Cam Wurf is a former pro cyclist who has gone all in on Ironman and, hoping to get it right, has raced 15 Iron distance events over the past few years and six this year alone. Last year he went 4:12 and set a new bike course record. This season has been all about getting his run time under 3:00 hours off the bike. This summer he ran a 1:18 half marathon off the bike to win a half and at Challenge Almere he ran 2:52 off the bike. He was first off the bike last year, but Lionel Sanders caught him fairly quickly and he ended up finishing 17th. The big question is not about his cycling. It’s about his ability to stay off the front long enough in the marathon to make it into the top ten.
Brent McMahon was forced to drop out in 2017 after getting stung by a jellyfish during the race. He has gone under eight hours five times, won Ironman Canada this year, and has the swim, bike, and run talent to win this race. Will this be the year?