Ironman 70.3 Oceanside: No Frodo-Sanders showdown
Lionel Sanders and Paula Findlay will be going up against a deep field of professional talent in Oceanside.
Just because there’ll be no Frodo-Sanders showdown in Oceanside, California this year, doesn’t mean the race isn’t without lots of anticipation.
(Update: Lionel Sanders withdraws from Ironman 70.3 Oceanside)
On the men’s side, Canadian Lionel Sanders will be going up against a wealth of 70.3 talent. This year’s start list includes Tim Reed (70.3 world champion), Eric Lagerstrom (two-time Ironman 70.3 winner), Rodolphe Von Berg (70.3 European champion), Sam Appleton (12-time Ironman 70.3 winner) and Ben Kanute (2017 runner-up at 70.3 worlds).
On the women’s side, Daniela Ryf, an eight-time world champion, will have her hands full with a deep women’s field. Holly Lawerence, a 70.3 world champion and previous winner of 70.3 Oceanside, will be looking to continue her winning ways after an injury-plagued 2018. Last year, Lawerence discovered she had a stress fracture after 70.3 Oceanside. The fracture would end up sidelining her for most of the season. In her comeback race, Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship, Lawrence took the win. Earlier this year, she followed it up with a win at Ironman 70.3 Dubai.
The women’s start list also includes names like Heather Jackson, Ellie Salthouse, Sarah True and Chelsea Sodaro, all proven 70.3 and Ironman talent. Canadian Paula Findlay will be also making her season debut at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside. Last year, Findlay got her first half-Ironman win at the North American Championship in St. George, Utah. She was joined on the podium by Jeanni Seymour and Sarah True. With a new look for her Trek Speed Concept, Findlay is expected to be a contender for a high result in Oceanside.
Related: Paula Findlay’s Trek Speed Concept
