HEATHER JACKSON GEARS UP FOR GRAVEL RACING WITH CANYON IN 2023

US-based Triathlon star switches disciplines and signs with Canyon to take on Life Time Grand Prix series

KOBLENZ, GERMANY | EMBARGO: WEDNESDAY 25 JANUARY 2023, 07:00 MST / 15:00 CET — With a string of Ironman wins stretching back 15 years, Heather Jackson holds legendary status in triathlon. But now the prominent US athlete has hung up her wetsuit in favour of the bike, choosing to race a demanding multi-surface race programme with Canyon in 2023.

As a former Ironman champion, Heather knows a thing or two about extreme endurance. Her Ironman personal bests are sub-9-hours but that’s still some way off the time she needs to spend on the bike to make the distance at some of the gravel races on her calendar this year.

Heather Jackson will race the Life Time Grand Prix series throughout 2023 which includes the infamous 200 mile Unbound Gravel race in Emporia, Kansas. Heather made her first attempt at Unbound in 2022 where she came home in just under 12 hours, so she’s under no preconceptions about what she’s letting herself in for.

With the Life Time series comprising everything from 200 mile gravel races to 40 mile MTB races across spring, summer and autumn, Heather will use Canyon’s Grizl CF SLX gravel bike for the dedicated gravel events and a hardtail Canyon Lux World Cup CFR for the MTB marathon events. And should Jackson feel like she needs to work on her TT efforts, or enter a triathlon for old times’ sake, she’ll also be afforded a Canyon Speedmax too.

Heather’s first race aboard Canyon will be the Belgian Waffle Ride Scottsdale event on March 5, followed by MidSouth Gravel on March 11th.

Her Life Time season kicks off with Sea Otter Classic XL 100k marathon race on 22 April 2023 where she’ll cover 65 miles and 7,800 ft of climbing on her Canyon Lux. She’ll follow that with Unbound in June, Crusher in the Tushar in July, Leadville in August, Chequamegon and Rad Dirt Fest in September and Big Sugar Gravel in October.

To keep in touch with Heather's progress visit Heather Jackson (@hjacksonracing) on Instagram.

1. All images free to use. Credit: Wattie/Plushglobal.cc