Search
shop

IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga 2022 results: West is best in Tennessee

First major title for American star in Tennessee showdown
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Jason West won his first major title and a $12,000 payday in the process at the IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga North American Championship on Sunday.

Advertisement

Fairytale return for O’Donnell

Ben Kanute was first to exit the Tennessee River with eventual winner West part of a four-man group right behind him. Tim O’Donnell, the 2019 Kona runner-up, was next out in sixth – this was his first major race since suffering a heart attack at Challenge Miami last year.

O’Donnell rode into the lead and looked supreme on the second half of the bike course right into the second transition. But the 40-year-old was closely tracked by the rest of the field – including Rudy Von Berg, Steven McKenna, West and recent Oceanside victor Jackson Laundry.

Aggressive running from West

West’s aggressive running saw him take the lead after a little more than half a mile, and he never looked back. The 28-year-old Colorado-based athlete ran a blistering 1:09.09 half marathon in heat and humidity to finish a minute ahead of Matt Hanson.

He said: “I’m just blessed to come out and have a result like this on a big day. 

“Everything has been focused towards this race for the last few months and I haven’t tapered for a race in a little while. It was tough not racing at my best, but sometimes you’ve got to play the long game and really sell out for the big one.”

Hanson happy With silver

Hanson said he didn’t expect his run legs to show up after finishing 13th at the IRONMAN World Championships in St. George just two weeks ago.

He said: “I felt alright on the run going uphill but the downhill, the quads were still pretty tender from St. George. I’m not sure it would have mattered, Jason had a great day, so I’m happy to come in second.”

Von Berg said he almost settled for fifth place, until his competitive spirit helped him kick on and move up to third. He broke away from Laundry to gain revenge for that defeat by the Canadian at Oceanside.

He said: “I didn’t want to hurt that bad. The competitor mindset always takes over and I had to dig really deep. I did a couple of surges, and just a mile from the finish I did a third one and finally broke him. 

“We don’t do it for the money or the points or anything else, it’s the competitor mindset.”

IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga 2022 Results

North American Championship – Sunday 22 May 2022

PRO Men

  • 1. Jason West, USA, 3:37:15
  • 2. Matt Hanson, USA, 3:38:12
  • 3. Rudy Von Berg, USA, 3:39:53
  • 4. Jackson Laundry, CAN, 3:40:21
  • 5. Steven McKenna, USA, 3:42:32
  • 6. Tim O’Donnell, USA, 3:42:59
Helen Gorman
Written by
Helen Gorman
Helen is part of the editorial team at TRI247 after spending ten years as a Press Officer with British Triathlon. She's mostly found at a pool, sometimes breaking world masters records.
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
Kona scenic 2022 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
The survey results which prompted IRONMAN’s dramatic Kona U-turn
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...