Garmin Athlete Ben Collins Takes First Win at Ironman 70.3

Garmin athlete, Ben Collins, took first at Ironman 70.3 in Pucón this past weekend finishing at 3:59:02. Collins started off strong during the swim on the black sand beach of Caburga Lake and made himself a lead onto the bike portion. He was among a small group of about six athletes and quickly found himself neck and neck with another Garmin athlete, Igor Amorelli of Brazil. Although the bike leg was challenging with strong wind conditions, Collins and Amorelli finished with a seven-minute lead over the other athletes.

“Beginning the run, I was a little worried,” said Collins. “Igor is an excellent runner, and in the past, he outruns me more than a marginal amount.” The peninsula portion of the run was challenging because it was extremely hilly. With constant changes in incline, Collin’s legs began to suffer, but according to his watch he had about 90 seconds on Igor. He pushed through cramping legs and then he hit the sand. “Only then did I was actually going to win,” said Collins.

This is a first win at the 70.3 distance for Collins who is moving into long distance running. "I think the challenges I’ve faced moving into long distance, and the time it has taken me to overcome these obstacles has actually made me a better, smarter, more humble athlete,” said Collins. Garmin sponsored athletes followed Collins with a 3rd, 4th and 5th place finish with Felipe Barraza (CHL) 4:04:48, Daniela Fontana (ITA) 4:06:24, and Igor Amorelli (BRA) 4:07:00. We are so proud of all of our athletes for continuing to push themselves and for finishing strong.