With temperatures topping 101 degrees F and temperatures on the ground during the men’s race hitting 133 — according to the Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls Press — 2,100 racers set out to tackle a brutally hot Ironman Coeur d’Alene course on Sunday. With a tough course and a “heat dome” hovering over the Pacific Northwest, the race saw a 27% DNF rate—one of the highest reported in Ironman history. Despite the conditions, up-and-coming American pro Sam Long took the title in 8:07:40, over a field that included 2017 Ironman world championship runner up Lionel Sanders (who faded to 13th). On the women’s side, Australian Carrie Lester broke the tape in 8:54:51 ahead of women like 2015 Ironman Coeur d’Alene winner, Heather Jackson (who flatted and DNF’d around 100 miles into the bike). For more on the race, check out the weekend recap here. Scroll down to see how it played out in pictures.
Racers line up at the swim start at the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene with 68-degree water temperatures—a sharp contrast to the 100-degree heat that they’d face later in the day. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Swimmers take on the second lap of the two-lap swim course in Lake Coeur d’Alene. Balazs Csoke (HUN) was first out of the water for the men in 49:43. Haley Chura (USA) would lead out the women in 49:41. Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
American Matt Russell leads Jason Pohl (CAN) on the bike. Pohl would go on to finish just off the podium in fourth, while Russell would finish in fifth overall. Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Canada’s Francis Martin rides the difficult Ironman Coeur d’Alene bike course that boasted over 7,000 feet of elevation gain over the 112 miles. Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
American Justin Metzler en route to a second-place finish overall. Metzler’s run would end up the second fastest of the day in 2:47:59. Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Sam Long celebrates his win in Coeur d’Alene in 8:07:40. This race was his fourth Ironman start and his second Ironman victory after a win at Ironman Chattanooga in 2019. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Sam Long took the 2021 Ironman Coeur d’Alene title over Justin Metzler (USA) and Pedro Gomes (POR), who finished in second (8:13.03) and third (8:17:0), respectively. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
40-year-old Australian Carrie Lester used a race-best run of 3:06 to cross the finish line in 8:54:51 for the win. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Fenella Langridge of Great Britain runs through the finish chute for second place after leading for much of the day. The first-time Ironman competitor laid down a blistering race-best bike of 4:49:07. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Carrie Lester (AUS) stands on the podium with Fenella Langridge (GBR) and Linsey Corbin (USA) who finished in second (8:59:50) and third (9:13:21), respectively. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
2017 Ironman world championship runner-up Lionel Sanders fought through nutritional issues and the heat to finish a surprising 13th place overall. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN
Cyclists tackle the difficult 2021 Ironman Coeur d’Alene bike course, where the field experienced a record-breaking 27% DNF rate due to triple-digit temperatures. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images for IRONMAN