Race Previews

Doing the Loppet Winter Tri?

Sunday, 10 March 2019 23:10

The Winter Triathlon National Championship will happen next Sunday, and for the fourth consecutive year, it will take place at a Twin Cities venue. If you're not familiar with the event, which is totally awesome, here's some descriptive language, courtesy of USA Triathlon: ...

USA Triathlon is excited to join the Loppet Winter Triathlon for the 2019 USA Triathlon Winter Triathlon National Championships! The event will take place on Sunday, March 17 at Theodore Wirth Regional Park, just west of Downtown Minneapolis. Don't miss your chance to compete in triathlon's most unique form!

Formerly called the King Boreas Winter Triathlon, The Loppet Winter Triathlon moves west of the Mississippi for 2019. Just minutes from downtown, this expansive urban park with man-made snow and The Trailhead, a brand new adventure center, guarantees a full winter triathlon experience. New name, new location, same heart!

To help alleviate slushy snow conditions with the later date, the order of events has been reversed from previous years to have the ski leg happen first in this ski - bike - run event. The course will utilize the Theodore Wirth trail system, which includes both natural and manmade (via snowmaking) ski trails. Athletes can expect snow and groomed trails, regardless of weather in the lead-up to and on race weekend. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE RACE INFORMATION!

Entry Fee: $90 until Dec. 15. $105: Dec. 16 - Jan. 31. $120: Feb. 1 - March 14.

Distance: 6k Ski, 18k Bike, 5k Run

And ere is some historical stuff about the last three years, when the event was staged at Lake Phalen Park in St. Paul:

2018 (70+ finishers - 2019 returnees as of March 10 are Bold) 

- Top 5 Men - 1. SEAN COOLEY, 2. JACOB KEEHAN (+2:40), 3. ERIC HOLMLUND, CO (+7:30), 4. DAN WESTERHAUS (+7:44), 5. NATE HOFFMAN (+8:53)

- Top 5 Women - 1. JORDAN PRUSZENSKI, AK, 2. JAN GUENTHER (+1:21), 3. KAREN BEBCHUK (+11:36), 4. SHELLEY NELSON (+11:51), 4. NANCY WHILLOCK, SD (+14:15)

- AGE GROUP WINNERS - 0-19 - TRYG SOLBERG & ARIANNA WERTS - 40-44 - JASON TOTH & BETH AMOS - 45-49 - GRANT BRAASCH & AMY DETTMER, 50-5 - PAUL BURNS, CO & KAREN BEBCHUK - 55-59 - JOHN HAILEY, WI & JAN GUENTHER - 60-64 - PETER THELEN & HELEN GUNTHER - 65-69 - MIKE LYNER - 70-74 - DANIEL KIRK & NANCY BAUER.

2017 - (60+ finishers)

- Top 5 Men - 1. SEAN COOLEY, 2. JOEL LAFRANCE (-1:11), 3. CHRIS GANTER, ID (+2:06), 4. AARON BATNIK (+2:45), 5. JASON TOTH (+9:22)

- Top 5 Women - 1. JAN GUENTHER, 2. JEANNE FLECK (+2:51), 3. JENNY WILCOX (+3:25), 4. NANCY WHILLOCK, SD (+4:04), 5. EMILY MUELLNER (+6:44)

- AGE GROUPS - 40-44 - JASON TOTH & JENNY WILCOX, 45-49 - SSCOTT OLDEN, TX & NANCY WHILLOCK, SD - 50-54 - PAUL LANGER & JEANNE FLECK, 55-59 - BRENT PEACOCK, WY & JAN GUENTHER, 60-64 - STEPHEN CLARK, WI & HELEN GUNTHER, 70-74 - DANIEL KIRK.

2016 (60+ Finishers)

-Top 5 Men - 1. JOEL LAFRANCE, 2. SEAN COOLEY (+:50), 3. ANDREW TILMAN (+7:41), 4. DENNIS CURRAN (+8:30), 5. JORDAN ROBY (+10:12)

- Top 5 Women - 1. JAN GUENTHER, 2. CINDI BANNINK, WI (+2:06), 3. JEANNE FLECK (+3:20), 4. CHRISTINA ROBERTS (+3:47), 5. KITTY EARL-TORNIANEN (+3:48)

- AGE GROUPS - 00-19 - KAITLYN LINDAMEN - 40-44 - JASON TOTH - 45-49 - SCOTT OLDEN, TX & KITTY EARL-TORNIANEN, 50-54 - MIKE BERKOPEC & JEANNE FLECK, 55-59 - RICHARD CHIN & JAN GUENTHER - 60-64 - DAVE DOW & SHERI SCHROCK - 69-69 - MARK WINHOLTZ

We'd love to see a record crowd --participants, volunteers and spectators--at Theodore Wirth Park next Sunday.