RACE REPORT: IRONMAN 70.3 MAINE
By: Maddy Smith
MADDY CONQUERS MAINE IM 70.3!
My partner and I arrived in August, Maine on the Friday evening after a smooth day driving from Ottawa. We snuck in a short shakeout run on Saturday to scope out part of the run course between doing athlete check-in and bike drop off.
Race morning started early with a 3:30am wake-up, and getting to transition was smooth with no road closures and plenty of parking. After the 1 mile group walk to the swim start, we were in the water shortly after 6am. It was a cool, clear morning, and the water was wetsuit legal. The river current made for a fast, straightforward swim. Before I know it, I was climbing the steep hill to T1.
The bike course was beautiful! We had long rolling hills with a total of 1200m of elevation that the Gatineau hills helped prepare me for. It was my first time racing with a TT bike and I felt comfortable riding in aero for a majority of the course.
The run reminded me of Tremblant, with long paved trail sections winding through town. Having my family cheering along the course gave me the extra push I needed for the big hill around km 16. I overall felt much more controlled during the run that I did racing a year ago. I settled into a comfortable pace and caught myself smiling the whole run. Overall we had a wonderful race experience and visit to Maine!
Post race, we were able to enjoy time on the Atlantic coast in Acadia National Park and would highly recommend making the trip if you get the chance!
Thanks for the report! Maddy also took 25 minutes off her previous Ironman 70.3 time at Mont Tremblant from 2025! Congratulations on conquering the Maine 70.3. Maddy. We look forward to seeing what your 2027 season brings!
Coach Julia
Head Coach/Founder
Team Triumph Triathlon Club
