Race Coverage
Fun Battles & Heartwarming Stuff...
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Tuesday, 01 September 2026 00:10
2026 Lakes Country Triathlon Coverage – Raindrops teased race participants in the pre-race moments, but didn't stick around. What followed were cloudy and mild conditions that were ideal for racing.
The favorites going in were two-time Triathlete of the Year Spencer Syvertson, and 2025 LCT women's winner Mata Agre (photo on FB), and they did what they were expected to do, winning handily. For Spence, who will undoubtedly earn yet another TOY nomination, the goal was to break the one hour mark, which was easier said than done considering that road construction demanded that this year's bike course be lengthened by three kilometers.
He would have accomplished that goal with 15-20 seconds to spare, but instead of sprinting across the line, he scooped up his toddler son Vinnie, gave him a kiss then they walked across together. He still cracked the 60-minute mark, albeit by just nine seconds.
It was heartwarming stuff!
For Mata to outrace her 2025 winning performance (1:13 and change) here she'd need a 1:18. She threw down a 1:17:56.
Spencer and Mata were not the only ones to live up to their favored status. Rising star Jeron Hall, 20, who won his first race three weeks ago at Big Lake Sprint, was the best bet to take 2nd to Syvertson. He did that with plenty of time to recover before the eventual bronze medalist arrived.
Or should we say bronze medalists. Nick Jasmer and David Lewis have been battling each other all season long, with Nick outracing David twice, and David outracing Nick once. Did Nick, who started one wave ahead of David survive the three minute wait in order to go 3- 1?
When David finished it was clear to everyone paying attention that it was too close to call, and so we waited for the results printout. Though Nick was listed in 3rd and David 4th, their times were identical: 1:05:51.
And theirs wasn't the only head-to-head battle that deserves verbiage. The race for 2nd in the women's race was between talented Grand Masters Mary Deeg, who came into the race with six AG titles this season, and former Minnesota Grand Master of the Year and last season's runner-up here, Lisa Hines. Hines outsplit Deeg in the water and afoot, but Deeg rocked a superior bike split, one that resulted in her placing 2nd overall women just ten seconds ahead of Hines.
MTN and LCT race organizers want to thank Maple Grove for not staging their race on the same weekend this year. It certainly affected attendance positively. While the number of registrants (221) was not a record, it represented a satisfying post-pandemic rebound.
RESULTS - https://www.mtecresults.com/race/leaderboard/21387/2026_Lakes_Country_Triathlon-Individual_Results
