(KTNV) — Las Vegas Triathlon club members, Justin Riele and Rick Simpson, won first place for their age groups at the Ironman World Championships at St. George, Utah.
Justin Riele won the men's age 25 to 29 group with a time of 9:08.35. Riele is originally from San Francisco, California, but is a member of the Las Vegas Triathlon club.
Rick Simpson won for the men's age 70 to 74 age group with a time of 13:37.00. Simpson is from Henderson and is a member of the Las Vegas Triathlon club.
The Ironman World Championship ranged in ages 18 to 79 with more than 2,800 athletes who represented more than 80 countries. The event was hosted at St. George, Utah for the 2021 edition after a more than two year wait due to COVID-19. The event is said to return to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii in October for the 2022 edition according to the business.
Ironman said the race encompassed a 2.4-mile swim in the swim course that took place at the Sand Hollow State Park Reservoir in Hurricane, Utah, followed by the 112-mile bike course that led athletes through stunning desert landscapes with 7,374 feet of elevation gain and an unforgettable climb through the Snow Canyon State Park at the 100-mile mark. The 26.2-mile run course took athletes on two loops through St. George with 1,413 feet of climbing before culminating in an unforgettable finish line experience in the heart of downtown St. George.
