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A 57-year-old from Florida has racked up her 100th IRONMAN finish – just three weeks after racing the World Championships in Kona.
Jill Walker of Tampa was among the 1,800 registered athletes who swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and then ran a marathon across Panama City Beach and its surrounding areas at IRONMAN Florida last weekend, marking a full circle moment on home turf as the event was her first-ever IRONMAN back in 2007.
And that put her in rarified company of 100 full-distance IRONMANs alongside Canada’s Elizabeth Model and Jacksonville’s Susan Haag.
What made Walker’s achievement all the more impressive was that it came just three weeks after her most recent race at the IMWC in Hawaii.
Every IRONMAN race ticked off
In addition, Jill and her husband Dougin continue to be among the very few who have done every single available full-distance IRONMAN event in the world.
They even tied the knot mid-race on the bike course during IRONMAN Cozumel in 2022!
A dog lover, Walker has embraced not just the support of the local communities she races in, but their canine companions too, stopping to pet any four-legged friend she spotted along the course.
“I wake up excited for every single one. It never gets old and the races are all unique and special in their own way. Panama City Beach was my first IRONMAN in 2007,” Walker said at the finish line.
“This was my 11th time racing IRONMAN Florida. I love this race!”
‘If you can do a 5k, then you can do an IRONMAN’
Walker crossed the finish line in a time of 14:32:17, followed closely behind by husband Dougin.
Greeted by her friends and supporters, including her own two beloved dogs, Jill was also gifted with commemorative dog collars highlighting every event she had completed throughout her 100 full-distance IRONMAN achievement.
Walker added: “If you can do a 5k, then you can do an IRONMAN. You just have to sign up, commit to it, and start training. Believe that you can do it and anything is possible.”
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.
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