Ironman athlete Daniel Chamberlain gets their bike fixed mid race on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, Alaska (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Ironman athlete Zsuzsanna Marjai Griffin from the U.S. pushes through hills and turns in Auke Bay on the 112 mile bike race portion of the triathlon on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Maisy Morly from the Juneau-Douglas High School Yadaa.at Kalé track team passes out Powerbars to Ironman Athlete contestants on Glacier Highway, Aug. 7th 2022, Juneau AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
First place racer Alex Whetman from Utah crosses the finish line from the 112 mile bike race Aug. 7th 2022, Juneau AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
First place racer Alex Whetman from Riverton, Utah crosses the finish line from the 112 mile bike race Aug. 7th 2022, Juneau AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Ironman contestant Jetson Swayze begins the marathon race at the starting line near the University Southeast Alaska Campus, Aug. 7th 2022, Juneau AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Federico from North Carolina cheers on his son Anthony as he switches to the marathon portion of the race Aug. 7th 2022, Juneau AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Onlookers cheer on athletes in Auke Bay on their final leg of the bike race for Ironman Alaska on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Onlookers cheer on athletes in Auke Bay on their final leg of the bike race for Ironman Alaska on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Michele Beeman holds a handmade sign cheering on Ironman Alaska racers on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Ironman racer Michael Grant high fives crowds as he starts the marathon race after biking 112 miles on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Support signs are hung around the course to cheer on Ironman Alaska athletes on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Volunteers Jasper Soriano and Greg Lange assist visitors with map route information at Ironman Alaska on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Alex Whetman from Utah is the first male to cross the finish line in the Ironman Alaska race on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Liz Cullen from Canada crosses the finish line as the overall female lead in the Ironman Alaska race on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
John Bursell is the first Juneau resident to finish the Ironman Alaska with a time of 10:13:20 on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Federico from North Carolina cheers for his son Anthony as he finshes the Ironman Aug. 7th 2022, Juneau AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
A woman supports her husband who just finished the Ironman Alaska race on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Gilbert Pinard from Canada hugs his family in relief after he crosses the Ironman Alaska finish line on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Tyler Long from the U.S. is medaled for finishing the Ironman Alaska race on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Second place runner Franklin Rice runs through cheering crowds as he finishes the Ironman Alaska race on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon smiles seeing first place male finisher Alex Whetman cross the Ironman Alaska finish line on Aug. 7, 2022 in Juneau, AK (Photo by Paige Sparks/KTOO)
Sunday’s race in Juneau was the first Ironman triathlon in Alaska. More than 700 athletes finished the race.
The first across the finish line was Alex Whetman of Riverton, Utah. It took him 9 hours, 11 minutes, 17 seconds to swim 1.2 miles in Auke Lake, bike 112 miles on Glacier Highway and run a full 26-mile marathon through the Mendenhall Valley.
Liz Cullen of Gibson, British Columbia, was the top female finisher with a time of 10 hours, 23 minutes, 3 seconds.
The first person from Juneau to finish was Will Coleman, who was 14th overall. Beth Gollin was Juneau’s first female finisher and 13th female overall.
John Bursell was Juneau’s second finisher. He has completed several Ironman races in the past, and met his goal this time to qualify for the Ironman World Championship event in Hawaii in October.
“It was a great experience overall,” he said. “I think Ironman did a great job. I was super-impressed and proud of Juneau. You know, the way people turned out – the support was incredible, the volunteers were incredible. And we heard that over and over again from people who came from out of town to compete. This was basically the most supportive community they’ve ever raced in.”
Bursell says locals volunteered, loaned out their own personal bikes, opened up their homes to house athletes, even offered free car rides around town. According to a press release from Ironman, more than 1,400 people volunteered.
The event had a lot of challenges. Race officials cut the swim portion in half, due to the cold water temperatures in Auke Lake.
Before the race even began, logistics issues drove down turnout. In a press release, Ironman said “approximately 1,000” athletes came to Juneau for the event. An official list dated from April had identified more than 1,300 participants.
Juneau’s destination marketing organization, Travel Juneau, worked closely with race organizers. Executive Director Liz Perry says there will be a full debrief to work on making the second Ironman Alaska event go smoother. Perry says there’s a three-year contract, meaning Ironman Alaska will be back in Juneau in 2023 and 2024.