Race Previews

Lotsa Love For Chisago!

Monday, 24 July 2017 09:10

RACE PREVIEW - For the last two years, the CHISAGO TRIATHLON has gone by the name Toughman Minnesota. We're pleased to report that the event is reclaiming it's original title.

Yes, it is still part  of the Toughman Series, but it built it's reputation on it's wonderful relationships with the people and institutions of the Chisago Lakes area, Minnesota's "Little Sweden," thus in deference to them, the event will hereafter be the Chisago Triathlon. (As Toughman Minnesota, some event participants may have lost touch with the wonderful Swedish influences--food, flags, awards etc.--that defined the race for its first nine years.)

So, let us encourage those who have yet to sign up for Sunday's events, to amend that right now. Be among the 1000-or-so attendees that will participate in this year's Half IM and Sprint races.

Now for some athlete-related stuff. The men's race will, as usual, be super-competitive, but we will begin by talking about the women's half. Five past champions are currently registered. They are, in alpha order:

- ERIN FARRENS, 37, Maple Grove - 1st here in 2016 (4:49:07) - Personal Best - 4:43:13 - 2016 Timberman (NH) 70.3 (IM PR - 10:02:29 - Louisville 2016)

- KORTNEY HAAG, 38, Maple Grove - 1st here in 2014 (4:34:23) - Personal Best - 4:34:14 - 2014 Chisago (Kort has won eight halves!)

- DIANE HANKEE, 40, Lino Lakes - 1st here in 2013 (4:46:08) - Personal Best - 4:38:51 - 2016 Muncie 70.3 ...

- KELLY TROM, 30, Minneapolis - 1st here in 2015 (4:44:30) - Personal Best - 4:44:30 - 2015 Chisago 

- MARNIE WALTH, 48, Bismarck, ND - 1st here in 2009 (4:23:46 - Chisago '09 - 1.1 swim, 55.4 bike, 13.1 run)

Also challenging for the win on Sunday will be HANNA GRINAKER (PR - 4:41:31 - 2016 Superiorman). We expect Sub-Fivers SARA CARLSON and KRISTIN GUSTAFSON (and a few others) to give the aforementioned athletes a good push and turn in satisfying times for themselves. 

We're not going to pick a women's winner, but we predict an epic race, one in which Hankee, now 40, will lower JAN GUENTHER's masters record, 4:44:38, which was set back in 2011. Heck, Diane could win the race outright.

According to the list we saw, two men stand out above the rest in the men's field, and we think BOTH of them will win.

Huh?

One of those guys is Northfield-based pro DANIEL BRETSCHER, whose 70.3 personal best  is 3:52 (Kansas 2013). Can  he take down DAVID THOMPSON's pro CR, 3:55:25, set in 2010?  He's certainly capable, and we'd like to see it happen.

The other dude is amateur elite SEAN COOLEY, a four-time Superiorman winner with a 4:02 PR. If he could match that effort on Sunday, he'd take down the mark (4:04:27) TIM HOLA (Colorado) set here in 2014. 

So, we think Bretcher will place 1st next weekend, claiming the pro title, and Cooley will place 2nd overall, but take the top prize for amateurs.

The sprint race is harder to call. We expect several late registrants to be competitive on both the men's and women's side. We plan to look at an updated registration list in a few days, and will make some  sprint predictions on either Friday or Saturday.  RACE WEBSITE