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33 of the 41 registered teams completed the 17-mile course held in the James River Park System. The 3+ miles of swimming took place in the James River while the 14+ miles of running crossed trails and neighborhood roads.
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Race producers titled the event the National SwimRun Championship and winning teams from nine qualifying races received entry to compete alongside those in the general entry division.
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The point to point course started on wide lane roads allowing the race to spread out in the early miles.
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As the field thinned out, racers took to sidewalks leading down to the trails.
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Air and water temps were in the low 60's with overcast skies and light rain throughout the day, near ideal conditions for swimrun.
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The persistent drizzle made for a few muddy crossings out on course.
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And a quick moving river made for fast swim and overall times.
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The race for the overall win was hotly contested between Team Wattie Ink - Robert Flanigan and ex-pro triathlete Eric Limkemann - and Team Gu Crew - Marcus Barton and Keith Schumann.
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Athletes found themselves traversing small islands in the middle of the fast-flowing James River.
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Knee and waist-high wading was required to get to some of the marked swim exits.
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Buoys were placed in the river to provide better sighting and course navigation.
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Exits typically have staff or volunteers marking off a checklist to keep close tabs on all the teams.
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The top mixed team was Team AmphiBOS - Gregory and Bronwen Dierksen - who kept the top mens teams on their toes.
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In the end, Team Wattie Ink proved to be too strong for the chasing teams.
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And the duo from Richmond captured the overall win in 2 hours 45 minutes, a 2:32 advantage over runner-up Team Gu Crew.
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Tony Hammett of SwimRun Georgia with partner Kristy Powell Smith enjoying a bridge section with a view of the James River below and the Richmond skyline serving as a backdrop. Powell Smith kindly subbed for the pregnant Lisa Hammett spouse of Tony Hammett.
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The event was created and produced by IGNITE SwimRun and organizers Danny Serpico and Jay Peluso.
The National SwimRun Championship featured qualified racers from the following races: California SwimRun, SwimRun Georgia, SwimRun Lake James, Crawlman SwimRun, Garden State SwimRun, IGNITE SwimRun Maryland, IGNITE SwimRun Pennsylvania, IGNITE SwimRun Minnesota and IGNITE SwimRun Rhode Island.