Steelhead

At the Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead in Benton Harbour MI three locals raced a moderate course on a tough day. A few things separated Steelhead from some of the other Ironman 70.3 events. First the swim is point to point which doesn?t often happen, secondly as a wave swim; waves started seven minutes apart, usually three minutes. Participants began their day with a 2k walk through sand to the swim start which could be south or north depending on the current. Swimming with the current (thankfully) participants noted the ebb and flow ultimately contributed to a fast swim only to be slowed down once they hit the beach for a 75m uphill sand run to transition.
The seven minute spread between waves lead to racers in the first wave; which went at 7:00am experiencing a completely different race from those in the last wave; which went at 8:49am. The day began relatively calm, overcast and warm, and as the first half of the race were finishing their day the second half of participants were racking their bikes and beginning the run as the weather turned windy, rainy and cool.
In the first half of finishers were Ironman and new Mom Angela Lilly who just back to racing after the birth of her first child eight months ago, killed the course and set a few PR?s. Angela covered the course in 4:51:42, a four minute personal record, was third in her age group winning a spot to the Ironman 70.3 Championships in Clearwater Florida, posted the fastest bike split in her age group and finished sixth age group woman overall. All of this sandwiched between two sessions of breastfeeding! Angela was joined by Dennis Hills who crossed the finish line in 5:28:51 and Jeff Musson who set a PR of 5:39:55 placing sixth with the second fastest bike split in his category.
Steelhead had fewer participants this year down from 3500 in 2008 to 2500 registered for 2009, 1660 finishers, 479 females, 1181 males and posted an average finishing time of 6:00:36.

In a weekend of triathlons, Curtis Walsh raced his first Half Ironman (2/90/21) at the Ironman 70.3 Calgary crossing the line in 5:30:44. The Ktown races played out on a windy, rainy day with hefty swells in the swim. Short course participants (750/30/7.5) were Andrew Speedy (1:51:49), Janet Allaire (2:13:03), Lorraine Van Der Kamp (2:21:29), Diane Harper (2:01:56), Wendy McCoy (2:08:55) and Michelle Pothier (2:03:44). Long course racers (2/56.2/15) were Duane Bryson (3:58:35), Scott Greenough (3:46:05), Mike Myers (3:25:07), Cuthbert Cheung (4:28:40), Tara Rawluk (3:47:02), Craig Meeks (4:11:53), Stacey Berdan (4:16:20) and Allan Faulds who placed first in his age group and 13th overall in 3:08:56. In the Muskoka Rocks 10k Chad Gehl raced to the line in 41:13.
As the fall racing season quickly approaches don?t miss out on racing your favourites, register early for Sandbanks 5/10k, Fall Classic 10k/21k, Belleville Hospital/One to One 5k, PEC Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay and the Fat Ass Trail Run 7.5/17.5/25k.