Andrew Starykowicz and Tyler Butterfield headline Ironman 70.3 Muncie

This weekend’s Ironman 70.3 Muncie is looking like a solid race with some great athletes taking to the start line. Andrew Starykowicz has produced an exceptional result in 2013 with a win at Ironman 70.3 San Juan against an exceptional field. Last year Starykowicz won Ironman Florida in a time of 8:06. This year in addition to San Juan he has raced a couple of Rev 3 races with a 5th in June at Williamsburg and an 11th at Middlebury. Both races had solid fields. In May this year Starykowicz raced the Ironman 70.3 Mallorca for 8th against a stacked field. The top results were very close with Llanos, Aernouts and Andi Raelert taking the top three spots.

Tyler Butterfield raced in Ironman Melbourne this year for 10th overall in one of the strongest fields assembled this year and placed 3rd overall in the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon. Butterfield and Starykowicz are strong cyclists with the former racing in a pro cycling team at one stage.

Up against these two leading males will be Callum Millward. The Kiwi sensationally tied with Matty Reed at Boise 70.3 last year in a race that saw some athletes riding in their wetsuits because of the extreme cold. Millward finished 12th in June this year at Boise and was 8th overall at Florida 70.3 in May.

Clayton Fettell was down to race but has just announced that he will be staying in Australia to focus on his goal race for this year, Kona.

Runner up in this years Ironman Australia from Austin, Texas, Patrick Evo will be seeing what he can do to get a good result over this distance. One of the nice guys in the sport and the consummate professional,  Evoe will be hoping to inject a bit more speed in to all three legs. His most recent 70.3 was at Mont-Tremblant in June where Evoe came away with 13th overall.

Australian Matthew Pellow has had a solid season in the US and recently finished 6th at Rev3 Williamsburg just 47sec behind Starykowicz. Pellow has been building strongly this year and is threatening to have a podium result.

Matthews will race Muncie then back up 8days later at Racine 70.3. “Vegas is on my radar but at this stage consistent performances is more of a priority then chasing points.”

Matthews is usually based in Flagstaff Arizona at 7000ft. “Madison is lower so I can get more race intensity work done. I was up here last year before I placed 5th at Rev3 Wisconsin. I knew I had all the resources I needed up here and it’s close to a handful of events which is cost effective.”

Matthews last 70.3 was in Kansas. “I was fit the weekend before I won a race up in Minneapolis called the Buffalo Triathlon but I came down sick mid week. I traveled down hoping I’d be better by race day. I swam good but nothing else was working.
I could have beat myself up for a 6th/7th place and some points but I called it a day and started looking towards Willismsburg. So hopefully I’m rested enough to post two good results over the next 10days. Vegas would be fun as its close to my base in Arizona. I’m looking forward to Rev3 Branson in October.” Matthews had his best ever 70.3 performance there last year just loosing 3rd with a half a mile to go taking 4th overall.