A respected Ephrata, Washington, tax accountant, Sam Barnes also maintains entrepreneurial ventures such as Divorce Guardian and Bellevue Body Contouring. Barnes is a Washington triathlete who has completed more than a dozen full Ironman events. Among these, he ran the 2015 Ironman in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, with his 18-year-old son Gavin, who became the youngest finisher. Sam Barnes is currently preparing for the 2016 Ironman World Championship, which will take place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in October.
The premier Ironman event with the toughest field, the World Championship brings together top qualifiers from across the globe and starts with a swim off the Kailua Pier. The cycling segment travels along the Kona Coast across lava fields and through Hawi Village, with the marathon segment also traversing the Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
The competition adheres to strict Ironman regulations, with all participants required to complete the course within 16 hours and 50 minutes. Key challenges triathletes face, beyond the sheer exhaustion and endurance factor of a course this long, is 90 percent humidity and temperatures as high as 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Cyclists can also face maritime-driven crosswinds of up to 60 miles per hour during the bike portion. The men’s and women’s races can be watched through NBC coverage, which includes a live stream broadcast.
