Race Previews
One of Minnesota's Premier Venues...
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Monday, 16 June 2014 05:10
LAKE MINNETONKA PREVIEW - With 600+ entrants, the LMT will be the best-attended of the EIGHT Minnesota multis that are slated for next weekend. A consistently outstanding race at a premier venue (Excelsior Commons on Lake Minnetonka), the 11-year-old event is one of a child's handful of races that appears to be impervious to the current trends that affect race attendance, things like long course popularity and that newer triathletes, i.e. those who have come into the lifestyle in the last 6-7 years, race less frequently than their more grizzled veteran counterparts.
Also in LMT's favor is its astonishing recidivism rate. A higher than normal percentage of its participants return to this race year after year.
This is certainly apparent when you look at its list of past champions. Saturday's event will feature eight of them, four men--Brooks Grossinger (2013, 2012), Brett Lovaas (2009, 2006, 2006-BOUS, 2005), Steve Sander (2011, 2010) and Tony Schiller (2008)--and four women--Heather...
New Bri Turns 9...
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Thursday, 05 June 2014 00:10
(Photo - Matt Payne's bike. FYI, this pic has nothing to do with the New Bri preview. We're posting it because we think it's cool.)
RACE PREVE - Can you believe it? The New Bri Tri will celebrate its 9th anniversary this Saturday. Despite the fact that it shares the weekend with a pair of perennially well-attended races--Liberty and Trinona--it will, as always, have a nice turnout (400+) thanks to its high percentage of annual recidivists.
High recidivism rates means that the organizers are doing something right.
Last week, we peeked at New Bri's registration list. No favorites on the men's side leapt out at us. We suspect that several local eite males have since sign-up up, or will do so this week.
The women's field, on the other hand, is deep and has probably gotten even deeper since we looked at last week's list. Based on what we saw, we are willing to make the following predictions:
- The women's tittel will go to either Cathy Lee or Sarah Mercer....
Trinona 2014 Preview Stuff...
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Tuesday, 03 June 2014 04:10
RACE PREVIEW - Since its inauguration in '09, TRINONA has been a Top 5 finalist for "Triathletes Choice Race of the Year." In 2010 and 2011 it actually won the award....
Lofty Expectations...
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Monday, 02 June 2014 00:10
(Minnefotamoments PIc - A woman with awesome abs crosses the shady finish line at the 2012 Liberty Half.)
LIBERTY HALF PREVE - We're really excited about next Saturday's Liberty Half, which will be celebrating its 9th anniversary and its fourth year at the Lake Rebecca venue. The field is strong and, weather permitting, we could see overall and several AG course records fall.
There are at least five registered guys that can dip under 4:10, a feat that has never been accomplished at Liberty. In fact, only one dude, Matt Payne (4:07:39 - 2013), has cracked the 250-minute mark in the past. This year, however, we wouldn't be surprised to see Matt, former Canadian pro Danny Morwood (PR-4:07), four-time IM winner Dan Arlandson (PR - 4:06), 2013 Libert Runner-up Patrick Peacock (4:12:06) of Winnipeg, and Brian Sames (PR - 4:16 on a long course), who almost caught amateur champ Payne last year at Chisago, do that.
Jason Crisp, Kyle Serreyn, Justin Manning, John Heinlein and Chap Achen will provide a sturdy push. If all goes well, these guys should post times in the 4:11 - 4:20-range.
We don't expect to anyone to break Kortney Haag's CR-4:35:45, but we do expect a great race with a record number of women breaking 5-hours, which is to say, we think that more than six women will dip under the...
A Cool Event For a Great Cause...
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Sunday, 01 June 2014 00:10
Kids for a Cause Kids Triathlon in Fourth Year, Growing to Support Local, National and Global Causes
By Deb Hess
Kids for a Cause is hosting it's fourth annual kids triathlon. The kids triathlon was started by Barb and Avesh Thukral, in honor of the Thukral’s son, Julius, who was born with bilateral clubfeet and has received therapy treatment at Gillette Hospital in St. Paul and Clubfoot Solutions in Iowa City. The kids triathlon will be held on June 14 in St. Paul. Inspired by the resilience and positive attitude of her son Julius, Barb Thukral founded the kids triathlon as a way to demonstrate to children their strength and ability to make a difference, and as an expression of gratitude to those organizations, like Gillette and Clubfoot Solutions, that have helped her son Julius swim, bike, and run with his peers. ..
Porking Out in Iowa...
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Monday, 26 May 2014 06:10
PIGMAN SPRINT PREVIEW - HIstorically, Minnesotans have comprised a relatively small percentage--less than 10%--of Little Pig's annual enrollment, yet elite Loon Staters have dominated in the overall results. Since the turn of the century, Minnesota men have won 10 of the 13 editions of this event, which richly deserves its reputation at Iowa's premier sprint tri. The three events that weren't won by Minnesotans, were won by professionals, i.e. Dan Bretscher (IN, now of IA) in 2009, TJ Tollakson (IA) in 2007, and Will Smith (WI/NZL) in 2003. The top male amateurs in each of those races were from our side of the border: Brian Bich in 2008 and 2003, Kevin O'Connor in '09.
It should be noted that St. Paul athletes own the men's overall records: David Thompson set the pro record (1:00:57) in 2012, and Dan Hedgecock's amateur mark (1:01:56) was set in 2011. (Prior to the millennial change, Medina's Kevin O'Connor was the amateur CR holder. His time was approximately 20-seconds faster than Hedge's.) And FYI, the men's masters record is owned by Duluth's Brian Bich (1:02:33).....
