BOISE, IDAHO — The IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon, a renowned endurance event, consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. Local athletes Sara Kelly, a senior at Centauri High School, and her father, Jason Kelly, recently competed and finished this challenging triathlon in Boise, Idaho. 

The grueling competition was featured on ESPN's 50 States in 50 Days Tour. The broadcast was hosted by Nicole Briscoe and featured on ESPN's flagship program, SportsCenter.  Both athletes were featured on the sports network. 

The race began with a 1.2-mile swim and after exiting the water, the athletes started their 56-mile cycling journey through Boise and the surrounding countryside. The final leg of the triathlon was a 13.1-mile run along the popular Boise Greenbelt Trail. 

Sara told the Valley Courier she has competed locally as a high school student and will be a senior at Centauri High this fall and has been running since middle school. She previously ran cross country at Alamosa. 

This fall, Sara is unsure if she will participate in a school team and may continue her training, "I know my goal is another IRONMAN eventually." 

When asked if she had previously competed in any other triathlons, Sara said, "No, that was my very first triathlon, it was a little intimidating, it was good, and it was a good experience for sure.” 

Sara said she decided to participate in the Boise event because she has family members in medical school there, and the race was held after she turned 18 and became eligible to participate. "This was right after my birthday, and this just fell into place for this one." 

Sara and her father, Jason, who is the attorney for Alamosa County, both attended the event. Sara said an additional reason she chose this race was that they were both able to participate. Not only that, but they were competing against each other, "The way IRONMAN does it, everybody does it together, even the pro athletes are racing together, it's pretty cool,” said Sara. 

"It was a long day for sure; it took a lot out of me. You have to train really hard; I biked, swam, and ran twice a week, and that was my training. I would do 30-minute run, and I would do a long run. I also would ride 43 and 45 miles,” said Sara. Her training regimen included regular biking, swimming, and running sessions, with longer runs and rides on specific days to build endurance. 

Jason said, "It can be a little grueling, I've done a few of them, this was one Sara wanted to do when she turned 18, I said yes, let's get you signed up, it worked out. This was a good one to do. 

"I don't look at this as a race, you are really competing against yourself, I refer to them as 'I'm doing this event.' I'm not very fast. It is just a matter of getting it done and pushing your body to do it."  

When asked to comment on participating in the father-daughter event, Jason said, "It was great, I had done a couple of other ones with family members, this is the first I have done with a child. It was really neat just to see her and get her prepared and have her go through that. To do it with Sara was one of those special bonding moments that I will cherish forever. The opportunity to do that was great."  

According to Beatrix Panitz with ESPN, Sara completed the IRONMAN in 9 hours, 7 minutes, 10 seconds. Jason's time was 7 hours, 17, minutes, 58 seconds. The two were part of the 1,700 who participated in the race. 

As for the future, Sara's determination remains unwavering. She looks forward to her next triathlon with the hope of convincing her dad to join her again. With a half-marathon in Colorado Springs on her radar, Sara's future in athletics looks promising. Beyond that, she aspires to continue her athletic training and pursue medicine in college. 

To view the ESPN video clip of Sara and Jason Kelly visit: www.www.instagram.com/reel/DMqP87hJbjf/.