Race Previews
2021 Graniteman Clearwater Preview...
-
Thursday, 24 June 2021 00:10
GRANITEMAN CLEARWATER PREVIEW - The 12th edition of the event's Sprint race, that is, since it moved to its Clearwater venue, and its younger (6th) Olympic-distance companion is happening on Saturday, and once again, it will be exciting and competitive. The list we perused had 299 names, though it did not designate whether the athlete will be sprinting or Olympic-ing. So, we'll be guessing.
Time for predictions and comments.
On paper, the clear favorites in the Olympic race are JOSH BLANKENHEIM and KORTNEY HAAG. Blank has 12 career multisport wins and will be making his Clearwater debut on Saturday. What impresses us most about Josh is that he seeks out the most competitive fields, thus his win total is a bit deceiving. He's been Duluth's top male triathlete since the retirement of BRIAN BICH in 2017.
Kortney on the other hand owns a win and a 2nd at Clearwater, and had also won at Big Lake, doing so in record time. A victory for Kort would be the 23rd of her triathlon career...
New Triathlon for Women...
-
Saturday, 19 June 2021 00:10
By Doobie Kurus
Hey everybody! I wanted to let you know about a new event I’m putting on this summer. It’s called the 4WOMEN Tri, and it will be held at Lake Ann Park in Chanhassen, MN on Sunday, August 22nd. It’s named 4WOMEN because it’s being dedicated to 4 important women in my life (my wife and 3 daughters). They’ve been participating and helping at triathlons for years, and now it’s their turn to help create an event of their own.
Plus, as you probably guessed, this event is FOR women. My mission is to create additional safe, welcoming, and inspiring opportunities for women, like my wife and daughters, to engage in and enjoy multisport activities and fitness in general. If you’ve ever done the Hopkins Royal Tri, many things will be familiar, like a laid-back atmosphere, personalized race bibs, and bottle “trophies”! We’ll be offering a sprint distance, as well as a mini-sprint option....
Minnesotans Should Excel in Des Moines...
-
Thursday, 17 June 2021 00:10
Minnesota will be well-represented at next Sunday's DES MOINES 70.3. Several of those athletes have a good shot a reaching podiums and earling coveted Kona slots. And Minneapolis couple TED and DANI TRIESE will measure themselves against a world class pro field.
It's going to be an exciting race. Here are some comments.
TED TREISE - PR - 4:07:33 (2021 St. George 70.3) & DANI TREISE - PR - 4:23:56 (2019 Texas 70.3). It takes new pros several years become competitive. In the early going, their goals need to include throwing down satisfying splits and outperforming the fastest amateurs. We believe Ted and Dani will do that on Sunday....
2021 LAKE MINNETONKA PREVIEW...
-
Tuesday, 15 June 2021 00:10
17th LAKE MINNETONKA TRIATHLON - Registration for this annual classic closed almost three weeks ago. As usual, the LMT's enrollment ceiling (500 entrants) was reached early. And while it's too late to enter, we encourage folks to either spectate or volunteer.
Weather.com's prediction for the Excelsior area on race morning (June 19) is for partly cloudy skies, and not nearly as warm and windy as it was at Buffalo, the 2021 tri season kick-off. Temps should be in the mid 70s at race time with low humidity - 41% - and light winds - 5-10 mph.
Great competition is expected. Here are some predictions:
Overall Men: Podium Picks
1. JOSH MORK - Though he claims to be a bit out-of-shape, Josh is still our pick to win. He's thrived on this course the last two times he's raced here, placing 2nd on both occasions behind former pro Patrick Parish, who is not enrolled this year.
2. KYLE SWENSON - The 19-year-old former Junior of the Year (2019) is ready to bark with the Big Dogs, as his win at Sarasota Sprint last January attests. His three podium finishes before that were harbingers of victories to come....
DKT & Mork Picked to Win on Sunday...
-
Tuesday, 01 June 2021 00:10
BUFFALO TRIATHLON PREVIEW III - In our last post we predicted various outcomes in the women's Olympic and Sprint races. Today, we are discussing the men's competitions.
OLYMPIC - Overall (Alpha Order)
JOSH BLANKENHEIM - Our choice for the silver medal on Sunday, JB is the only man in the field who has has broken 2-hours on the current Buffalo Course. He enjoyed a stellar season in 2019, winning half of the six races he did, all in impresively fast times.
AJ MANNING (ND) - AJ ran away with the Most Improved honor last season, posting a win, two seconds and a fourth. He's our bronze medal pick, but he'll have to be...
Great Numbers. Great Competition...
-
Monday, 31 May 2021 00:10
16th BUFFALO TRIATHLON Preview II - Approximately 600 athletes are currently signed up for next Sunday's Buffalo Triathlon.That's awesome. In 2019 four hundred and sixteen triathletes crossed the finish line, so the increased registrations point to a successful rebound.
We're hoping that by race day, 700-or more athletes will be in attendance. Help make that happen, okay?
Today we are making some predictions about the women's competition in both the Olympic and Sprint races, starting with the longer event.
Podium Predictions, in alpha order:
DIANE HANKEE - Diane has won at least 40 multisport races in her illustrious career, the most recent being the Apple Du two weeks ago. Her best finish at Buffalo was a 7th in 2011. She has not raced on the current course, that has been in place since 2015. She is a much better...
