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Pete Buttigieg completed a 70.3 mile triathlon & the internet is celebrating with him

The endurance competition, a longtime goal for Buttigieg, involves a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run.
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Pete Buttigieg finishes a the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon
Pete Buttigieg finishes a the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon Photo: Screenshot

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg competed in the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon over the weekend and social media exploded with admiration and celebration.

Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten, posted a video of the out politician crossing the finishing line.

Related:

Five times Chasten Buttigieg stood up for LGBTQ+ people this year

Chasten has become known for his LGBTQ+ activism and outspokenness when it comes to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. 

The endurance competition, a longtime goal for Buttigieg, involves a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run, for a total of 70.3 miles. It is commonly called a “Half Ironman.”

“Physical exercise is extremely important to me. Although I have to say my exercise habits took a nosedive when the kids were born. I was in the best shape in my life last year. I was training for a half Ironman,” Buttigieg told People Magazine earlier this year. “About a month before the race was when the kids arrived and everything changed. So I’m just now starting to get back into it.”

But family cheered him on this year, as Chasten posted a congratulatory message on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, including, “You’ve trained so hard for this. Proud of you!” The video was re-posted by other users and on TikTok.

It didn’t take long for supporters to start weighing in with their own comments.

“Pete for Pres, fittest candidate (mentally & physically) ever!” one TikTok user posted. “Tremendous!! Such an amazing guy, on so many levels,” another added.

Referencing Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) recent mini-scandal after getting thrown out of a musical for vaping, taking photos, and playing handsy with her date, a third user snarked, “The rest of the politicians are either planning their funerals or getting felt up in plays….”

Most users seemed intent on hyping the former presidential candidate’s political future.

“Just think, he could have been our president. A clean slate,” one said. Another user added, “Go Pete!!!! He’s going to be president someday.”

The comments on Twitter were just as enthusiastic.

@meidastouch

Pete Buttigieg finishes the IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon. A 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. 70.3 miles in total. #ironman703

♬ original sound – MeidasTouch – MeidasTouch
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