A Dream Realized: My Journey to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Lahti, Finland
What a ride it’s been! Nearly a decade ago, I fell down the triathlon rabbit hole, dreaming of 70.3 Worlds. My first shot was at 70.3 Oman in 2020, where I came 6th in my age group. But life had other plans. With a global pandemic looming, I turned down the slot for Taupo, NZ, to celebrate my wife’s birthday instead. Family first, always.
Later that year, I raced 70.3 Gdynia under bizarre Covid conditions and snagged another slot for St. George 2021. Optimistic that Covid would be history by then, I accepted. Spoiler: it wasn’t. Travel risks led me to defer to Lahti 2023. Meanwhile, I consoled myself with a race in Slovenia, earning another slot but passing it up.
My race buddy and I, both deferring from our 2020 slots, finally made it to Finland together—three years after our first shot at the 70.3 Worlds.
Travel, Accommodation, and Sign-In
We flew Finnair from Berlin to Helsinki, where I’m convinced they piped in pine scent upon landing. Our rental car whisked us north to Lahti, to an apartment perfectly placed by the practice swim area and bike course. Pure race-weekend-heaven compared to those stuck with accomodation in Helsinki.
Sign-in was a breeze, with a fun, fit crowd. I resisted buying any merch, grabbed my cool athlete swag—a usable backpack!—and headed back to our cozy Airbnb (check out my bedroom!). After grocery shopping and a practice swim in the chilly, clear water, I was ready.
Saturday, we watched the women’s race, getting inspired as they crushed it. Bike check-in was smooth, leading to a spacious T1 and a unique indoor-T2 in a massive hall.
Race Day: No Day Like It
Sunday dawned, and we geared up for our big race. Mixed expectations swirled in my head—I aimed for a great race but stayed realistic. With cold water at 16-17°C, I opted for a wet wetsuit and a pre-race swim. Best decision ever.
Swimming
Swim start was held in the familiar staggered format with, requiring a jump from the harbour wall about 1.5m deep. I chose a dive start, avoiding any traffic early on and catching up to the wave in front of me quickly. I found my rhythm after a few strokes, sighting was esy with no glare and clear water. Unsuprisingly, hardly any contact, this crowd knew how to swim straight! No nerves, no panic—just a solid 32:28 swim, hitting T1 warmed up and ready.
T1-ing
I have zero memory of being in T1. Must have been a smooth transition.
Biking
The ride? Borderline miserable. Drizzle, 12°C, and a beautiful Finnish countryside hidden by my fogged-up visor. The rolling profile killed my pace; I got overtaken constantly. But hey, it was scenic, and I made it back in one piece. My race buddy who started the swim a few waves behind collected me on the ride at around K35 as he alsways does.
T2-ing
Again, nothing to note. I only remember the cozy dry warmth of an indoor space.
Running
My forte. Cool, drizzly weather was a blessing. The hilly course was tough but manageable. I made sure to govern my effort on the climbs to not blow up my HR and then make hay on the descent and flat along the lake. Lap one zipped by, and the stadium track lap was unforgettable. Lap two hurt, but I kept my pace, catching my hobbling mate midway through lap 1. I wasn’t prepared to dig really deep as I had nothing to gain, but missing the 1:30 by 2 seconds did hurt my ego a bit I must admit.
Reflections
From the pandemic’s upheaval to racing in Finland, this journey to 70.3 Worlds was anything but ordinary. Every challenge, every deferral, every mile—worth it. Taking part was a great and humbling experience. Let people talk about watering down fields all they want – I’ve never went backwards so rapidly on the bike. It is also very rare that pacing for a 90 min half marathon only stops the bleeding, in regular races this pace i enough to plow through the field like a truck. So, thanks everyone for making this a kick ass race and I hope to see some of you again one day.
