The race starts off with a 1.2-mile saltwater swim in the protected Offats Bayou followed by a 56-mile scenic one and a half loop bike course along the Gulf Coast of Texas. The 13.1-mile run takes athletes through Moody Gardens, along Offats Bayou and Palm Beach, before finishing near the Discovery Pyramid. Lance Armstrong competed in his second 70.3 in an attempt to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona.