Race Previews

Lofty Expectations...

Monday, 02 June 2014 00:10

(Minnefotamoments PIc - A woman with awesome abs crosses the shady finish line at the 2012 Liberty Half.) 

LIBERTY HALF PREVE - We're really excited about next Saturday's Liberty Half, which will be celebrating its 9th anniversary and its fourth year at the Lake Rebecca venue. The field is strong and, weather permitting, we could see overall and several AG course records fall.

There are at least five registered guys that can dip under 4:10, a feat that has never been accomplished at Liberty. In fact, only one dude, Matt Payne (4:07:39 - 2013), has cracked the 250-minute mark in the past. This year, however, we wouldn't be surprised to see Matt, former Canadian pro Danny Morwood (PR-4:07), four-time IM winner Dan Arlandson (PR - 4:06), 2013 Libert Runner-up Patrick Peacock (4:12:06) of Winnipeg, and Brian Sames (PR - 4:16 on a long course), who almost caught amateur champ Payne last year at Chisago, do that.

Jason Crisp, Kyle Serreyn, Justin Manning, John Heinlein and Chap Achen will provide a sturdy push. If all goes well, these guys should post times in the 4:11 - 4:20-range.

We don't expect to anyone to break Kortney Haag's CR-4:35:45, but we do expect a great race with a record number of women breaking 5-hours, which is to say, we think that more than six women will dip under the...

300-minute mark. Who? We expect Wisconsin's Maggie Founier (PR - 4:42) to do so, as well as elite Minnesota Masters Julie Hull (PR - 4:37) and Julia Weisbecker (PR - 4:55), 2013 Rookie of the Year Nicole Heininger (PR- 4:57) and Sara Carlson (PR - 4:54:44). There are several women in the that appear poised to break five hours for the first time, including defending Superior Man winner Kristin Gustafson, Sarah Berger, Megan Erlandson, Jamie Heying, Lindsay Palmer, Valerie Morwood and Tracy Serreyn, age 50, who was named Minnesota AG Athlete of the Month in May..

A preview of the 10th annual Liberty Olympic Triathlon will post later this week. For Liberty info and registration, link HERE.