Life Time Tri Minneapolis Set For Saturday

A strong field of non-drafting short-course specialists is expected for Saturday’s 12th annual Life Time Tri Minneapolis.

The Course:
More than 2,000 pro and amateur athletes will take on the Olympic- and sprint-distance courses at the 12th annual Life Time Tri Minneapolis, to be held at Lake Nokomis, Minn., on Saturday, July 12. The race is the third stop in the six-race pro series (other LTF races are South Beach, held in Miami; New York City; Chicago; CapTex in Austin, Texas; and Oceanside near San Diego, Calif.). Pros will be racing on the Olympic-distance course, which features a 1500-meter swim in Lake Nokomis starting form the northwest side of the lake, a 40K bike that navigates along the Mississippi River and “City of Lakes,” and ends with a 10K run around the shore of Lake Nokomis to the cheers of thousands of spectators.

The Pro Race:
Professional triathletes will be competing in Minneapolis for a $30,000 prize purse (which pays five deep with $7,000 each going to the top male and female). The race also kicks off this season’s Toyota Triple Crown Triathlon Series, and the male and female winners will earn 100 points in the series (the other races are the New York City Triathlon and Life Time Tri Oceanside), which will award $50,000 to the top pro female or male triathlete from the three races.

RELATED PHOTOS: 2013 Life Time Tri Minneapolis

The Men’s Race:
American Cameron Dye highlights the men’s pro race—he’s been dominant in short-course non-drafting races, as he’s been the overall winner of this series the last two years. A powerful force on the bike, Dye has captured two Life Time titles already this season (South Beach and CapTex), and is favored to win in Minnesota. His closest competition will come from veteran pro Greg Bennett of Australia, who was the runner-up in South Beach; Chicago-based American Ben Collins, who was the runner-up at CapTex and sixth in South Beach; and Kiwi Michael Poole, who made the podium at both South Beach and CapTex. Other top men to watch for include 2012 Olympian Stuart Hayes of Great Britain, a strong swimmer who acted as a domestique for the Brownlee brothers in their Olympic medal-winning performances, and four-time Olympian Hunter Kemper of the U.S.

Here’s how the top five men are ranked in the Life Time Tri series after two races:
1. Cameron Dye – 215 points
2. Michael Poole – 160 points
3. Ben Collins – 140 points
4. Greg Bennett – 90 points
5. Todd Skipworth – 75 points

Pro Men Start List:
Greg Bennett (AUS)
Ben Collins (USA)
Cameron Dye (USA)
Tom Eickelberg (USA)
Kevin Everett (USA)
Stuart Hayes (GBR)
Hunter Kemper (USA)
John Kenny (USA)
Lachlan Kerin (AUS)
Jim Lubinski (USA)
Devon Palmer (USA)
Michael Poole (NZL)
Taylor Reid (CAN)
Chris Wiatr (USA)

The Women’s Race:
On the women’s side, the battle for the win will likely come down to Americans Sarah Haskins and Alicia Kaye, and Denmark’s Helle Frederiksen. Former Olympian Haskins was a dominant force in the short-course non-drafting scene, having won this series in 2009, 2011 and 2012, before taking a year off to give birth to her daughter last July. While she was out, Kaye took over and claimed the Life Time Tri Series title last year. This season, Haskins seems to have picked up where she left off, having taking wins at both South Beach and CapTex (even after a crash in stormy conditions in Austin). Kaye, who was second in Austin and third in South Beach, has power on the bike, but she’ll need to improve her swim and run times in order to catch Haskins. Former ITU athlete Frederiksen has also shown promise the last two seasons with her bike and quick turnover on the run—she also made the podium at both South Beach and CapTex. Other top women competing this weekend are Radka Vodickova of the Czech Republic, and Americans Lauren Brandon and Sara McLarty.

Here’s how the top five women are ranked in the Life Time Tri series after two races:
1. Sarah Haskins – 200
2. Alicia Kaye – 180
3. Helle Frederiksen – 175
4. Lauren Brandon – 85
5. Jillian Petersen – 80

Pro Women Start List:
Lauren Brandon (USA)
Helle Frederiksen (DEN)
Abby Geurink (USA)
Sarah Haskins (USA)
Alicia Kaye (USA)
Samantha Kennedy (USA)
Sara McLarty (USA)
Jillian Petersen (USA)
Lesley Smith (USA)
Radka Vodickova (CZE)
Molly Woodford (USA)

Visit Lifetimetri.com to see the current point standings in the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series.