Camp Pendleton. The Strand. Strong IPA's and crispy fish tacos. All of these are synonymous with one of the most popular IRONMAN 70.3 races in North America: IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside. Taking place just north of where triathlon has its roots in Mission Bay, San Diego, this event always feels like the kick-off to the triathlon season in North America.
This weekend's race is back to its early-Spring time slot, and boasts one of the strongest pro fields the event has seen in years. With returning legends like multiple-time Oceanside veteran Andy Potts to up-and-comers like Taylor Knibb on the women's side, it's clear that an exciting year of pro racing—and dynamic live coverage—is upon us.
Whether you're an age-grouper gunning for a slot to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, fine-tuning your race strategy for the (postponed) 2021 IRONMAN World Championship this May in St. George (as many of the below pros are!), or just happy to be back out on the race course, here are our top pro picks for the big day.
The men:
Ben Kanute: This American IRONMAN 70.3 specialist won the October edition of this event late last year, and brings incredible strength and consistency across all three disciplines to the table. He also won this event in 2019, making him a sure-fire pick for this year's podium given his familiarity with the course.
Lionel Sanders: A popular athlete on social media and with an inspiring addict-turned-elite-athlete story, this Canadian is a gritty competitor every time he shows up. Last year, he was first at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George and Texas, showing early-season fitness. He went on to back those results up with three full-distance podium placements and a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells to cap off the year. This will be his first race of 2022.
Rudy Von Berg: Another young American, Von Berg stormed the European circuit last year with a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Switzerland, and a second-place finish at two other half-distance races. He took 4th at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George last spring and has also performed well on the Oceanside course.
The women:
Paula Findlay: This Canadian Olympian has been training up a storm in her home of Bend, Oregon, and can't wait to unleash her strength on one of her favorite courses. She won the October edition of this race last year, and also took 4th at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George. 2019 was also a strong year for her and she's poised to make an impact in 2022.
Daniela Ryf: The unbeatable Ryf comes to Oceanside off a second-place result in Dubai, and is quite likely looking to redeem herself as the year takes shape. She was strong at both full and half-distances events all through last year, bagging five wins, but had a disappointing 11th place finish at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
Taylor Knibb: This 24-year-old American stormed onto the IRONMAN scene after participating in the Tokyo Olympic triathlon relay. She took second at IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder win, her first IRONMAN 70.3, giving seasoned pros a run for their money. She placed third at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, while also remaining strong in the WTSC series.
MALE PRO:
1 Ben Kanute USA
2 Sam Appleton AUS
3 Lionel Sanders CAN
4 Sam Long USA
5 Rodolphe Von Berg USA
6 Jackson Laundry CAN
7 Matthew Hanson USA
8 Alistair Brownlee GBR
9 Andreas Dreitz DEU
10 Bart Aernouts BEL
11 Chris Leiferman USA
12 Jason West USA
13 Andy Potts USA
14 Arnaud Guilloux FRA
15 Steven Mckenna AUS
16 Ben Hoffman USA
17 Cody Beals CAN
18 Andre Lopes BRA
19 Michael Weiss AUT
20 Brent Mcmahon CAN
21 Eric Lagerstrom USA
22 David McNamee GBR
23 Matt Russell USA
24 Tristan Olij NLD
25 Tripp Hipple USA
26 Kevin Portmann FRA
27 Pedro Gomes PRT
28 Tomasz Szala POL
29 Antonio Villardaga MEX
30 Ted Treise USA
31 James Scott-farrington GBR
32 Blake Kappler AUS
33 Jason Pohl CAN
34 Tomas Andres Rodriguez Hernandez MEX
35 Yu Hsiao TWN
36 Brennen Smith CAN
37 Tyson Wieland USA
38 Erik Peterson USA
39 Evan Price USA
40 Eduardo Perez Sandi MEX
41 Andy Krueger USA
43 Marek Bialkowski CAN
44 Simon Shi USA
45 Benjamin Ford USA
46 David Hodge USA
47 Grant Grafentin USA
48 Kyle Boorsma CAN
49 Harrison Brown USA
50 Nick Cosman CAN
51 Vinicius Canhedo BRA
52 Loren Nelson CAN
53 Steven Parker USA
54 Antoine Francoeur CAN
55 Travis Wood USA
56 Chris Hammer USA
57 Kristian Rød NOR
58 Jim Lubinski USA
59 Ernest Mantell USA
60 Ari Klau USA
FEMALE PRO:
61 Paula Findlay CAN
62 Daniela Ryf CHE
63 Skye Moench USA
64 Holly Lawrence GBR
65 Heather Jackson USA
66 Ruth Astle GBR
67 Tamara Jewett CAN
68 Chelsea Sodaro USA
69 Ashleigh Gentle AUS
70 Taylor Knibb USA
72 Jackie Hering USA
74 Luisa Baptista BRA
75 Danielle Lewis USA
76 Pamella Oliveira BRA
77 Haley Chura USA
78 Lauren Brandon USA
79 Mollie Hebda USA
80 Cecilia Perez MEX
81 Linsey Corbin USA
82 Melanie Mcquaid CAN
83 Dominika Jamnicky CAN
84 Ai Ueda JPN
85 Danielle Treise USA
86 Angela Naeth CAN
87 Sarah Karpinski USA
88 Britt Vocke USA
89 Lara Gruden USA
90 Jenna Horner USA
91 Alexandra Watt USA
92 Irena Ossola USA
93 Melanie Baumann CHE
94 Tyler Hudacek USA
95 Stefanie Cullingford USA
96 Amy Vantassel USA
98 Brianna Troksa USA
99 Julie Aspesletten NOR
100 Caroline Shannon USA