Australia’s Sam Appleton delivered a commanding performance at Ironman 70.3 Boulder, leading from the early stages of the bike to secure an almost wire-to-wire win in the men’s pro-only race. Despite a spirited chase from American rising star Colin Szuch, Appleton held firm to take the title in 3:35:59.
The race began with a tightly packed swim, led by American Thomas Gordon, who exited the water in 23:27. Nine athletes, including Appleton, followed within 30 seconds. Appleton emerged in fourth, perfectly positioned to strike. Szuch, on the other hand, faced a significant challenge early on, as he exited the water in 15th, 2:45 behind the leader.
Once on the bike, Appleton wasted no time asserting his dominance. He surged to the front and began putting time into the rest of the field. Meanwhile, Szuch mounted a relentless comeback, steadily climbing through the ranks. By the halfway point of the bike, Appleton remained in control, but Szuch had powered into second place, narrowing the gap to 1:48.
As the leaders hit T2, the race had effectively become a two-man duel. Appleton led into transition with Szuch just 1:13 back, both having distanced the rest of the field significantly. On the run, Szuch continued to apply pressure, cutting the deficit to under a minute in the early stages of the half marathon.
But Appleton responded with the poise and strength of a seasoned veteran. Refusing to let the race slip away, he reasserted his lead in the latter half of the run, gradually pulling away to secure a well-earned victory.
Appleton won the race in a time of 3:35:59 with Szuch finishing second in 3:38:43. American Kevin McDowell finished third in 3:40:43.
