Thousands welcome Ironman 70.3 athletes to Rockton

The first Ironman 70.3 Rockford competition 56-mile bicycle course took athletes through downtown Rockton. Temperatures reached the 90s on Sunday, June 22, 2025, making the half-triathlon extra challenging. The 2,700 athletes came from various states and countries, including Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, and Guatemala. The Ironman 70.3 Rockford included more than 1,500 volunteers.

Hundreds of spectators in Rockton watched bicyclists roll through town. Many held up signs in support of a specific athlete. Loud cheers arose, some accompanied by the sounds of cowbells.

The race started near the Rock River Recreation Path, where competitors swam the 1.2-mile swim in 79-degree waters. Next: a 13.1-mile run along the Rock River Recreation Path. They then headed to downtown Rockford for a 56-mile bicycle course. The 56-mile bicycle course took athletes through Rockford and Rockton, finishing in the 100 block of South Main Street in Rockford.

The Ironman 70.3 Rockford was organized by Go Rockford (Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau) in partnership with the Ironman Group. Eric Atnip served as race director. Participants could qualify for the 2025 Ironman 70.3 World Championship race in Marbella, Spain. 

Party Like a Rockstar Tents and Events set up a stunning balloon arch in Settlers Park in Rockton. A 3D-created Ironman sign was posted near the gazebo in Settlers Park. The Village of Rockton offered supplies to create signs to support the athletes and offered free face painting in the park.

Roscoe resident Tara Sheetz is no stranger to completing an Ironman. She has completed 40 full competitions, and with Ironman 70.3 Rockford, completed her 16th half Ironman. Sheetz has also competed in the Ironman World Championships.

Sheetz finished the Rockford Ironman 70.3 with a time of 7 hours and 6 minutes. 

"I ended up swallowing an excessive amount of water while swimming in the Rock River. I became ill several times but was determined to finish the race," Sheetz said.

South Beloit resident Eric Hardin has previously completed 12 Ironman races. “This Ironman differed in that it was in a city that I call home now. I had lived in Rockford for 10 years before moving."

"Now our locals can understand what an Ironman truly is,” Hardin said. “The residents on National Avenue in Rockford showed up and were phenomenal. Everyone brought out their hoses and sprinklers on the run course. That was a welcome refresher.”

Hardin said, “I had several friends competing in this event, but it was all a friendly competition for us. Of course, we wanted to beat each other, but we can also say congratulations to everyone and let them know that they did great!”

Eric Hardin says he is “also a new dad to a son who has yet to sleep through the night. That made a significant difference in my training while I was sleep-deprived, as well as ensuring that I stayed safe on the course."

Hardin's training consisted of working out daily, about seven to nine hours per week. “I technically started training for this in February, “he said. “I swam 24 miles (a total of 13 hours), did 1,900 miles of cycling (87 hours), in addition to 580 miles of running, equaling 74 hours,” Hardin mentioned to Rockton-Roscoe News report Marianne Mueller. "The weather was a challenge. This was not only due to the heat, but also to the wind, which was particularly strong on the lake."

"I just had to stay positive and mentally challenging. I was confident in my training and knew that I could complete the course," Hardin said. Hardin placed 61st out of 171 in his age group, males aged 35-39, and 276th in his gender. Hardin placed at 332 out of 1692 overall.

One of Hardin's favorite memories from the event is getting to kiss his wife and son right before the finish line. “This was the first time that my 11-month-old son got to see me race,” he said.

Loves Park Police Officer Claudia Grenlund made the race extra special by dedicating her Ironman to fallen officers. As she neared the finish line, the last officer she saw there was Officer Vargas, Rockford's handler of K9 Nyx.

Roscoe resident David Whitmore said of his experience, “The weather made the competition more challenging than I had expected. Even with training consistently this past year, it's hard to predict how your body will handle heat that extreme at the end of such a long event.”

Whitmore said, "Going into the race, I thought that under five hours was possible for me but pretty quickly realized that wasn't going to happen.” The Roscoe resident finished in 303rd place overall with a time of 5 hours and 46 minutes.

Top honors for the men’s division went to Cody Williams of Madison, Wisconsin, with a time of 4 hours, 10 minutes, and 23 seconds. In the women’s division, Jana Richtova from Woodlands, Texas took first place with a time of 4 hours, 25 minutes, 23 seconds.

Many competitors made note of the job well done by the police officers and race officials, especially for an inaugural event in Illinois. Roads were blocked off skillfully, ensuring that there were no issues with traffic on the bike course. Hardin, Sheetz, and Whitmore each had the highest praise for the volunteers who helped with aid stations and in other ways. Each expressed the effect and inspiration that comes from having family and friends at the event to cheer you on.

Rockton Village President John Peterson fully backed and supported the Ironman coming through Rockton. "I appreciated all of the work and coordination that Rockton Public Works Director Dan Barber, Rockton Police Chief Matt Hollinger, Planning and Development Administrator Tricia Diduch, and their staff put in to make the Iron Man event a success," Peterson said. "Hopefully, next year is even bigger. Thank you to the downtown businesses that opened early and to the spectators who came downtown to cheer on the competitors. Plans are to have this event held in Rockford for three consecutive  years."