The Iron Cowboy Conquers 101 Iron-Distance Triathlons in 101 Days
At 5:30 a.m. in nearly sub-freezing temperatures in Provo, Utah on March 1, 2021, James Lawrence—a.k.a. The Iron Cowboy—took the first swim stroke of what kicked off the Conquer 101: 101 iron-distance (140.6 miles) triathlons in 101 consecutive days.
Lawrence is no stranger to creating and taking on feats others wouldn’t ever consider. He is best known for racing 50 iron-distance triathlons in 50 days in all 50 states, breaking the world record for the number of consecutive long course triathlons completed. He’s also competed in the “World’s Toughest Race: Eco Challenge,” which was featured on Amazon Prime Video, and he owns the current world record for most half-distance triathlons (70.3 miles) completed in a year with 22.
Though he’s best known now for taking on and completing these incredible challenges, Lawrence got his endurance start well into adulthood . “I gravitated towards wrestling when I was younger,” said Lawrence, who turned 45 this year. “And in 2006 my wife suggested we do a four-mile fun run. Those four miles absolutely wrecked me, but also kicked off my journey into wanting to get the most out of myself.”
