The triathletes’ journey is nothing but rewarding when swimming, biking and running through one of the country’s oldest colonial towns. With breathtaking views of all the amenities Cambridge has to offer, triathletes keep coming back every year for a scenic and successful IRONMAN Maryland.
Entering its fourth year, IRONMAN Maryland will be held on October 7, 2017. The triathlon starts with a 2.4-mile swim in the Choptank River, continues with a 112-mile bike through the scenic Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge of Dorchester County and ends with a 26.2-mile run. A 140.6-mile race can seem daunting, but, according to IRONMAN’s mantra, anything is possible.
Last year’s IRONMAN Maryland held significant history to the triathlon community. Participant John Young crossed the finish line to become the first person with dwarfism to finish a full-distance IRONMAN. Young has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Additionally, he was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Despite his conditions, he proved many, including his doctors, wrong and aims to complete many more long-distance races.
Young spoke earlier this year about his return to IRONMAN Maryland and stated, “When I arrived in Cambridge last year there were signs for me in business windows that I had never heard of and the entire community made me feel so welcomed. My family and I felt like it was home, and it was a no-brainer to race there again.”
The top 40 finishers of IRONMAN Maryland qualify to participate in the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Originally located in Waikiki, the triathlon moved to Kona, where athletes race beside black lava rock and battle against the “ho’omumuku” crosswinds of 45 mph. On October 14, 2017, for this year’s IRONMAN , over 2,000 athletes will trek the 140.6-mile race in an effort to earn the title of IRONMAN, and Young aspires to be one of the competitors.
To view the highlight video from last year’s IRONMAN Maryland, please click here. For more information regarding this year’s IRONMAN Maryland, please click here.
