The Ironman franchise hosted the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Dallas-Little Elm in the northern Dallas metro area on Sunday, with multiple Ranch Cities residents taking part in the event.
Aubrey residents Michelle and Steve Watkins and Pilot Point resident Jason Ottman, along with thousands of competitors from across the globe, cycled and ran their way through Little Elm, Pilot Point, Celina and Prosper.
“It’s a great way to stay active,” Jason said. “I think it's important for all of us to get off the couch and go do something, and because it’s a triathlon, that means there’s always something you can get up and focus on in the morning.”
Ironman races are traditionally triathlons, consisting of swimming, cycling, and running, but the swimming portion of the event was canceled because of high winds on Sunday.
The race started with the cyclists being released from the starting line in Little Elm Park in waves, beginning with the professional men’s group at 7:30 a.m., followed by the professional women’s group at 7:35 a.m., with the remaining amateur athletes having a rolling start based on age.
The athletes were allowed to compete in the race individually or form relay teams.
Jason competed as an individual, while Michelle and her husband, Steve, originally formed a relay team with Jason’s wife, Sharon Ottman, as the team’s swimmer.
With the swimming portion canceled, the first leg of the race consisted of a 56.1mile cycling course and was followed by a 13.1-mile run on a looped course through Little Elm.
Michelle said the cancellation of the swimming portion of the race and the high winds made race day more challenging than usual.
“Usually, the swim naturally breaks everyone into groups, but they had to do a rolling start with the cycling and relays were some of the last people to go through the start line,” she said. “… We were protected while we were running in the neighborhoods, but there was a section right next to the water, and the wind would come up, and I think it got worse, and the race went on.”
Despite the adverse conditions, the participants powered on, with the Watkins’ Let's Go Chaps team finishing fifth out of 30 teams in their division with a time of 5 hours, 25 minutes and 19 seconds, and Jason finished with a time of 6:08:00.
Both Michelle and Jason highlighted the sense of community and support between the event’s participants.
“We had a snake on the course at mile 12, and he just crossed in front of us, and we all stopped and laughed,” Michelle said. “It's a little bit lighter than some of these more intense races. We’re all just trying to keep going, maintain a good rhythm, and finish.”
Jason echoed Michelle’s sentiments.
“You’re not really competing against the other people; you're competing against yourself, and those people are helping you to do a better job,” he said. “Being around all these other people helps you to stay motivated, and it helps you stay focused.”
Both participants also thanked the Ironman franchise and their staff and volunteers for their help and support during the event.
“It was a step above, and I was grateful, because at the end I cried, and they were like, ‘Are you OK?’ And I was like, ‘I'm just emotional, but they just wanted to make sure that we were okay,” Michelle said.
With Ironman behind them, Jason made sure to suggest a starting point to anyone interested in longdistance athletics.
“Jackie [Lovelady] has a 10K run on the Greenbelt next month,” he said. “If a person's reading this article and they want to go out and give it a try, it's on the Greenbelt from Sherman, and you can run three miles or six miles, so it's very accessible, very friendly, and inexpensive.”
