American Kirsten Kasper made a stunning transition from short-course racing to win the IRONMAN 70.3 La Quinta in her very first attempt at the distance, while Bermuda’s Erica Hawley delivered an impressive top-ten finish in her 70.3 debut.
Kasper, with zero prior experience on a time-trial bike, stunned the elite field to win on her first outing, proving a commanding presence and sealing the victory decisively during the run leg. The women’s race may have been impacted before the start, as an overnight incident saw a golf cart roll into the transition area, resulting in damage to some professional bikes.
Olympian Erica Hawley, also competing in her first 70.3 Ironman, delivered an excellent performance to secure a top-ten placement in the Women’s Elite race. Hawley finished with an overall time of 4 hours, 17 minutes, and 32 seconds, placing her 8th in the Women’s Elite race out of 26 competitors.
Hawley’s strong splits included the 1.2-mile swim in 26:02, the 56.3-mile bike in 2:21:26, and the 13-mile run in 1:24:59. Her performance also saw her finish as the 8th female out of 576 female competitors overall. Hawley’s successful debut marks a key step into long-course triathlon, securing a result among the world’s best athletes.
