Published January 23, 2011 02:22AM
The endurance sports community came out to the Downtown Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, Calif. on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 22 to honor the top athletic accomplishments of 2010 at the Endurance LIVE Awards Gala. Competitor Group’s own Bob Babbitt played host to the event, formerly known as the Endurance Sports Awards.
Honorees included runners, cyclists, mountain bikers and triathletes.
See the complete list of honorees, with a quote from each athlete, below:
Male Triathlete of the Year presented by Inside Triathlon – Michael Raelert
“There are so many people to thank, but most importantly I want to thank my brother. He’s always been there for me. I would love to share with this him.”
Mountain Biker of the Year presented by Singletrack.com- Rebecca Rusch
“It’s a great pat on the back. We all work so hard. Everyone from recreation to professionals trains so hard. To actually get an award and some recognition for your hard work is nice.”
Performance of the Year presented by TYR – Chrissie Wellington
“We work so hard throughout the year. You have to take the time to celebrate your successes. I try to do that during the offseason, and throughout the year. It’s important for us to get together, have a glass of wine, do a little dancing and stay out a little later than we’re used to.”
Challenged Athlete of the Year presented by Kaiser Permanente – Scout Bassett
“I remember coming to this awards show the last two years and not even thinking I could ever receive this award. It’s all a fairytale that is coming true.”
Female Triathlete of the Year presented by Active – Mirinda Carfrae
“I am so honored to receive this award. I don’t know what to say. It’s amazing to be among these athletes. When I sit back and look what everyone else has accomplished it’s humbling. It’s really cool to see that so many other athletes, especially women, are doing amazing things in sport. It’s great to be a part of this generation.”
Celebrity Athlete of the Year presented by Garmin – Ryan Sutter
“This is so humbling for me. I look out in the audience and see people I have so much respect for. It’s cool to be recognized at the same event as these athletes. This is what drives me. These guys are way more intimidating to me than any celebrities. It’s cool because it’s a close-knit community.”
Male Runner of the Year presented by Competitor.com – Chris Solinsky
“Going into the year you train for the accomplishments that you hope to achieve. You set a lot of goals. This is just the icing on top of a great year.”
Competitor of the Year – Chris McCormack
“It’s amazing to be a part of this group of people. The people of endurance sports are my family. It’s inspiring for a guy like to me to come from a small town in Australia and be honored with such amazing people.”
Cyclist of the Year presented by Velonews.com – Mark Cavendish (not present)
Female Runner of the Year presented by Compex – Shalane Flanagan (not present)