Ironman 70.3 Oregon wraps with pair of Arizona residents atop podium

The sixth edition of the Ironman 70.3 Oregon in Salem is complete and a pair of Tucson, Arizona, residents took home the gold medals atop the men's and women's podium.

Soren Jensen, 26, was the first man to cross the finish line at the triathlon event that featured a 1.2-mile swim in the Willamette River, a 56-mile bike ride through Oregon's wine country and a 13.1-mile run in Minto-Brown Island Park. Kristen Yax, 44, was the first woman to finish surrounded by cheering friends, family, fans and Ironman staff.

Jensen, Yax, and additional high-placing individuals booked their place in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in August 2027 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

As Jensen and Yax closed their races, they were greeted by Salem mayor Julie Hoy, Rep. Tom Anderson, D-Salem, Sen. James Manning Jr. and Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, as one of Salem's largest events of the year reached a climax.

Yax, a native of Bend, won the race Sunday in her fourth time competing in 4 hours 32 minutes, 57 seconds, just a few minutes ahead of the runner-up female finisher. It's her first Salem race since 2023, though, as she's underwent three surgeries in as many years that have presented her with some adversity.

“It’s been a really tough journey, but I still want to get the most out of myself," Yax said after the race. "I still want to see what I’m capable of and I don’t want to let setbacks hold me back. I want it to make me stronger and come out the other end better than I was … and that’s what I got out of myself today.”

For Yax, a training camp in Boulder, Colorado with her team, Salty Bears Racing, prepped her for the win. That and her family; husband Justin Yax and their son, Axel, greeted Yax at the finish line.

“My family, I mean they’re with me every single day. They support me, they do all the little things that we brush aside but they are the reason I can pull this off. It really is a team effort," Yax said.

Jensen, a University of Arizona graduate living in Tucson, collected the win at Ironman 70.3 Oregon in 3:50:12 to add a second Ironman gold medal to his collection this year.

Back in May, Jensen won Ironman 70.3 Victoria in Canada.

His journey with Ironman and triathlon dates back to his grade-school days, where he recalls a former teacher who used to compete in Ironman events.

"I thought it was the coolest thing,” Jensen said. “Then I went off to college, played club soccer (at Arizona) and after that, COVID happened so there was no soccer. I needed to have an outlet to exercise and I lived in Tucson so it’s already cycling and just exercise-centric, so I picked up triathlon because I thought about my teacher giving a talk about it.”

Jensen now competes for the 30-person Octagon Elite Team, an athletic organization with athletes of all ages and backgrounds. Next for Jensen, though, is not racing related.

“I’m getting married in October," Jensen announced at the finish line to a roar of cheers. "I’m going to shut it down and then I have some big plans for next year.”

Rave reviews of Salem and Oregon course

The Salem rendition of the international Ironman circuit continues to be a fan favorite and athlete favorite.

The Willamette River boasts a straightforward, current-riding swim that draws praise from many competitors. The bike ride presents athletes with views of mountain ranges and relatively flat riding and the run through Minto-Brown Island Park is a paved, flat run surrounded by nature.

The event's winners sang praise for the course at the finish line.

“This race is really special to me … It’s one of the best races on the circuit and there’s a reason why it sells out so quickly every year,” Yax said. “It’s just greatly supported, the town of Salem comes out … I come back here every single year.

Across Yax's four different competitions in Salem, she's even noticed some growth on the course.

"The river swim is lovely, it takes the anxiety away and the bike course is really nice out there. It’s shaded, the roads are excellent, I’ve noticed they’ve made some improvements to the roads, so that was really helpful," Yax said. "The run course is beautiful, it’s shaded and it’s through this lush green forest the whole time. You get to see other athletes, it’s just one of my favorite races. It’s amazing.”

Jensen shared similar feelings. Before his first race day in Salem, he stumbled upon some good first impressions in and around the course.

“Before the race, I thought it was really cool … temperature wise. The second day I was here, I went and rode the back portion of the bike course, which was super fun. Then I actually went and ran the back portion of the run course and it was so fun. I can’t have a better course, honestly,” Jensen said.

And everything lived up to the expectations for Jensen. He noted the downriver swim, clear and open bike ride and shaded, cool run after his victory.

Ironman 70.3 Oregon is locked in to Salem through 2028. Following a sellout year with idyllic weather and a spirited atmosphere, many look forward to returning.

Landon Bartlett covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at LBartlett@statesmanjournal.com or on X, TikTok or Instagram @bartlelo.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Ironman 70.3 Oregon wraps with pair of Arizona residents atop podium