Race Previews

Watches & Roses...

Saturday, 02 July 2016 23:10

LIFE TIME TRI - MINNEAPOLIS - Our state's largest, grandest and most talent-rich triathlon will celebrate it's 15th anniversary on July 9.

We Googled "15th Anniversary" and learned that, we're not making this up, that you have to give people who have been together for a decade-and-a-half a new watch. In the old days, i.e. the 20th century, you were supposed to give crystal, but modern times call for modern gifts.

So you know, race founder Bahram Akradi has a lot of watches, so you can instead give him the official gemstone of the 15th Anniversary: Rubies....

Not everyone can afford rubies, so we suggest that you give Bahram a rose, the official flower. Or you could give a rose to Race Director Kelly Donahue (photo). She's a lovely person, you know. She is fond of dogs and babies and sometimes wears tall pink rain boots.

This year's Olympic and Sprint races will be as competitive as ever. 2015 Mpls Olympic champ Matthew "Payne Train" Payne is back. To repeat he'll have to fend off Kris Spoth, who has two impressive wins this season, a surging Sean Cooley, 2015 podiumer Brian Gorman, and teen phenom Ian Hoover-Grinde. Thus far in '16, the Iowa youth has a win at the prestigious Memphis in May Triathlon and he was second amateur at Pigman Sprint.

None of these guys have ever beaten Payne, but all appear to be faster this year than in year's past. Still, we will not bet against Matt, who has become a perennial USAT AOY Honorable Mention. If he wins again at Minneapolis, he should go into USAT Nationals next month as one of the faves to win.

As excited as we are to see how the men's Olympic race shakes out, we can't wait to see how rookie sensation Hanna Grinaker fares against Gaby Bunten. Bunten has truly paid her dues over the last 3-4 seasons and is developing into one of America's premier amateur triathletes. During this period her Olympic time has dropped from 2:20+ to 2:11, and she's even faster this year. Sub-2:10 or faster? We think so. And she may need a sub 2:10 to win next Saturday.

Bridget McCoy won this race last year in a breakout performance. She is returning, and should give Gaby and Hanna a great race.

In the companion Minneapolis Sprint, the women's field is deep, with three of last year's Top 5--winner Anne Grabowski, runner-up Laura Swartz and 4th -placer Jennifer Fitzharris-Funk, plus impact players like Emy Everhart and Michelle Hoffman in the mix. All of these women are racing impressively right now.

For the guys, we're picking Thomas Anderson to win and defending champ Michael Weissenborn to finish 2nd.

Close to 2000 participants are expected. RACE WEBSITE