Scenes from the First Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley

Cyclists descend Centre Hall Mountain during the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley on July 2, 2023. Photo by Greg Guise

By

Geoff Rushton

–

July 3, 2023 – 11:00 am

The first Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley on Sunday welcomed more than 2,000 competitors from 43 states and 15 countries to Centre County.

After a year of planning and with the support of nearly 1,000 volunteers, athletes swam 1.2 miles in Sayers Lake at Bald Eagle State Park, bicycled 56 miles through Clinton and Centre counties and ran 13.1 miles on the Penn State campus before crossing the finish line at the 50-yard line in Beaver Stadium.

Penn State alumnus Matthew Guenter, of Boulder, Colorado, was the top finisher with a time of 4:19.30. Caroline Moyer, of Malvern, had the top women’s time at 5:00:55. Vincent Fadale was the first State College are resident to cross the finish line, clocking a time of 4:48:03, good for 28th overall.

From the Ironman Village outside Beaver Stadium to the finish line, check out the sights from the inaugural event.

*The Ironman Village was set up outside Beaver Stadium beginning Friday. Photos by Geoff Rushton StateCollege.com*

*The triathlon kicked off at 7 a.m. Sunday with a 1.2-mile swim in Foster Joseph Sayers Lake at Bald Eagle State Park. Photos by Donald Miralle | Ironman*

After the swim, competitors then took a 56-mile bike ride that turned north to Mill Hall then back through the Nittany Valley, over Centre Hall Mountain into Centre Hall and toward State College.

*Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com*

The final leg of the triathlon was a 13.1-mile run through the Penn State campus, with the course passing landmarks like Old Main and the Nittany Lion Shrine.