Race Previews

A Superior Race....

Wednesday, 22 August 2018 23:10

SUPERIOR MAN TRIATHLON - The 7th edition of this decorated (three-time "Race of the Year") event is next Sunday, and we can't wait to get there. It is truly an exciting event, and the competition, especially in the half IM, is awesome. Did you know that an amateur men's state record was set there last year--MATT CYMANSKI's 4:01:40--and a women's amateur state standard--NICOLE WALKER's 4:25:05--was set there in 2016? 

It's true, and how cool is that!

Do we expect those records to tumble on Sunday? We are reluctant to predict that, but it could happen. HANNA GRINAKER (photo) popped a 4:28 at Chisago, and was on pace to go that fast, or faster, at Liberty when weather surgerized the run course.

With her IM debut just weeks away, we suspect that Hanna will target the men, not the women, on Sunday. Her goal will be to catch and pass as many credentialed guys as possible. We're predicting a sub-4:30 for her, and a spot in the overall Top 5-7.

Grinaker's boyfriend is 2017 MInnesota Triathlete of the Year SEAN COOLEY, who has already won Superior Man FOUR times. His personal best here is 4:04:21. Can he take the CR down next weekend? Sure. In our opinion, he's the one Minnesota guy who, at this point in time, has a legit shot at cracking the 4-hour mark. 

We're hoping that the weather will cooperate on Sunday--current forecast is for temps between 60 and 72, with light winds out of the NNE--so that more Superior Man magic will happen.

Here's some of many things we hope to see: ...

- JOE ADRIAENS - His 70.3 PR is 4:13:26. We'd love to see him crack the 4:10 mark. Another guy who is on the verge of doing that is TED TREISE (PR - 4:15:39). We hope he does.

- EMMA ADIAENS - A total of 12 women have broken the 5-hour mark here, and we hope that Joe's flamboyant wife has a breakout performance, and slips under that on Sunday. This wish also extends to our Canadian friend KAYLA KJELLMAN, whose current PR is 5:02:30. We'd love to see Kayla rock a 4:55, or faster.

- DAN ARLANDSON - Dan set a masters record--4:12:59--here in 2017. We'd love to see him lower that, and think that fellow 40-plussers KRIS NISULA (Thunder Bay) and PATRICK ALLAIRE (Marshfield, WI) will give him the push he needs.

- JAKE BRAAM, MITCHELL CLAYTON and SPENCER SYVERTSON are talented athletes - Jake was runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 2017, Mitchell was Junior of the Year in 2016, and Spencer could lock down a Most Improved nomination this season if he rocks on Sunday--who are making their long course debuts at SM. (Actually, Clayton flatted here last year, and is seeking redemption.) We are pulling hard for those guys to turn in satisfying performances.

- For the last few years, life hasn't been easy for our dear friend BETH HASSLER, so it's great to see her racing again. She's talented, and has what it takes to rewrite the women's 60-64 course record. We hope she does that.

Now, we'd be remiss if we didn't say some stuff about SM's companion event, it's 41.5 (a totally cool collection of distances: .5 - 34.4 - 5.6), which has been a part of the program since 2014. Historically, late registrants have taken some of the Top Spots in this race, and we think that the men's winner on Sunday will be one of those.

For the women, however, we're betting on CHRISTEL KIPPENHAN, who owns the CR and MR, to win for the third straight year. She's got this race dialed in, and a W would be her 2nd of the 2018 season and 11th of her multisport career. She should get a nice push from JENA OGSTON and JENNY THACKER, who cracked the Top 5 in her long course debut at the SM half IM in 2014. RACE WEBSITE

ALSO: Sean Cooley will provide samples of Every Man Jack body products for SM participants!

Every Man Jack, you’ve seen it on the cover of Men’s Health magazine, you’ve seen at Whole Foods and Target, and you’ve seen it on Triathlon kits of 70 members + their families nationwide but now it will be in the post race showers free for people to try. It’s an all natural men’s line of body products that continues to rank at the top of consumer reviews. Although it’s labeled as men’s products I can assure you that I know of plenty of women who have reached out saying they have been stealing it from their husbands. I can attest to this by saying my last bottle of activated charcoal body wash sure disappeared faster than it should have......HANNA GRINAKER!!