Paulo Cardoso earned a spot in the 2026 Ironman World Championship as he and 19 other members of the Team Rocket Tri Club finished the Ironman Florida event Nov. 1 in Panama City Beach.
Cardoso, 39, of Macae, Brazil, finished third in his age division and was 13th overall with a time of 8:56:46. The world championship will be next summer in Kona, Hawaii. Cardoso was one of five TRTC members with podium finishes in Panama City Beach. Five club members were first-time finishers.
Tayana Castelli, Cardoso’s sister, was third in her age division and 18th overall female in her first IM event. Cardoso is a member of the club and coordinates events with Castelli so they can compete together. They previously have done IM 70.3 races in Chattanooga and Wilmington, N.C.
Athletes from around the world competed in Florida in the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile marathon. Cutoff time was 17 hours. The swim portion, in the Gulf of Mexico, started the day, followed by the ride and ending with the run. The Florida event is one of the most popular among the IM events.
The lone club member to not finish was Daniel Buchanan. He was kicked or elbowed in the head during the swim portion that starts the event. He was pulled and put into concussion protocol, and unable to complete the day. Club president Ruth Marie Oliver said Buchanan has recovered and “is close to normal.”
“I feel like all the first-time athletes did well,” Oliver said. “Some are younger and faster comparatively than others, but everyone I saw on the course looked strong. Tayana was a first-time athlete and she blew it out of the water! You really can’t go any faster. All she needs is experience and she will be punching a ticket to Kona.
“We even had many veteran IM athletes who set new personal records on Saturday. Cynthia Mitchell shaved more than 1 hour off her PR and Alex Tomlinson shaved 2 hours 45 minutes from his best time.”
How Team Rocket Finished
First-time Ironman finishers included Al Kemmet, Ann Mix, Billy Smart, Jimmy Scoggins, Matt Fletcher and Castelli. Those with Top 5 podium finishes included Mix, Cynthia Mitchell, Cardoso, Oliver and Castelli.
Below is a list of finish times for the Team Rocket Tri Club members:
Al Kemmet – Finished in 13:43:26
Alex Tomlinson – Finished in 12:29:26
Ann Mix – Finished in 13:49:41 (5th in Female 55-59)
Billy Smart – Finished in 15:02:39
Bryan McPherson – Didn’t Start the Race
Charles Elliott – Finished in 14:12:58
Cynthia Mitchell – Finished in 11:58:02 (3rd in Female 45-49)
Dennis Mix – Finished in 13:47:25
Evan Moore – Finished in 16:04:47
Jimmy Scoggins – Finished in 13:34:07
Jodi Bump – Finished in 14:47:08
Kim Hanson – Finished in 12:42:31
Matt Fletcher – Finished in 11:56:00
Paul Carlson – Finished in 11:55:16
Paulo Cardoso, Macae, Brazil – Finished in 8:56:46 (3rd in Male 35-39 & 13th Overall (Kona Slot)
Ran Cramp – Finished in 13:48:39
Ruth Marie Oliver – Finished in 11:59:24 (4th in Female 45-49)
Scott Todd – Finished in 15:48:40
Sidney Hoyt – Finished in 14:53:04
Tayana Castelli – Finished in 11:03:08 (3rd in Female 40-44 & 18th Female Overall)
Tim Smith – Finished in 16:32:46
“I really think having the team race together made a great day even better,” Oliver said. “The “support crew” was set up under the TRTC tents near “Marathon Hot Corner,” at the start and the half point. The run was two loops. There was so much positive energy. Every time I passed a TRTC athlete there were fist bumps and high-fives. I just loved how the team as a whole rallied around everyone. When I finished, I wanted to shower and get back to the TRTC tent to cheer.”
Team Rocket Tri Club received the second-place award for best club finish with five podium athletes.
What’s Next?
Next for three TRTC athletes is the IM 70.3 World Championship, set Nov. 8-9 at Nueva Andalucia, the largest neighborhood near Marbella, Spain. The event is part of the IM Pro Series.
Ruth Marie, Carolyn Sanders and Anthony Tiffon will be competing. Sanders completed the IM World Championship on Oct. 12 in Kona, after qualifying in 2024. Also completing the Kona championship with Sanders was Elyse Gallegos.
Closer to home, the final triathlon of the year is the Tri Hard Triathlon: The Last Splash, set for Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. at the UAH University Fitness Center pool and campus.
The event combines an outdoor 5K with and indoor 10K bike and 350-yard indoor swim. It will be a fun event to celebrate the imminent closing of the pool as UAH transitions to new facilities. Register here for this one.
