Race Previews
Should Be Interesting...
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Wednesday, 07 September 2022 00:10
2022 SQUARE LAKE PREVIEW - The 20th Square Lake 70.3 is happening this Saturday, and will be followed on Sunday by the 21st Square Lake Sprint. Judi allowed us to peak at the current entrant lists, i.e. as of Monday, and we immediately became excited. The 70.3 promises to be a very interesting event, especially at the front of the race, while the Age Group competition in the Sprint could produce some records.
Concerning the athletes that will compete for the overall wins and podium spots in the Sprint, we suspect that late registrants will fill most, perhaps all, of those positions. We wouldn't be surprised if 2021 women's winner DIANE HANKEE decided to race, or CHERYL ZITUR, who was victorious there in 2020. Regional elites like MICHAEL WEISSENBORN, ELENA HENGEL, ANDREW KERSHAW, GRACE BUSCH, Fargo's BRANDON LEE, BRIAN TINAJERO etc. could decide to race.
We don't expect JOSH MORK's stellar 4:11:39 (2019) course best to be seriously challenged. (Square Lake bike and run courses are arguably the most challenging in the region.) But we wouldn't be surprised if at least one athlete managed to post a faster time than JESSOP KEENE's 4:22:21 (2018), which currently stands as the second fastest men's result at SL Half. On paper, the guy with the best chance of doing that is former ISU star KRIS SPOTH. Kris' personal best at the half IM distance is 4:13:53, and he popped a 4:18 earlier this season at Door County in a Top 5 performance....
2022 HoRT Preview...UPDATED....
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Thursday, 01 September 2022 00:10
HOPKINS ROYAL TRIATHLON - According to inherently untrustworthy long-range weather reports, racing conditions for next Saturday's Hopkins Royal Triathlon will be awesome. Morning temps in the 60s beneath a blue sunny sky with light winds. The kind of day that feels good on your skin.
The HoRT (Doobie's preferred abbreviation) is not promoted as a highly competitive event; instead as one that favors newbies and weekend warriors. Still, the race is just too dang good to not entice some top athletes, and the overall and Age Group records certainly reflect that. Despite that, the event palpably celebrates the recreational triathlete.
In that MTN focuses on competition, our job here is to talk about the fast folks.
Let's get to it, starting with the women.
Last year's top three ladies--CATHERINE LEE, ANDREA MYERS and BETTE ROWLEY (photo)--are back. In '21, Lee was only eight seconds faster than Myers, and 57-seconds ahead of Rowley. Will that order repeat? It certainly could. We like the way Lee raced at Door County, which suggested that she should be a bit faster this year, weather permitting. ...
Bigger and Better...
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Thursday, 25 August 2022 00:10
4WOMEN TRIATHLONPREVIEW - The second edition of this women-only sprint triathlon will happen next Sunday (Aug. 28), but not at Lake Ann in Chanhassen as originally advertised. Venue unavailability has led to relocation to Shady Oak Beach in Minnetonka. Though its swim is a bit shorter than the Hopkins Royal Triathlon, the courses will be basically identical to the perennial Race of the Year nominee. (The HRT won the ROY award in 2015 and 2018.)...
A Record For Cami?
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Friday, 19 August 2022 00:10
YOUNG LIFE TRIATHLON PREVIEW - The 19th edition of this great event will happen on Saturday and will feature a very competitive Olympic race. We believe it will also feature a women's course record in its Sprint contest. Let's start there.
Tara Makinen set the women's Sprint record back in 2010. Her time was formidable: 1:03:32. The closest anyone has come to that mark since is local triathlete CAMI ECKHOFF's 1:05:47, which she turned in in 2021, her rookie season.
Eckhoff is much faster this year. In fact, she is one of the frontrunners for the 2022 Most Improved honor. Her win at Alexandria was impressive. Her 2nd behind national classer Christina Roberts at Tri West was even moreso. Cami is ready to do some rewriting. We suspect she'll pop a 1:02 (or faster) on Saturday, which should put her in the overall (men and women) Top 3 once again. (She placed 3rd overall in 2021.)
We are loving Eckhoff's competitive trajectory. We see her as being the next true tri star from Detroit Lakes, a city that has produced Doug Davis and Hanna Grinaker Cooley. ..
The Most Competitive Tri of 2022?
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Saturday, 13 August 2022 00:10
MAPLE GROVE TRIATHLON PREVIEW - The 13th edition of this great event is happening two Saturdays from now (Aug. 27). Staged at Weaver Lake Park, one of out state's premier tri venues, the Olympic and Sprint races promise to be the most competitive on the 2022 Minnesota calendar. With an anticipated 1000 entrants, MG should also be our state's second largest swim-bike-run behind the YWCA Women's Tri....
