Race Coverage

Old Stomping Grounds...

Tuesday, 14 August 2018 23:10

By Shane Frederick (mankatofreepress.com)

NORTH MANKATO — Julie Busch said there was no trash talk when she passed her daughter Grace during the bike portion of the North Mankato Triathlon, just words of encouragement.
"I said, 'You're looking good!'" said Busch, who was the top female finisher in Sunday morning's race.

Busch, 44, of Mankato won and was 18th overall with a time of 1 hour, 9 minutes, 58 seconds. Grace, 15, was second in 1:10:54, followed by Jenna Christensen, 27, of Janesville in 1:11:27.

It was a close battle between those three, each of whom dominated a different discipline of the three-stage race, which includes a quarter-mile swim in Hiniker Pond, followed by a 12-mile bike ride out the Judson Bottom Road and back and a 3-mile run around Spring Lake Park....

Grace was the first out of the water by more than 40 seconds, only to have her mother pass her on the bike around triathlon's halfway point, the challenging County Road 41 hill off Judson Bottom.
“I love the course,” Julie Busch said. “Some people complain about the hill, but it’s fun.”

Christensen had the best bike ride of the bunch, though. Averaging 19.4 mph, she passed both Busches during the second leg and was in first place going into the run. However, Julie Busch grabbed the lead during the run and didn’t relinquish it....READ MORE