Race Coverage
Great Racing in Baxter....
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Wednesday, 06 May 2026 00:10
25th LAKES COUNTRY TRIATHLON COVERAGE - MATA AGRE was anxious to race at Sprint Nationals, but they were canceled. Bummer! JOSH BLANKENHEIM was anxious to race at Northwoods but his babysitter bailed at the last second. Bummer!
A few weeks later, Mata and Josh took out their frustration on their respective fields at Lakes Country, as each won by corpulent margins.
Temps barely nudged over 50 at the start of the race, but it felt even cooler thanks to relentless winds. Thankfully, the lake was 20+ degrees warmer than the air.
A second wave starter, it nevertheless didn't take long for Josh to push to the front of the pack on the bike. The rest of his race was spent alone. He didn't need to push, but he did anyway. He had plenty of time to recover after he finished before the next athlete crossed the line. His time was 58:46. Half of the event's Top 10 fastest times are his.
Second across was first-waver NOLAN SNYDER, 16, who turned in a strong 1:04:42, which fares very well next to the best times for junior boys on this course. Making his effort even more impressive was...
"The Heart of Local Racing"...
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Tuesday, 05 May 2026 00:10
By Amy Preusser
The Tinman Triathlon in Morris celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, and it was a beautiful May day to race. With these early season races, you never know exactly what you’re going to get, weather-wise. It was my fourth year racing the Tinman, and there is a special kind of excitement in the air, as people set up their gear in transition. Many are re-connecting over their love of the sport after months of the off-season.
Going into this race, I was a little nervous. As is the case for many - my bike has remained solidly on the trainer most of the winter & spring. This race was only my third time riding outdoors for this calendar year! The day proved to be lovely cycling weather, but a bit windy.The roads were rough - but I was told that they’re being repaved over the summer! This is good news, because unfortunately for me, I hit a large pothole about 11 miles into my 19 mile ride. I knew immediately - my front tire was a goner. I was VERY lucky to not be in aero position as my tire went out, and I didn’t get hurt - which is the most important thing! I had a few tears on the side of the highway, then worked on getting in touch with a race director. This is where I got a glimpse into the inner workings of a local triathlon.
While I was standing on the side of the highway, I was reminded by how much goes into organizing local races. Putting these events together is a work of HEART, and countless hours are spent mapping courses, obtaining permits, marking roads, gathering volunteers,coordinating with police to block roads & control traffic, etc. As mentioned, it was my fourth year racing in Morris, and I’ve come to know many of the people who work hard to make the Tinman a success. Before long, a Jeep pulled up and...
Ending on a High Note...
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Tuesday, 05 May 2026 00:10
By Nick Jasmer
Race Recap - I raced the Young life Olympic Triathlon in Detroit Lakes, MN to close out my 2025 triathlon season.
The swim was tough with some heavy chop, and the bike had its fair share of wind to fight through as well, but I was able to settle in and finish strong on the run. With a solid swim and pushing hard on the bike, I set myself up to finish on the podium and get the AG win.
I ended the day with a 2nd place overall finish and 1st place in my age group (M30–39), going up against some really strong competitors like @brandon_lee.nd
My splits were:
Swim – 27:54
Bike – 1:02:48
Run – 38:37
Total – 2:11:21
Overall, I’m really happy with my performance and proud to wrap up the season on a high note.
Already excited for what’s to come for 2026, now the work begins again!...
Records Topple in Morris!
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Sunday, 03 May 2026 00:10
40th Tinman Triathlon - Micah Warning's victory at Timberman Internediate in 2025 was truly a "breakout" performance, one that put him squarely in the running for a Most Improved nonimation and a lofty spot on Team Minnesota. A late-season illness intervened, dashing those possibilities.
At Tinman yesterday Micah ascended to yet another level. Saturday's breakout dwarfed the one he rocked at Sugar Lake last July. Not only were his splits insane and his finish time (1:34:56!) well under the long-standing (16 years!) course record, he managed to outrace pre-race fave / two-time Triathlete of the Year nominee Spencer Syvertson, who also threw down a time (1:37:56) that made the previous CR look pedestrian.
Both Warning and Syvertson will be filing Tinman race reports, as will Nick Jasmer, who placed 4th yesterday behind bronze medalist Sam Hauck, who set a Masters Record (1:45:56), and 2025 women's champ Amy Preusser, who DNFed (flat) yet had much positive things to say about the event. She was en route to a PR and a 2nd place finish when her tire stopped cooperating. Her...
History Made at Maple Grove...
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Friday, 01 May 2026 00:10
2025 MAPLE GROVE OLYMPIC COVERAGE - Since his amateur win at Ironman Michigan 70.3 in 4:03:10, Sherwood, Wiconsin's TYLER TANKO has proven that he is capable of becoming one of a handful of amateur American men to ever crack the the four-hour mark at the half Ironman distance. He's proven that his Olympic credentials are elite as well. He came into Saturday's Maple Grove Olympic triathlon having finished 4th under extreme conditions two weeks ago at Milwaukee Nationals. What remained to be seen was how he would fare against three-time MGO champion / amateur course record holder PRESTON YOUNGDAHL and locally undefeated SPENCER SYVERTSON.
He fared well. Starting with the fastest swim of the day, and finishing with an uncontestable run (32:59!), Tyler sliced 2:24 off the ACR. His 1:50:24 was only 1:22 off TED TREISE's pro record set in 2022.
Syvertson (1:56:09) and Youngdahl (1:57:18) also dipped under the two-hour mark.
Also winning by a sizable margin was ELENA JASPER (2:09:48), who now owns a 1st, 2nd and 3rd at MGO. KATIE DEREGNIER (2:15:18) and TIFFANY KARI (2:16:25) rounded out the women's podium.
Perhaps the most impressive women's performance of the morning was turned in by 59-year-old JULIA WEISBECKER, who finished 4th overall in a remarkable 2:16:35 thereby solidfying her nonimation for 2025 Female Grand Master of the Year....
"I Couldn't Think Of Anything More Awful",,,,
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Thursday, 23 April 2026 00:10
By Marcia Steffen
I'm 60 years old. I hate to run, even though I ran track in High School. I was a sprinter, not a long-distance runner. I haven't swum since I was a kid. I am confident on the bike; however, I ride for recreational purposes only. What was I thinking when I agreed to do a triathlon?
When McKinzie Wiedrich, owner of Coal Country Community Fitness in Hazen, ND, asked me to accompany her to the BisMan Triathlon, I couldn't think of anything more awful. But I agreed that if I could do the swim, I would sign up. When Brandon Lee, my nephew and the ring bearer at my wedding, heard that I was going to participate in a Triathlon, he told his mom and me, "Marcia will be $20K in before she knows it."
I told Brandon, "Nope, this is a one-and-done". We didn't get to swim in that race due to concerns of blue-green algae in the water, and we ended up doing a duathlon, run-bike-run.
Remember, I hate to run, and when the race was finished, I told everyone that I didn't love it. And I meant it. ..
