Race Previews

Avuncularity & Manpris...

Tuesday, 08 May 2012 02:40

Event Preview - Lake Elmo Park Reserve is an ideal place to stage a duathlon, and for the past decade some of our region's most exciting and competitive run-bike-runs have been contested there. The courses are scenic, fast, well-designed and easy to manage. A Win-Win situation for athletes and event producers alike.

The 11th edition of the event of which we speak--the Oakdale Duathlon--will take place on Saturday and between 400 and 500 folks are expected to race. A glance at the current start list has us anxious to do some prognosticating. So, without further ado:...

COLT XI Stuff....

Thursday, 03 May 2012 02:30

COLT Preview - The Chain of Lakes Triathlon, aka "COLT," is about to launch into it's second decade on Saturday. Cool, huh!

That's right, this will be the 11th edition of the annual Tri Minnesota Series kick-off event. The weather on May 5 in "Alex," short for Alexandria, is expected to be breezy with highs in the mid-60s. The UV index should be "5" and the moon on the evening before the race should be "Waxing Gibbous," whatever the hell that means. Temps should be in the low 50s at the start, and as they say here in Minnesota, "you could do a lot worse."

For those of you who haven't done this fine event before, it consists of a 600 yard pool swim at Discovery Middle School, followed by a 13 mile bike ride in the rolling hinterlands, and concluding with a 2.8 mile run on paved trails and residential streets....

Cinco du Taco...

Monday, 30 April 2012 03:30

Race Preview - A record turn-out is expected for next Saturday's Cinco du Mayo Duathlons at beautiful Square Lake. The races hope to lure 300+ total participants and are well on their way to accomplishing that. And according to The Weather Channel, the high and low temps in the Stillwater area for May 5 are expected to be 72 and 56 respectively under partly cloudy skies, which is the glass-half-empty way of saying partly sunny skies. It the forecast holds, conditions will be perfect for du-ing.

Cinco Du features a long course race (5K-20m-5K), which is celebrating its 5th anniversary on Saturday, and a shorty (2-10-2), that is turning three. The event also features post-race tacos (and other great Mexican munchables) that are nothing short of nummilicious. Not signed up yet? Click on the graphic (L) to go to the race's reg. page.

A glance at the current list of enrollees has gotten us excited. Several of our region's top athletes will be there and, as always, more can be expected to show as race day nears. The women's field looks especially stout, featuring the participation of 2011 Rookie of the Year Ruth Brennan Morrey, two-time Cinco Long Course champion...

DKT, Hedge & Claire-Bear....

Monday, 23 April 2012 11:10

Event Preview - David Thompson, Dan Hedgecock and Claire Bootsma will kick off their 2012 tri seasons at the iconic St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida, next Sunday. David will be facing one of the deepest pro fields that this 29th-year-old event has ever assembled, while Dan and Claire, who like each other a lot, will take on large and talented elite amateur fields.

A $65,000 purse will be distributed amongst the Top 10 pro men and women. For DKT, who has finished, as they say, in the money, on four prior occasions here, to come home with a check in his pocket on Sunday, he will have to outrace several of the sport's best practitioners. This year's field features five former champs. They are Matty Reed (2008, 2007), three-time Czech Olympian / two-time European champion Filip Ospaly (2011), Cameron Dye (2010), Andy Potts (2009) and six-time podium finisher, Greg Bennett (2005). Also in the field are international stars Bevan Docherty and Terenzo Bozzone of New Zealand, Steward Hayes of ....

Minnesota's Awesome Spring Du Season is Here!

Monday, 23 April 2012 11:00

Falls Du Preview - Minnesota's multisporters will be scattered across the US landscape this weekend. Some will be in St. Petersburg, Florida, competing against 3500 others at the 29th edition of St. Anthony's Triathlon. Others will be in Tucson, Arizona, competing at USAT Du Nationals. Most will remain in-state, racing in Morris (UMM-Tinman), St. Peter (Take the Hill Triathlon), Mankato (MSU Spring Tri), or in Cannon Falls at the 4th annual Falls Duathlon.

Produced by the great folks at Final Stretch, the FD launches what we think of as "Minnesota's Awesome Spring Duathlon Season", which consists of five well-established and totally excellent run-bike-runs:

* Falls Duathlon (Cannon Falls - 4/28)

* Cinco du Mayo (Square Lake - 5/5)...

PP in the Desert...

Thursday, 19 April 2012 02:30

Race Preview - The 2012 USAT Duathlon AG National Championships will take place in the Tucson suburb of Oro Valley on Saturday, April 28. Minnesota is only sending six athletes this year, but one of them could win the whole darn thing outright.

We're talking about Patrick Parish (photo L), a soft-spoken Dukie who looks great in a suit and is diligent about his dental hygiene. He has won 19 races in four years, and three of those were duathlons. Check out his complete du resume:

2011 - 1st amateur @ Turtleman Du. 2nd @ Gear West

2010 = 1st amateur / 2nd overall @ Gear West. 1st amateur / 3rd overall at Apple.

2009 - 2nd @ Turtleman Du. 7th @ Gear West. 7th amateur @ Apple.

Notice his improvement between 2009 and 2010? Whoa! ...