In this Weekend Box we look at the Fearless Pro Super Sprint in San Diego, the Nepean Tri in Penrith, Australia, the final ITU World Cup race of 2013 in Colombia, 70.3 Miami and Austin and a scary encounter on the run course at Beach to Battleship in Wilmington, NC.
USA Triathlon Super Sprint Finale to Ben Kanute and Katie Hursey
Ben Kanute outsprinted Tommy Zaferes to take the 2013 Fearless Pro Super Sprint Triathlon in San Diego's Mission Bay, a race that served as the USA Triathlon Super Sprint Finale. Tommy Zaferes finished second and Eric Lagerstrom finished 3rd. The women's race only saw 3 official finishers as Katie Hursey, Sara McLarty and Jennifer Spieldenner lapped the other starters who thus got pulled. Hursey got the better of the other 2 athletes and took the win in this spectator friendly format in 49:39.
Fearless Pro Super Sprint Triathlon
San Diego, CA / October 26, 2013
300m swim / 8k bike / 2.5k run / 300m swim / 8k bike / 2.5k run
Top men
1. Ben Kanute (USA) 45:39
2. Tommy Zaferes (USA) 45:39
3. Eric Lagerstrom (USA) 45:46
4. Joe Maloy (USA) 46:31
5. Derek Oskutis (USA) 46:42
Top women
1. Katie Hursey (USA) 49:39
2. Sara McLarty (USA) 49:47
3. Jennifer Spieldenner (USA) 50:56
Aaron Royle and Emma Moffatt rule Australia's oldest triathlon
The 2013 Nepean Triathlon attracted a very strong field and when it was all said and done Aaron Royle and Emma Moffatt were the new champions of this classic race. Royle and Appleton were still tight together after the bike segment with a nice gap over others, but Royle's closing 31:5 run sealed the deal. Appleton finished second about a minute later and Brad Kahlefeldt bested the pursuers to take third place. A lethal combination of all three sports helped Emma Moffatt to take the women's title ahead of Ashleigh Gentle. Natalie Van Coevorden finished third.
Nepean Triathlon
Penrith, Australia / October 27, 2013
1k swim / 30k bike / 10k run
Top men
1. Aaron Royle (AUS) 1:26:35
2. Sam Appleton (AUS) 1:27:28
3. Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS) 1:28:30
4. Cameron Good (AUS) 1:28:37
5. Ryan Bailie (AUS) 1:28:41
Top women
1. Emma Moffatt (AUS) 1:34:39
2. Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) 1:35:58
3. Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS) 1:39:14
4. Charlotte McShane (AUS) 1:40:18
5. Melinda Vernon (AUS) 1:40:51
The final ITU World Cup of 2013 goes to Reinaldo Colucci and Ainhoa Murua
Reinaldo Colucci from Brazil finally earned another World Cup title after a draught of just about 3 years. Local Pro Carlos Javier Quinchara Forero finished second just 10 seconds behind and French Pro Etienne Diemusch ran down American Greg Billington to grab the final podium spot. Spain's Ainhoa Murua took the win in the women's race and thus now has her very first World Cup title on her resume. Mateja Simic from Slovenia finished second and long time leader Charlotte Morel from France fell back to third place
2013 Guatape ITU Triathlon World Cup
Guatape, Colombia / October 27, 2013
1.5k swim / 40k bike / 10k run
Top men
1. Reinaldo Colucci (BRA) 1:58:48
2. Carlos Javier Quinchara Forero (COL) 1:58:58
3. Etienne Diemunsch (FRA) 1:59:13
4. Gregory Billington (USA) 1:59:21
5. Jarrod Shoemaker (USA) 2:00:04
Top women
1. Ainhoa Murua (ESP) 2:14:48
2. Mateja Simic (SLO) 2:15:13
3. Charlotte Morel (FRA) 2:15:32
4. Marina Damlaimcourt (ESP) 2:16:34
5. Yuka Sato (JAP) 2:18:57
Matt Chrabot and Rebekah Keat strike in Austin
Matt Chrabot's closing 1:11 run sealed the deal for this ITU speedster to take the 2013 Ironman 70.3 Austin in a time of 3:48:49. Richie Cunningham and Ben Hoffman finished second and third roughly 3 minutes spread out. Bek Keat had a great day in Austin and took the women's title in 4:15:59. Rachel McBride finished second and Mandy McLane dropped Sarah Piampiano on the run to take the final podium spot.
Ironman 70.3 Austin
Austin, TX / October 27, 2013
1.2m swim / 56m bike / 13.1m run
Top men
1. Matt Chrabot (USA) 3:48:49
2. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 3:51:52
3. Ben Hoffman (USA) 3:54:56
4. Francisco Serrano (MEX) 3:55:13
5. George Bjalkemo (SWE) 3:55:18
Top women
1. Rebekah Keat (AUS) 4:15:59
2. Rachel McBride (CAN) 4:19:24
3. Mandy McLane (USA) 4:20:06
4. Sarah Piampiano (USA) 4:21:24
5. Shannon Radle (USA) 4:22:59
Terenzo Bozzone and Helle Frederiksen win Ironman 70.3 Miami
Terenzo Bozzone and Filip Ospaly both closed out their races in Miami with 1:11 run split, but unfortunately for Ospaly, Bozzone was 2 minutes up the road. So the 2013 Ironman 70.3 Miami title went to the Kiwi who has really found his niche again. Ospaly held on to second place and Nils Frommhold finished third. Helle Frederiksen took charge of the women's race with a start to finish performance and in the end had a comfortable lead.
"I really struggled the week leading into this race after a brutal race at Life Time Tri Oceanside last weekend. My body took all week to recover but come this morning I was feeling very good," said Frederiksen to slowtwitch. "I wanted to take control, that was my plan and fortunately my body and conditioning allowed me to do it. I went out way too hard and by the 28-mile turnaround my lead was close to 6 minutes. I conserved a little on the way back in to T2. Hearing my lead was growing after 10km I was able to enjoy those final km's to the finish."
Erika Csomor and Eimear Mullan finished second and third in a race that attracted a strong field and where Leanda Cave had to settle for sixth place.
Ironman 70.3 Miami
Miami, FL / October 27, 2013
1.2m swim / 56m bike / 13.1m run
Top men
1. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 3:41:17
2. Filip Ospaly (CZE) 3:43:12
3. Nils Frommhold (GER) 3:44:15
4. Leon Griffin (AUS) 3:44:29
5. Ben Collins (USA) 3:45:55
Top women
1. Helle Federiksen (DEN) 4:03:38
2. Erika Csomor (HUN) 4:11:48
3. Eimear Mullan (IRE) 4:12:39
4. Katrien Verstuyft (BEL) 4:16:24
5. Lisa Mensink (NED) 4:17:48
Encounters of the unexpected kind
We have heard of dogs, cats and chickens making it onto run or bike courses of some triathlon events, and on occasion even a bear or moose seems to make race participants uneasy. But yesterday at the Beach to Battleship race in Wilmington, NC some triathletes had a completely different encounter on the run course. Scary for sure, but better on the run course than during the swim segment.
