Trevor Foley and Sarah True Claim Ironman 70.3 Maine Titles With Short Turnaround Times

AUGUSTA — Even before he crossed the finish line, Trevor Foley was providing awe-inspiring reactions from competitors at the Ironman 70.3 Maine finish line.

It was not unexpected that the leader of Sunday’s race crossed the finish line on schedule with a time similar to that of last year’s winner. What was surprising is that the leader was near the top of the podium just seven days after winning the 140.6, even in Lake Placid, New York, eight days earlier.

“My body is broken,” Foley said minutes after crossing the finish line. “I’m really tired. It was physically tough to get out of bed every day, but I’ve been running on adrenaline all week. It’s still worth it when you come out and get the win.”

Foley won Ironman 70.3 on Sunday in 3:39.27, earning his second Ironman Pro Series race victory in as many weekends. It also marked back-to-back victories in the event for the Gainesville, Florida native, who won Ironman 70.3 Maine last year in his pro racing debut.

Foley defeated Matt McElroy (Huntington Beach, Calif.; 3:42.52) and Sam Osborne (Rotorua, New Zealand; 3:44.39) to top the men’s podium. In the women’s race, Sarah True (Hanover, New Hampshire; 4:12.01) was faster than Jeanni Metzler (Boulder, Colo.; 4:12.42) and Hanne De Vet (Wuustwezel, Belgium; 4:13.11).

Foley finished the 1.2-mile swim leg along the Kennebec River in 18th place after a time of 20:56. Still, he moved into first place halfway through the bike leg and maintained a steady lead over McElroy for the remainder of the 56-mile bike session and throughout the 13.1-mile run.

“The last 20 minutes of the bike and the last 20 minutes of the run, I was blowing,” Foley said. “It was a lot more humid than last year, but I’m glad I came back. My fiancé couldn’t come last year, and I just loved the race, so I decided to come back. I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty, but I said, ‘Eh, (never mind) it.'”

While Foley had experience on the course last year, McElroy and Osborne were competing in the event for the first time. The course, Osborne said, was more rewarding than many on the Ironman circuit, with hills that suited his mountain biking background.

“I love hills, so something like this really excites me,” Osborne said. “I got a penalty for dangerous driving, which I think was because I wasn’t afraid to take a few corners. Luckily I was able to finish strongly. … It’s a great course; it’s not boring like a lot of other courses.”

True trailed the women’s competition for much of the race, as De Vet finished the swim in a tie for first place before taking an early lead on the bike, extending her lead over True to nearly three minutes by the end of the bike.

Around the 7 mile mark of the run, True passed De Vet for first place. Metzler would also pass De Vet and get within a minute of True in the final 3 miles, True was able to hold off Metzler and take the win.

“I felt pretty comfortable, but the race isn’t over until you cross the finish line,” True said. “It was hot toward the end and it was a really tough bike ride; it was up and down the whole time. It feels a little bit like coming home with that kind of rolling farmland that I really love.”

Like Foley on the men’s side, True also competed in the Ironman race in Lake Placid this past weekend. After her body gave out at mile 18 during the bike portion of that event, which she was leading at the time, it was an especially satisfying feeling to get the job done in Augusta.

“It’s hard to recover after an Ironman, so I didn’t know how I was going to feel today,” True said. “It’s not terrible. It was definitely warm; I kind of want to get back in that water, to be honest. The current was really nice, and if it’s good enough for the sturgeon, it’s good enough for me.”

About 2,500 athletes had registered for the race, which was in its second year as a professional race and third overall. The race will be held in the area until at least 2027 after the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce agreed to a new three-year contract with Ironman last year.

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