Photo: Jenson Button Trust / jensonbuttontri.com
Jenson Button may have temporarily retired from Formula 1, but he has not stopped racing. This time, he was using the power of his muscles to race others in a 70.3 Ironman.
That kind of race is known as a “half-Ironman” in the world of this type of sports, and the 2009 F1 Champion finished third in his category at the World 70.3 Ironman Triathlon Championships.
If you are wondering what 70.3 means, it refers to the total distance in miles that competitors must travel, which equates to 113.0 kilometers if you use metric.
Jenson Button completed the 56-mile (90 kilometers) bike ride in one hour and 23 minutes, after swimming 1.2 miles (1.9 km), and running 13.1 miles (21.1 km). This year’s World 70.3 Ironman Championship final is scheduled to take place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.
The first contest of this kind took place in 2001, but the format goes back to the “Superfrog Triathlon,” which was first organized in 1979.
Apparently, Button’s result was enough to qualify the Brit to the world championships, but he was disqualified after it was determined he was going too fast in a “slow zone.”
The latter was a section of the bicycle stage where competitors were supposed to ride slower for safety reasons, BBC notes. Several others had made the same mistake during the cycle part of the event.
The 37-year-old British driver started doing triathlons to improve his fitness and endurance, which helped him in his Formula 1 career. Button has accomplished 305 Grand Prix starts, which means he currently holds the third-highest number on the list.
Jenson’s contract with McLaren-Honda allowed the driver to return to the team in 2018, but the situation might prove uncertain for Button after Ron Dennis left the company. The F1 champion has made it clear that he still wants to race after the end of his “sabbatical.”
Until the 2018 F1 season begins, he will focus on his charitable causes through this foundation, Jenson Button Trust, along with participating in Ironman events and other activities.
If you are wondering what 70.3 means, it refers to the total distance in miles that competitors must travel, which equates to 113.0 kilometers if you use metric.
Jenson Button completed the 56-mile (90 kilometers) bike ride in one hour and 23 minutes, after swimming 1.2 miles (1.9 km), and running 13.1 miles (21.1 km). This year’s World 70.3 Ironman Championship final is scheduled to take place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.
The first contest of this kind took place in 2001, but the format goes back to the “Superfrog Triathlon,” which was first organized in 1979.
Apparently, Button’s result was enough to qualify the Brit to the world championships, but he was disqualified after it was determined he was going too fast in a “slow zone.”
The latter was a section of the bicycle stage where competitors were supposed to ride slower for safety reasons, BBC notes. Several others had made the same mistake during the cycle part of the event.
The 37-year-old British driver started doing triathlons to improve his fitness and endurance, which helped him in his Formula 1 career. Button has accomplished 305 Grand Prix starts, which means he currently holds the third-highest number on the list.
Jenson’s contract with McLaren-Honda allowed the driver to return to the team in 2018, but the situation might prove uncertain for Button after Ron Dennis left the company. The F1 champion has made it clear that he still wants to race after the end of his “sabbatical.”
Until the 2018 F1 season begins, he will focus on his charitable causes through this foundation, Jenson Button Trust, along with participating in Ironman events and other activities.
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