Race Coverage

Noah's Journey - Part III

Friday, 19 December 2025 00:10

By Noah Billings

IRONMAN FLORIDA -Goal: Complete the race, enjoy the day, be present--- I often had to be reminded of my goal because I can get really wound up about speeds. I have a history of going too hard too earlyon long races and falling apart at the end, so finishing strong was a big part of my goal. My mom said, “First Ironman you complete, then you can compete.”

The morning of the race was a little cold for Florida, around the mid 40’s, but my years racing TRI Clear Lake on Memorial Day weekend in northern Iowa helped me to know what to expect and I dressed warm. Hayes and I both made sure our bikes were ready, threw our wetsuits on and made our way to the swim start. The energy was great, I was ready, I was confident.

My swim in the Gulf felt like the best swim I had ever had. The water felt amazing, and I felt comfortable and felt like I was cruising through the water. However, as I wasswimming on the second lap, I was very startled when I saw a small jellyfish right near my chest, I reacted by kind of flailing around for a sec and then sprinting for 10 seconds. I had never encountered this before, so I may have overreacted. By the end of the second lap I was amazed to look down at my watch, and I saw that I completed the swim in 1 hour and 7 minutes. I was very far ahead of my anticipated swim time.

I ran into T1, grabbed my gear and my bike and started to ride. I was aiming for around a 19-mph average which was very hard to keep in the beginning because I was excited and I wanted to go faster. This is where having Hayes as a partner in the race was great as he kept me focused on the goal. The bike felt very nice, the weather warmed up, there wasn’t a ton of wind so it felt perfect all the way through the bike. I did it in 5 hours and 45 minutes. Looking back heading into T2 was a little funny for me. After 10 years of racking my own bike almost made me run past the bike handoff people. Either way I made sure to hand it off properly, grabbed my gear bag and started off on the marathon run....

The run felt amazing as well. My plan was to hold a around a 9 to 9:30 minute pace andwalk each aid station. I remember feeling so supported from all the people along the run course cheering me on and Hayes giving me pep talks during the run. I was also very happy with my run. I remember coming in on my last lap and feeling super emotional and feeling super invigorated. Hayes and I picked up the speed at the end and I dropped my pace for the finish to end fast. I finished in 4 hours and 2 minutes.

I will never forget ringing that first timer bell and sprinting in. When I finish I ended up crying tears of joy after crossing the line. This has been a goal for SO long!

After crossing the line, grabbing the medal, hugging and taking photos with Hayes. I wentback to my hotel and immediately fell asleep. A couple hours later I went back to the course to see more people on the 1% team finish and cheer them on.

I have made many triathlon friends over the years. Don’t worry northerners, I am not sure what is next, but I’ll still be visiting family and friends in MN. However, for now, I am in sunny Florida with the 1% Foundation to race and promote inclusion for all in sports, work, and play.

ED. Noah's IM debut time was 11:10:45.