Race Coverage
"...According to Plan"...
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Saturday, 18 May 2024 00:10
By Mitchell Clayton
The U of M Morris played host to the annual Tinman Triathlon this past Saturday. I did this race in 2016 and all I remember was pushing 250+ watts to bike DOWN a hill at UNDER 20 mph because of a crazy headwind. This early-season race has historically had cold and windy conditions, but the weather this year was nearly ideal - about 55 degrees with only moderate wind.
The great conditions led to some fast times. In the Olympic-ish distance, Corey Nygaard managed to take 25 seconds off Spencer Syvertson’s course record from 2023. Spencer, coming off a breakout year in 2023, raced the Sprint distance this year and showed even more improvement by knocking over 3 minutes off Brian Storhaug’s course record from 2022.
My race went exactly according to plan. The swim is in the UMM pool and most athletes shared a lane with one other person. I talked with Brian before the race and we decided to swim together. We swam exactly the same time, a brisk...
Soul Food & Unnecessary Squat-Popping...
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Saturday, 04 May 2024 00:10
By David Carney
Ironman 140.6 Woodlands, TX - Race Report - Ironman is a BEAST but so good for the soul. The purpose of this event was to heal and make a better tomorrow for myself, this happened. Thankful and Grateful for the gift of sport.
Quick share - This build was full of real life challenges and goodness. My Physical growth and fitness is fleeting; on the flip, my Spiritual, Mental, and Emotional growth has No Limits, let's focus a lil more on these 3.
Swim - No excuses ever, I started swimming 14 days prior to event as them ribs were just not ready. Calf cramp 5 minutes in and 300 yards to swim exit had me laughing, water was easy for a legit swimmer but I found it violent as I smiled more. Felt controlled here and came out a lil foggy in 1:20:04 which for me is not to shabby. Calf cramp never showed it's face again....
Exciting Racing at LCT...
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Friday, 26 April 2024 00:10
Additional Lakes Country Coverage - As in the Maple Grove Olympic Triathlon, the runners-up at Lakes Country truly shined. SPENCER SYVERTSON was first out of the water in first into T2. He then ran hard, turned in a sub-1-hour effort, which is a big deal at LCT, after which he waited for pre-race favorite / defending champ JOSH BLANKENHEIM, who as a late registrant launched the wave after Spencer. The fact that Josh was stringing together 5:30 miles, however, made his repeat victory inevitable.
JASON CRISP filled out the men's podium, his second Top three at LCT.
Similarly, in the women's race it was the eventual runner-up, who happened to be a newbie with strong running credentials, who set the stage. MELISSA GOBLE's first tri produced a solid swim, a promising bike split and her signature brisk run, which surprisingly was bettered by eventual 3rd placer MATA AGRE. Goble (photo) was first to finish, followed 28-seconds later by Agre. Both women waited for superior...
Bontrager & Illgen Break Out!
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Tuesday, 23 April 2024 00:10
14th Maple Grove Triathlon Coverage - With 1000+ sign-ups and just under 900 finishers, this year's Maple Grove Triathlon was the second largest tri in Minnesota this year, surpassed only, and slightly, by the YWCA Women's Triathlon.
Twas a perfect day for racing at Weaver Lake Park on Sunday and great performances were plentiful. In the Olympic race the pre-race favorites did what they do, though perhaps not as convincingly as usual. Men's winner PRESTON YOUNGDAHL turned in a amateur course record effort--1:53:55, bettering Wade Cruser's prior best by 23 seconds, yet his margin of victory was only slightly more than a minute over runner-up TIM BONTRAGER, whose 1:54:59 appeared to have been a breakout effort, especially when you look at the list of talented guys he outraced, several of whom he'd never beaten before.
JOE ADRIAENS (1:56:15), JAKE KEEHAN (1:56:57) and elite collegian NATHAN KIM (1:57:41) secured the three-five spots. Seven men broke two hours.
Unsurprisingly, HEATHER LENDWAY won the women's Olympic race in a fine time, 2:05:07, but it was her runner-up that turned in arguably the most impressive women's performance of the day. UW-Madison's RACHEL ILLGEN placed 4th here last year in 2:16:22. This time, tough, she, like...
Triathletes Impress at Earth Day...
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Wednesday, 17 April 2024 00:10
2023 EARTH DAY RUNS - A pair of prominent Minnesota triathletes turned in triumphant performances last Friday and Saturday at the 23rd edition Earth Day Runs, St. Cloud's largest endurance event.
As in 2022, weather conditions were, for lack of better words, not great. The two-thousandish dressed-in-layers participants once again were buffetted by arctic winds. On Friday evening 2022 Male Master Triathlete of the Year Andy Zabel pushed ahead of local multiple EDR winners Jonathan Stoltman, Morcelli Kombo and William Lindell to claim victory in the 5K, his 16:45 landing him at the finish line seventeen seconds in front of Stoltman....
Angry Hamstrings & Gratitude...
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Sunday, 14 April 2024 00:10
By Cami Eckhoff
Young Life Olympic Race Report - It was a great morning at the 20th Anniversary of the Younglife Triathlon yesterday, filled with the best volunteers and spectators!! Everyone on course cheering, including my parents, Keith and the boys, were super uplifting! It made the race extra fun having you all out there! ...
