Search
shop

IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast 2023 results: Double delight for Sam Long

Sam Long backed up last week's St George success with an even more emphatic triumph at IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast.
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Sam Long made it two wins in the space of a week as he followed up his 70.3 St George success with victory at Panama City Beach IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast.

The ‘Big Unit’, who revealed earlier in the week he was coaching himself after parting company with Dr Dan Plews, put together another well-executed race.

In trademark fashion he powered into the lead on the bike and showed few signs of tiredness on the run as he claimed another clear-cut win.

Great rival Lionel Sanders took second just under four minutes back, with Jackson Laundry in third at +6:23.

Advertisement

Swim – Quenet makes his mark

The 1-2-3-4 from St George – Long, Trevor Foley, Laundry and Sanders, were all back in action and they were joined by recent 70.3 Peru winner Tim O’Donnell.

But the big names were upstaged early on by relative unknown Nicholas Quenet (RSA).

After a choppy swim he was out of the water first, 17 seconds ahead of Braxton Bokos (USA) – with much bigger gaps back to the rest.

O’Donnell was at +1:08, Laundry was nearly three minutes adrift while it was closer to four minutes to Long and Sanders, with Foley at +4:48.

Bike – Long paces it perfectly

On the bike anyone expecting Quenet to see his advantage quickly erased were in for a shock.

The big guns – with the exception of an isolated Foley – were lining up behind, with Long, Sanders, Laundry and O’Donnell all at +1:45 after 50km.

That continued to come down but it wasn’t until the closing stages that Long moved to the front and coming out of T2 he had a 22 seconds lead from Quenet, with the other trio around a minute-and-a-half back.

Foley was enduring a tough day and having ridden mostly by himself he had over three minutes to make up.

Run – ‘Yo Yo Yo’ out on his own

Early on the run things were still looking good for Quenet – at least in terms of the podium – but his day would end in unfortunate fashion.

Struggling after his exertions in the heat he was apparently disqualified after going off course and was removed from the rankings late on.

But moving serenely on at the front of the race was Long and he never looked under any sort of threat as he stopped the clock in 3:36:00.

Sam Long wins IRONMAN 703 Gulf Coast 2023 [Photo credit: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images for IRONMAN]
[Photo credit: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images for IRONMAN]

IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast Results 2023

Saturday 13 May 2023 – 1.9km / 90km / 21.1km
Panama City Beach, Florida (Pro Men only race)

  • 1. Sam Long (USA) – 3:36:00
  • 2. Lionel Sanders (CAN) – 3:39:56
  • 3. Jackson Laundry (CAN) – 3:42:24
  • 4. Tim O’Donnell (USA) – 3:45:07
  • 5. Trevor Foley (USA) – 3:46:06
  • 6. Jan Stepinski (USA) – 3:46:19
  • 7. Miguel Mattox (USA) – 3:46:27
  • 8. Luis Ortiz (USA) – 3:48:07
  • 9. Nicholas Chase (USA) – 3:49:17
  • 10. Hunter Lussi (USA) – 3:59:00
Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumHow to pace a triathlon to leave it all out there WITHOUT blowing up
FORM Smart Swim 2 PRO lens close up
FORM Smart Swim Pro 2 Goggles review: can these high tech goggles actually help you to train smarter and swim faster?
Premium‘The difference from triathlon is so big – there’s no comparison’: Maya Kingma on life in the Women’s WorldTour peloton
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
TRIFIT VORTEX tri suit
The small but mighty tri brand you NEED to know about: Why TRI-FIT are on a mission to disrupt the triathlon apparel scene
latest News
Hayden Wilde happy T100 Singapore 2025
Hayden Wilde – is he BACK for T100 London after injury nightmare?
Sam Laidlow run Roundhay Park IRONMAN Leeds 2025
‘I’m ready for it’ – Sam Laidlow on why triathlon is hitting new heights in 2025 ahead of IRONMAN World Champs
Alistair Brownlee Olympics Triathlon London 2012 Podium Gold
Olympic icon Alistair Brownlee reveals most British thing ever when it comes to fuelling recovery
Lionel Sanders IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside 2025 celebration finish line
Lionel Sanders provides BIG update on triathlon comeback
Gwen Jorgensen World Triathlon Cup Tongyeong 2023 run
Olympic triathlon champion Gwen Jorgensen issues last call for scholarship fund for young athletes
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

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...