Home

A Podium in Her First Long-Course Triathlon!

Monday, 22 June 2026 00:10

By Megan Ehlen

The sport of triathlon first piqued my interest a little over a year ago. As my friends and I huddled around a high-top at our local saloon with beers in hand, we decided that we would partake in our first sprint triathlon together at Buffalo. I left that night with a buzz that went far beyond the drinks we shared.

Reality set in the next morning as it occurred to me that my swimming background was limited to an occasional dip in a lake on a hot summer day, and I had only owned a bike for about 48 hours. Despite the uphill battles I faced in two out of the three disciplines, I was a seasoned runner with a can-do attitude. I worked hard in the coming weeks and finished that sprint triathlon first in my age group.

Fast forward fifteen months to today. I sit staring at the piles of gear that I am still working to unpack following my first long-course triathlon: Ironman 70.3 Omaha. I have acquired a shocking amount of carbon fiber and Lycra gear since my first sprint-distance race, and I have also learned so much about this sport that I have come to love. After a near-seamless race day, I was able to snag 5th place in my age group (F25–29). In reflecting on what made my preparation and execution on race day such a success, I believe it comes down to a few simple categories: adaptability, discipline, and community.

Adaptability

I have always taken great pride in my ability to put my head down and perfectly execute a run-specific training plan. I learned, however, that when you add biking and swimming to the mix,you must be willing to be flexible.

There was not a week that went by during this training block where I didn't have to adapt myplan to some degree. Between pool closures, workdays running long, or an unexpected puncture interrupting a long ride, learning to take "setbacks" on the chin and keep moving forward became second nature. I consistently reminded myself that perfection is the enemy of progress, and learning how to adapt in training translates directly to how you handle potential adversity on race day.

Discipline

In addition to being able to adapt, I have learned just how important discipline is when training for a big goal. It is a common opinion in the world of endurance sports that discipline is more important than motivation. I had always subscribed to this logic, but it wasn't until I started training for a 70.3-distance triathlon that I truly understood the depth of the concept.

Having the discipline to complete scheduled training sessions is the most obvious example of this notion. But beyond simply ticking the boxes each week, I learned to have the discipline to get to bed early so my body could recover. I learned to have the discipline to eat enough to support the high volume of training I was doing. I learned how to stick to my Zone 2 training days, even when I was getting passed at run club. Most importantly, I learned to have the discipline to rest when my body was asking for it. Understanding the difference between normal training fatigue and pure exhaustion is ultimately what helped me arrive at the start line happy, healthy, and ready to race!

Community

If it is true that we become who we spend time with, I have really hit the jackpot. I am beyond fortunate to have acquired wonderful mentors, friends, and training partners who inspire me every day. As someone who already puts a great deal of pressure on myself, having family and friends who I knew would be proud of me regardless of my performance did wonders to ease my pre-race nerves. I knew this was especially true of my husband and best friend who accompanied me on the long trek to Nebraska to cheer me on (fully equip with an oversized cutout of my own face)!

I must give a special shout-out to triathlon veteran Ken Downer, or "Koach Ken," as I refer to him. Ken is incredibly humble despite his mile-long list of accolades that would give him every reason not to be. With decades of Ironman racing under his belt, it is no surprise that he also took home 1st place in his age group at Ironman 70.3 Omaha. In addition to physically training with me, Ken has been incredibly generous in sharing his extensive knowledge of the sport. He dedicated hours to helping me nail down both my training process and my mental preparation for this race. This mentorship, combined with the widespread support of our shared run group, is what I am certain gave me a leg up against the competition in Omaha.

Crossing the Finish Line

Triathlon might technically be an individual sport, but it takes a village of support just to get to the start line. Standing on the podium at Ironman 70.3 Omaha was an unforgettable milestone, but the true reward was the journey it took to get there. By embracing flexibility when things went wrong, staying disciplined in the quiet moments of training, and leaning on an incredible community, I found a passion for a sport that once felt entirely out of reach. The gear might finally be unpacked, but I am already looking forward to the next starting line—and whatever lessons it decides to teach me next.

Megan lives and trains in the west metro. Ironman 70.3 Omaha was her second-ever triathlon and first attempt at long-course racing. When Megan isn’t training, she is curating content for her triathlon themed Instagram account @meg_does_sports, sharing useful tips and less useful memes about the sport we all love.

70.3 Omaha: My Overview...

Friday, 19 June 2026 00:10

Photo: Megan Ehlen and Ken Downer celebrate the end of a successful race. NOTE: This pic was uploaded before uploading photos became problematic.

By Kenneth Downer

Inaugural 70.3 Omaha Race Report - If you are looking for an Ironman-branded race near the Twin Cities, Omaha 70.3 is a good one. The inaugural edition of this event was held last Sunday (June 7). Despite a few hiccups that any new race is liable to have, this was a well-organized race on an honest course that may be worth adding to your race schedule. Here is an overview of the new race in Omaha and the results of some of the Minnesota athletes who competed there.

One of the unique features of this race was its split transition configuration. The swim takes place in Lake Cunningham fifteen miles northwest of the city, while the run starts in downtown Omaha. This adds a layer of logistic complexity for both race organizers and athletes, but makes the most of the few available swim options, provides access to excellent cycling roads, and ends with a mostly flat, scenic run that is spectator-friendly. To tackle organizing this challenge, Ironman tapped veteran race director Corey Roberts, who added strong communication skills and personal flair to the recipe to pull off a successful race....

Corbin is 2-for-2 in 2026...

Wednesday, 17 June 2026 00:10

NOTE: Currently we are unable to install photography on MTN, thus we will post here without pics, though photos will accompany the partial or complete content on the MTN Facebook page. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved soon.

2026 Trinona Coverage - The Sprint portion of this event has almost always been highlighted by great junior performances. Names like Noah Billings and Macy Iyer certainly come to mind as past champions and consistent prodium finishers.

Well, Sunday's sprint contest once again followed that formula, with two-time Minnesota Junior of the Year Corbin Deichmann, 18, who was rocking a newer, shorter, spiker and blonder coif, leading the way for the male entrants. Surprisingly, his win didn't come easily, as fellow junior Quinn Wangberg, 17, a local (Winona) boy whose only apparent adult tri experience was in two prior editions of this race, his best effort producing a 10th place finish in 1:05:45. On Sunday, his 2nd required a 1:01:01, a great time considering the coolish and windy conditions. More impressively, though, is that he finished only 24-seconds behind the reigning Junior of the Year.

It's always fun and inspiring to witness the emergence of young athletes.

Three of the Top 5 men in the Sprint were juniors, while the other two were grizzled vets who haven't raced in several years. Coming back after an 11-year absence and placing 3rd was Holmen, Wisconsin's Brent Sinn, now 48, whose prior resume boast numerous elite amateur performances. Brent's time on Sunday was on 7-seconds slower that Wangberg's breakout effort.

The fifth spot went to Michael "Tattoo Boy" Karau, a decorated tri coach who was coming off a four year lapse in his win racing.

Winning for the women in the Sprint race was 2025 runner-up Kelly Van Dyke, 40, of St. Paul, whose 1:06:41 was 46-seconds faster that last year's time. Her margin of victory over 2nd place Ann Wilkerson was 1:05.

The battle for female supremacy in the Olympic race was set in stone early on. Amateur elites Grace Busch and Katie DeRegnier, who won this race in 2024, were enrolled and we were anxious to see how the battle unfolded. DeRegnier was coming off a 2nd-place finish a Buffalo Olympic, a race she won in 2025.

Well, Sunday appeared to be a tough day for DeRegnier, as she once again had to settle for second place, giving former collegiate tri-star at the University of South Dakota, Busch, 24, who is currently a grad student at Minnesota State studying Exercise Science, what may have been her first ever Olympic victory. Heretofore, she was best know as an elite sprint racer.

Jessica Taylor rounded out the women's Olympic podium.

The men's Olympic race was won by Stillwater's Samuel Larson in 2:13:22. Andrew Bauer of St. Paul, and Gabe Ross of Rochester, filled out the men's podium.

Approximately 500 athletes participated in this year's well-executed event, which in addition to Sprint and Olympic races, included an Aquabike and Duathlon.

RESULTS

Gorilla Wrestling and Crying for My Mommy...

Monday, 15 June 2026 00:10

Photo - Vinny and Spencer

By Spencer Syvertson

I was confident coming into Buffalo that I would shave off time from my 2025 finish. The weather forecast didn’t look like it would play a big factor in my opinion. It turns out I was very wrong!

This was my first race starting in the 2nd wave as I aged up into the 30-39 group on race week. I was NOT a fan of swimming through the first wave from behind. After weaving around an athlete I then collided with another one within five strokes of the previous. Eventually I made it to clean water on the back half. As I headed towards shore I had one objective before T1: do not spike my effort while swimming through the weed line. Mission failed! It felt like I was wrestling a gorilla to make it onto the beach.

Out of T1 I was eager to rip it on my new tri bike. My plan was simple: ride hard, don’t look at my watch, and enjoy riding my bike. I quickly overtook the two athletes from wave one and moved into the lead. On the first of two laps I was having a blast on the downhills and smashing the pedals to carry momentum up the next hill. I came by my family at the halfway point and lapped my watch. A quick glance at my watch said 290 watts which is easily the highest power I’ve seen in a race. My body was feeling good and the effort was in check. On lap two the course became congested with the sprint distance athletes. This lap around the lake was less of a drag race. I made sure not to cross the double yellow lines when it got congested even though I wanted to keep my momentum rolling. I finished the ride with a PR power output and a decent average speed. ...

Bike Course Reconnaissance...

Friday, 12 June 2026 00:10

By Mitchell Clayton

I started the Buffalo Sprint Triathlon on a terribly rainy day back in 2014 and did not finish due to a flat tire roughly 1 mile into the bike leg. Last Sunday, 12 years later, I finally collected my first Buffalo finish. The conditions were great for racing early in the day but got a little hot and humid right around the time I finished. The short summary is that I was able to put together a solid overall swim-bike-run effort. The swim was standard (but weedy), I biked faster than I thought I would on this course, but I ran little slower than I expected.

Now for the long summary. Like in most races as a former high school swimmer, the swim leg was pretty standard. I settled in at a 6/10 effort – fast enough and sort of tough, but without tiring myself out. Unfortunately, the lake was pretty weedy at the start and end of the course and I felt like a lake monster with the weeds getting caught around my head and shoulders.

The bike portion of the race started about a month prior to race day when I made the 4-hour round trip to do a course recon. And boy, I’m glad I did. The course was hillier than I thought, which changed my race plan and gave me time to buy a new cassette with easier gearing. The goal was to push less watts than I usually do on the flats but to really rip it up the hills, and that what I ended up executing. I built into the uphill portions, ending up cresting the 4 major hills at over 400 watts, and settled in at a high Zone 3 effort for the rest of the course. There are 2 major takeaways from the bike course: First, I’m really aero right now, ...