Race Coverage

Salty Water, Terrifying Descents & Songs in My Head...

Tuesday, 13 October 2026 00:10

By Katie DeRegnier

Pontevedra World Championship Finals Race Report! -We got there 3 hours early because my wave didn’t start until 12:42. It was plenty of time to not stress and have everything ready- but I was a bit nervous with the transition flow since it was so big!

The swim was dirty and salty and I felt boxed in for part of it! It was a little more aggressive than I was used to. It was a river swim (down and back) and so we felt the current on the way back! My goggles filled with water at that time, so definitely not pleasant! Somehow I made it out the swim in 2nd place!

The bike was challenging. We biked up and down a mountain 2 times (the hills were 5 miles long!). The descent was terrifying but I practiced it 3 times during the week so I didn’t have to brake all that much.

The run was also hilly. 2 big hills on a 4 loop course! But because it was 4 loops and it was in the city, there were people everywhere which seemed to keep me going! I had “dig a little deeper” from the princess and the frog and “make it look easy” (summers dance solo) in my head to keep me going. My hip held up the whole time and I was grateful to finish strong! I had been praying to be able to run without limping- what a miracle that was!

5th place representing USA 35-39! What an incredible experience! I had so many people reminding me to smile, be joyful, and enjoy every minute. Joel was also amazing- making all the food this week and supporting me in every way! The kids’ hugs were the best and my parents came too! Just feeling the love over here.

"Wowzer!"

Saturday, 03 October 2026 00:10

By Tiffany Kari Cizmas

USAT World Championship Recap from Spain!  - Made it to Spain on Wednesday with a lot of luck! Delays, missed connections, and dropped flights added some stress but we rolled with it and somehow still arrived on time with our luggage! A little airport espresso and we were good to go. 

I felt great going into Saturdays race. Can’t always say that. The race consisted of a 1500 meter salty river swim, 40k hilly bike, and 10k hilly run in the beautiful city of Pontevedra.

The nerves built as I walked out on the pontoon to line up. I slid in somewhere close to the middle of 68 woman representing 23 counties and said good luck to the lady next to me. Before I knew it we were in the water and the clock was ticking down on the loud speaker. I pushed off with the plan to swim hard for the first 100 to 200 then ease into a sustainable rhythm. I was on some feet for the first 50-100 but around 500 yards I found myself totally alone. We had a nice current on the way out but had to push it on the way back. There can be better lines to choose where the current is less harsh but without really knowing I just held my line and hoped for the best. The gals I was with swam toward the center of the river then launched ahead. Maybe I should’ve gone with but it wasn’t an easy call. I came out in 18th. Lower than my typical placement but not bad. I was still encouraged. 

T1 went smooth. I booked it to my bike. We had 1/4th mile to run to get there and every second counts. The wetsuit came off fast and I was soon on my bike. 

The 40k bike course was great with two five mile climbs and two fast descents. Perfect for a mountain biker with descending skills. I practiced a couple days earlier but still worried a bit about the descent at high speeds with other riders around me. Not sure if I could stay down in my drops for the steep parts but come race day the mountain skills paid off. I was able to stay aero and give it full gas. I moved up to around 7th place with the 3rd fastest bike time. 

T2 was luckily also very smooth. Once my running shoes were on I worked to relax as I exited transition and hit the course. 

I love this run course. It consists of four loops with about a 1/2 mile steep climb and 1/2 mile descent through the twisting small ancient city streets and about a mile 1/2 mile of flatter surface running. I looked forward to the uphill on each lap as I believed I could put some distance on the others on the climb and looked forward to the downhill. I would settle in at the top and then put the gas back on for the descent. Running downhill is an easy place to accidentally lose speed after a climb. The hardest parts were actually the flat sections as I tried to hold on to my downhill speed and effort until I hit the climb again. No chance to actually recover. Just worked the mind games telling myself I would recover on the descents somewhere if needed. 

I learned I was 45 seconds down from 3rd place going into lap three. Hard to know for sure if I could bridge that. I didn’t actually know if I was gaining or if she was pulling away. Typically I have one of the faster run times so I was optimistic I was gaining. Prior to this information I accepted I was probably coming in 5th. I was overjoyed to learn I may make the podium! I wasn’t certain when or if I passed her with all the bodies out there. At this point I was also lapping runners in my age group however when I started my 4th lap I soon learned I was 15 seconds from 2nd place. Wow! I couldn’t believe it! Very soon after I saw her. A gal from Switzerland. She looked like a badass. Super fit and fast. I picked up the pace slightly to discourage her from trying to go with me. Luckily the big climb was coming and believed I would extend the gap with some ease. I never looked back just held the gas. My legs felt like jelly. Something I’ve rarely experienced but blocked it out. Just had 1 mile to run. With 1/4 mile to go someone reassured me that I had locked in 2nd place. I had put 45 seconds on her. I grabbed the American flag from our team USA captain and ran it in. I was so relieved to be done and elated to had pulled off 2nd in the world for team USA, 45-49 year old gals! Wowzer! What an amazing blessing!

Thank you SkiHut and running coach Tony Stensland for all the support. Ali for joining me on the journey to Spain and being my Sherpa. Big thanks of course my husband Dave for the love and encouragement as well as my family, friends, and crazy training partners. You make life so much more fun. 

It Didn't Happen By Accident...

Monday, 28 September 2026 00:10

By Micah Warning

Michigan 70.3 Report - 

A result I couldn’t be more proud of. Third overall in a time of 3:55. Top 4 guys broke the previous age group course record! Course record at an Ironman event is a win in itself! Beat my previous best time at this course by over 20 minutes. It didn’t happen by accident.. hard work has finally payed off.

This is what a PR day looks like: 

Swim - 27:29 - the best 70.3 swim of my career in all aspects, sighting, race tactics, and pace. (Could still be better) but I’ll take it!

Bike - 2:09:25 - Best power avg (317 watt avg) and best speed 26.02 for 56 miles. Very good day on the bike!

Run - 1:14:08 - 1st overall runner on the day.. The story of my 70.3 career has been the collapse of my runs. I think my best avg is 6:30 per mile. Going into today I was hopeful to average somewhere around low 6:00 pace, NOPE. 5:38 per mile sounded way better! I knew my past results where not indication of my ability and I finally was able to show it today. From a 1:25 run at Omaha to a 1:14 today at Michigan is an absolute win!

In short.. today was everything I could have asked for. I’m grateful to those who have reached out before I raced and after. It truly doesn’t go unnoticed. 

And thank you TerraLocoMN for your continued support.

ED. Micah - So you know, the previous best 70.3 time by a Minnesota amateur triathlete is 4:02 (Matt Payne and Kevin O'Connor)

"Run the Mile You're in"...

Friday, 25 September 2026 00:10

By Cami Eckhoff

Madison 70.3 Race Recap ~ “He is more than able” and “run the mile you’re in.” Two things that kept popping into my mind throughout the entire race!

Saturday was an incredible experience! As always, the volunteers and spectators make such a huge difference, and having Jeff, Patti, Rachel, and Jodi there cheering brought so much extra love and energy! I can’t thank them enough 

And to Meghan, my sweet friend who instigated this whole Ironman journey, I’m beyond grateful. Taking in another race together was so special 

The swim ~ I enjoyed the comfortable pace, water temperature, and most importantly, my shoulder hanging in there! It’s been giving me trouble since increasing my swim volume when I couldn’t run much this past month. 

A bonus was a beautiful rainbow off in the distance I saw every breath to my right side! My goal for the 1.2 miles was under 30 minutes, and I came in at 29:07.

Running up the 3 level helix lined with cheering spectators into transition was one of my favorite parts of the day! I couldn’t stop smiling! I got in and out of T1 as quickly as I could and headed out on the bike.

The bike was fun, challenging, and engaging, with plenty of elevation and beautiful scenery. It actually went by pretty quickly! Instead of counting up to 56 miles like I usually would, I counted down the miles in groups of 10, and I think that really helped. I nailed my nutrition and loved having the extra bottles of Precision Hydration at the aid stations.

Despite my bike computer going into sleep mode every five seconds and having to rely on my watch for speed and average watts, I hit my normalized power goal and just barely snuck in under my time goal of 2:34–2:37. I came in at 2:36:57! We finished the ride up the helix and into the parking garage, and I tried to get out of T2 as quickly as I could!

The run ~ this was the part of the race I was most nervous about. I had run very little the past four weeks while dealing with a bad case of posterior tibialis tendinitis, and I was coming off a hilly bike ride.

With the two-loop course, I got to see my favorite fans and all kinds of spectators throughout the run, which was just the best! I set out to run around a 7:15 pace, and although it felt uncomfortably comfortable, I just kept reminding myself- run the mile you’re in. Don’t look too far ahead, and don’t worry about what’s behind you.

I held pretty consistently for nine miles, and then the struggle bus began! 

The last mile was the toughest, almost completely uphill!!! Thankfully, my ankle was almost a non-issue, and I managed to finish the half marathon in 1:35:31.

Overall time: 4:48:12

1st place age group

2nd place overall female 

70.3 World Championship Slot to Chattanooga next August

This race far exceeded my expectations and proved even more that “He is more than able.”

My heart is so full of gratitude ~ grateful for the support of friends and family, grateful to be able to race, and grateful for continued health on this cancer journey. There is still so much I can’t control, but I can choose to trust Him with it all.

Ephesians 3:20

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

Thanks Uncle Randy, Mark and Judi...

Wednesday, 23 September 2026 00:10

2026 One Last Tri Coverage – The 20^th edition of One Last Tri is in the books, and with it our gratitude for extending Minnesota tri season. In the late 90s, you see, the Turtleman Triathlon, staged on the third weekend of August, was the last race of the year. Then Uncle Randy and Mark Bongers launched races—Square Lake and St. Croix Valley—that extended the season into early September. Then One Last Tri added another week or two to the schedule. We thank the organizers of those races for their contributions to our state's multisport community.

Last Sunday's edition of OLT registered 300 participants, 244 of which made the trek to White Bear Lake County Park despite chilly, grey and breezy conditions, and ultimately crossed the finish line. The races—Olympic and Sprint—were won athletes who were recording their first career tri victories, which we love. Brock Desens, who impressed us with his 4^th place finish at Timberman in 2025, won the Olympic contest, with Tinman Sprint winner Ryan Preusser claiming second. The prior weekend's 3rd-place finisher (Square Lake Sprint), Kole Seiler, rounded out the men's Top 3.

Rebekkah Desauliers, Melissa Noel (photo) and Lauren Peltier comprised the women's podium.

Taking the Top 3 in the Sprint were Tony Lane, Aaron Deuermeyer and James Dixon. Avid outdoorswoman Ece Kremers cracked the overall Top 10 with her win on Sunday. She was followed to the finish line by Laura Friedmann and 18-year-old out-of-stater (Iowa) Kaylee Crump.

Well, another great Minnesota tri season has concluded. RESULTS - https://www.frontrunnerusa.com/race-results

"My Favorite City to Race in"...

Wednesday, 16 September 2026 00:10

By Paige Schulz

Ironman 70.3 Wisconsin – 2026 recap for the overall women’s win.

Madison is my favorite city to race in. Monona Terrace is an amazing venue. And the capital backdrop from the finish line is iconic.

 Swim: My husband had a lot of words for me before the swim about how I should “actually try”. It is not that I don’t try, but more like I lose focus. The voices in my head during the swim say “do do do do do do”, like a 3 year old. So on Saturday I tried to find feet and use the draft. I was about 1 minute faster this year compared to both 2024 and 2025. That was an immediate win.

- 77th woman

- 34:18

- 1:36/100 yds

 Bike: The course in past years was shy of 54 miles. I always thought that a shorter bike course suited me because I got to the run quicker. But my cycling fitness has grown, so finding out the course this year was closer to 57 miles was no issue. The Wisconsin 70.3/140.6 race courses are known for being hilly with rough roads and tons of turns. I had to laugh at the signs saying “rough road ahead” because how was it possible to be rougher than we currently were riding? On Saturday I had my fastest average pace on the course to date, but pushed lower watts than 2024 and 2025. The words “Ironman legs” were on repeat in my head. Not as an excuse, but just a reminder to myself to not be disappointed in my watts because I have been training differently this year. Big thank yous to my bike for being fast and my bike mechanic husband for the speedy wax chain.

 - Moved up to 5th and then 4th out of T2.

- Third fastest bike split – three of us were within a minute.

- 2:32:56

22.26 mi/hr

 Run: I felt awful when I started the run. I had all the negative thoughts in my head and fully dismissed the idea of being able to chase down the 4 women ahead of me (5 actual women, but based on start times I had passed one in T2). My pace felt slow – it wasn’t – but I didn’t have the pep that I wanted in my feet. Really though, I needed to go to the bathroom. Towards the end of the bike I kept trying to figure if and when I would run into a porto. I told myself not in T2 because I think stopping in transition takes longer than stopping on the run. I made it to mile 4 of the run. I didn’t have GI distress, but I was worried it was going to turn into that if I didn’t stop. I came out of that porto feeling so good and finally able to run smoothly. It was the best decision to stop. And at mile 5 I was told I was leading the race. The shock on my face had to be visible. I hadn’t been told any pace splits for the leader and figured I was too far back and not running fast enough for it to matter.

Once I took the lead, I started getting splits and was told I was running the fastest for women and growing my lead. The last two years I was chasing hard. It was so nice to not be chasing this time and just be able to cruise. My family was at the mile 7 turn around and high-fiving my son knowing I was in the lead was one of my favorite moments of the race. I gave my husband the “this is easy, I’m just out for lovely run in Madison” look. I knew I wouldn’t see them again until the finish line.

After grabbing the winner's tape, I immediately saw my family in the finisher chute. My son was ready to put the medal on me. I felt the emotions of the win much more this year since I had nearly an hour to sit with the lead. It was a great day. 

- First overall.

- Fastest run split.

- 1:26:35

- 6:37 min/mile

Kona is next! Two big training weekends left before we head to the island. I fell completely in love with full ironman training again this summer. I almost wish I didn’t because it would be easier to hang up the IM distance after Kona. But I think there is at least one more ironman in me after Kona.