. I managed to hold strong against the wind and was very satisfied with my performance at Jones Beach.
Overall
I was thrilled with my experience at NY70.3, especially getting to race alongside Sonia. Kudos to all the athletes who braved the challenging conditions—out of 3,200 registered, only 2,400 started, with some even taking their bikes home before the race due to the weather.
Three things that would elevate this event even higher in the future:
1. “Morning Clothes” bag drop off area. Swim and T1 are so close, they don’t even need to make transporter anywhere. There was some confusion of where to put things as we weren’t allowed to leave bigger bags along the fencing
2. Space heaters & larger or additional finisher tent area. We should just assume for wet and cold conditions so, this would help everyone out post race
3. Name on bib if registered before a certain date. It will allow spectators to cheer for us even better
With the fantastic organization and ample parking space already I can definitely see this race becoming a pro race and staple in the calendar pro series one day!
…Surprise 70.3 World Championship Slot!
I stayed for the Awards Ceremony with Sonia, who was hoping for a slot but didn’t snag one this time. I have no doubt she’ll get one soon—this was only her first 70.3!
In a surprising twist, I qualified for the 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain, through a roll-down! What?! My age group (M35-39) rolled down to the top 75, and I placed 73rd. However, I decided not to travel and invest resources into Marbella. My heart just wasn’t in it this time, so I passed the slot to someone in the top 100 who looked thrilled to get it. I shared the news with my coach Miranda, who was delighted. Not only did I achieve a huge PB in the 70.3 distance, but I can also say I qualified for the World Championship—maybe next time!
Thank you to my coach Miranda Tomenson, race director Corey Roberts and his team for organizing this wonderful race, the police officers, the spectators, and of course all the phenomenal volunteers who also weathered the hard conditions that day!
All in all, an unforgettable experience of endurance, passion, and grit.
Up next in 4 weeks is the final race of my long 2024 season, Ironman California!