Race Coverage

Long Distance Weekend...

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Photo - Jason Larson at Ironman 70.3 Wisconsin.

IRONMAN 70.3 WISCONSIN - Minnesotans and those with strong MInnesota ties turned in impressive performances last Saturday at Madison 70.3. Leading the way in dominating fashion for the women was former Minnesota Rookie of the Year and Most Improved winner NICOLE HEININGER, who relocated from White Bear Lake to Madison, Wisconsin four years ago. Her time was very brisk--4:32:23--and the victory marked her third half IM win of 2023. On two of those occasions her runner-up was Twin Citizen CARY HERRICK (4:42:59 at Madison), who has podiumed in her last four halves, including a win at Chisago last July. 

In addition to her wins at Madison, Milkman and Door County, Heininger also won Sprint Nationals last month. Add these Ws to her regional victories this year makes her, at least in our book, a strong candidate for US Athlete of the Year.

Finishing fifth overall woman her 70.3 debut last Saturday was rising star ELENA HENGEL (4:53:44), whose father CHUCK won the gold medal in the men's 60-64 AG....

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Participants Giving Back...

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By Doobie Kurus

If the biggest issue the Hopkins Royal Tri had on race day this year was the lake water level being low forcing an impromptu rest stop on the swim course as sprint athletes walked through the channel before continuing on with their .4 mile swim, then I’ll take it! Everything else was frosting on the cake. Speaking of cake, 85 years young Judy “T-Rex” Rykken was presented with a cake, figurine, and flowers for a recognition of the roughly 200 multisport events she has done over the years. Judy was slated to compete in the tri, but was a late scratch, and decided to come volunteer instead.

People may have also noticed a lot of younger participants this year. People, like Josh Sell, have been making a concerted effort to recruit and prepare the next generation of triathletes. He brought out numerous members of his youth triathlon team..

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"It's Been a Hot Minute..."

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By Erin Weiler (sweetsweatlife.com)

YWCA Women's Race Report - It’s been a hot minute – 5 years to be exact! – since I’ve raced a triathlon and up until about 6 weeks ago, racing was more or less off the table. But things changed so I tracked down a bib to the YWCA Women’s Tri here in Minneapolis. And while I wouldn’t call it a comeback – they’ll be no 140.6 anytime soon – it sure felt fantastic to be back out there.

There’s not a lot to say about a sprint. The 500-yard swim was short, but slow. Mostly thanks to a lack of swim training, but also swimming with anything on my shoulders (in this case, my kit) is not my jam. There’s a reason I wore a sleeveless wetsuit my last couple IMs!

The bike – no surprise the bike was my favorite. It was so much fun being back on my Argon (just my third ride outside on it since 2019!). My power was woefully mediocre – I’m lookin’ at you, watts I used...

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Exciting Racing at LCT...

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Additional Lakes Country Coverage - As in the Maple Grove Olympic Triathlon, the runners-up at Lakes Country truly shined. SPENCER SYVERTSON was first out of the water in first into T2. He then ran hard, turned in a sub-1-hour effort, which is a big deal at LCT, after which he waited for pre-race favorite / defending champ JOSH BLANKENHEIM, who as a late registrant launched the wave after Spencer. The fact that Josh was stringing together 5:30 miles, however, made his repeat victory inevitable. 

 JASON CRISP filled out the men's podium, his second Top three at LCT.

 Similarly, in the women's race it was the eventual runner-up, who happened to be a newbie with strong running credentials, who set the stage. MELISSA GOBLE's first tri produced a solid swim, a promising bike split and her signature brisk run, which surprisingly was bettered by eventual 3rd placer MATA AGRE. Goble (photo) was first to finish, followed 28-seconds later by Agre. Both women waited for superior...

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Bontrager & Illgen Break Out!

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14th Maple Grove Triathlon Coverage - With 1000+ sign-ups and just under 900 finishers, this year's Maple Grove Triathlon was the second largest tri in Minnesota this year, surpassed only, and slightly, by the YWCA Women's Triathlon.

Twas a perfect day for racing at Weaver Lake Park on Sunday and great performances were plentiful. In the Olympic race the pre-race favorites did what they do, though perhaps not as convincingly as usual. Men's winner PRESTON YOUNGDAHL turned in a amateur course record effort--1:53:55, bettering Wade Cruser's prior best by 23 seconds, yet his margin of victory was only slightly more than a minute over runner-up TIM BONTRAGER, whose 1:54:59 appeared to have been a breakout effort, especially when you look at the list of talented guys he outraced, several of whom he'd never beaten before. 

JOE ADRIAENS (1:56:15), JAKE KEEHAN (1:56:57) and elite collegian NATHAN KIM (1:57:41) secured the three-five spots. Seven men broke two hours.

Unsurprisingly, HEATHER LENDWAY won the women's Olympic race in a fine time, 2:05:07, but it was her runner-up that turned in arguably the most impressive women's performance of the day.  UW-Madison's RACHEL ILLGEN placed 4th here last year in 2:16:22. This time, tough, she, like...

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Blankenheim, Bacigalupi Bring Home Titles...

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Story & Photos by Kelly Humphrey (Brainerddispatch.com)

BAXTER — Josh Blankenheim of Duluth and Baxter’s Jacquelyn Bacigalupi captured the Lakes Country Triathlon Sunday, Aug. 27, at Whipple Beach....

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