Race Previews
Payne Train Heading For Duluth...
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Wednesday, 26 August 2015 06:10
SUPERIOR MAN PREVIEW - We predict that a plethora of records will fall at next Sunday's Superior Man, the 2013 and 2014 Minnesota Race of the Year.
Why?
The exisiting records are soft, and for good reason. Hot, humid conditions, unprecedently so in 2013, influenced the first two years of the event. Last year, the swim courses needed to be abbreviated. The 70.3 became a 69.9, and the 41.5 was a 41.3.
So, it's going to be exciting to see how things unfold on Sunday. FYI, the current weather forecast is for a sunny day with temps ranging from 59 to 79 degrees and light winds. Of course, that will change. The American and European weather models haven't been too accurate this year, have they?
It's time to go with the "Central American Model."
What is that? ...
Two Great Races to Choose from...
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Wednesday, 19 August 2015 00:10
LIFE TIME TRI - MAPLE GROVE & WASECA 1/3 & SPRINT - Finally!
Finally, a reasonably scheduled weekend, the kind of weekend that doesn't spread the participant base too thin. Minnesota athletes had fifteen races races to choose from in the last two weeks. This weekend there are only two races: the iconic Life Time Tri - Maple Grove on Saturday, and the Diamond-in-the-Rough Waseca 1/3 and Sprint on Sunday.
Last year, the Maple Grove event was the best attended of the Life Tme Minnesota Series. Current enrollment seems to be in the same ballpark as Minneapolis, i.e. 1400-1500 race day entrants. Love those numbers and hoping this demonstrates the beginnings of a "bounce back" in our sport...
Stellar Field Set for Big Pig XVIII...Updated...
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Thursday, 13 August 2015 00:10
18th Annual PIGMAN HALF - The MTN Guys nearly soiled ourselves when we looked at next weekend's Big Pig start list. It will arguably be the most competitive Pigman ever. Here's a few of the names on the Elite roster:
Men:
David Thompson (P - MN) - 9 x Pigman Champ. A win would be the 100th of his storied career. (photo on page 2.)
Daniel Bretscher (P - IA) - 2007 US Athlete of the Year
Tom Gerlach (P -WI) - Successful long course veteran
Eric Engel (WI) - Reigning Toughman Minnesota champion
Kevin O'Connor (MN) - Reigning Pigman Masters CR-holder. PR - 4:02 (MN State amateur Half IM record)...
Another Busy Weekend Ahead...
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Tuesday, 11 August 2015 06:10
This weekend's racing schedule is as insane as last week's. There are seven events for the Minnesota triathlete to choose from, if you'll excuse our ending a phrase with a preposition....
Nationals + Seven...
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Monday, 03 August 2015 06:10
Not including the USAT National Olympic and Sprint Age Group Championships in Milwaukee, events that have drawn almost 200 Minnesotans, there are seven Gopher State triathlons slated for the weekend of August 8-9.
Insane, right? Especially coming on the heels of an under-utilized weekend, which had only two races--Brewhouse and Minnewaska--and both of them were on Saturday. This kind of stuff has been happening too often, don't you think?
We certainly hope that those Minnesota races--Northwoods, Turtleman (New!), Graniteman-Big Lake and Rainy Lake on Saturday; Green Lake, North Mankato and Wingman on Sunday--that are scheduled for next weekend are successful under the circumstances and encourage everyone who isn't signed up for an event currently, to support one or two of them....
Passing the Torch to Josh...
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Tuesday, 28 July 2015 07:10
29th BREWHOUSE PREVIEW - When one ponders the history of multisport racing by Duluth athletes one recalls Sara Hollingsworth, Robin Tedlund, Marlo Crosby. More recently, of course, the names Elaine Nelson and Jess Rossing come immediately to mind.
For the dudes, though, one need not ponder long, nor hard. Brian Bich, Rod Raymond and Rhett Bonner have been carrying Duluth's flag from more than two decades. Brian has won the hometown classic Brewhouse Tri an unprecedented 12 times. No other athlete in Minnesota multisport history has won a single race a dozen times.
Brian, now 49, will NOT be gunning for a 13th BH win next Saturday, but he'll be at the race. This time around, he'll team up with fellow legends Raymond at Bonner and rock the relay competition like it's never been rocked before. Gonna be so cool! And so fast!
But how much faster will they be than the individual men's winner? Hard to say, though they better be fast if they are going to distance themselves from pre-race favorite Josh Blankenheim (photo L)....
