IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships Website
MOOLOOLABA BEACH, Australia – On Wednesday morning, Alaska swimming assistant coach Kinsey Laine began her journey to Australia's Sunshine Coast to represent the United States in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships on Sept. 4.
Laine, a Nanook swimmer from 2007-11, qualified for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships this past summer while racing in Maryland. Laine's time was one of the top three in her age class, which qualified her for a trip to Queensland.
The race begins at 6:15 a.m. (Australia) with a 1.2mi swim adjacent to the Mooloolaba Beach in the South Pacific Ocean. According to the website, athletes will be tested early in the day with a 50m soft sand run from the swim finish to the beach exit, followed by a stair climb to the transition area directly following the open water swim. The bay area is expected to have light winds at this time of year, along with a moderate swell.
Next, Laine will take on a grueling 56mi bike along the Sunshine Motorway before progressing through the "hinterland" (backcountry) to the finish. Athletes will start and end their bike race at 33ft elevation but will gain 2,205ft throughout their ride. Â
Following the biking portion of the race, Laine (who ran cross country for the Nanooks for one season) will then run 13.1mi before hitting the finish line. The athletes will run two laps through a course along the Sunshine Coast, including a four-hill ascent. Runners will experience a  171ft elevation gain throughout the 13.1 miles.
The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship was created in 2006 and held in Clearwater, Florida until 2011. The event moved internationally in 2014 when it was held in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec  before moving to Zell am See, Austria in 2015. Â
Laine is one of 3,000 athletes who qualified for the prestigious race, beating out more than 130,000 athletes in qualifying races in over 85 locations across the world this past year. Athletes participating in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships will range from 18 to 75+ and come from over 70 countries.
For those who wish to cheer Laine on, results will be posted on the IRONMAN website HERE.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks swim team and their alumni, follow @NanooksSwim on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Swim team page on Facebook.
