Racing Weekend Preview: From Penticton To Stockholm

Highlights of each of the big races coming up this weekend, including Life Time Tri Chicago, Rev3 Maine, Challenge Penticton, Ironman Canada, ITU WTS Stockholm and TriRock Asbury Park. 

Life Time Tri Chicago

Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 – Chicago, Ill.
1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run//750-meter swim, 22K bike, 5K run

This urban course in downtown Chicago has drawn triathletes for more than 30 years. This year, more than 9,000 athletes will race on the course which starts from the Monroe Harbor, looping along Lake Shore Drive and culminating with a run down Columbus Drive in the heart of Chicago. The race offers both sprint- and Olympic-distance races (pros will be racing on the Olympic course), and is part of the Life Time Fitness Triathlon series. The top three overall male and female finishers along with the top three finishers in each age group will receive a free entry to the inaugural Life Time Tri Oceanside in October, where the series culminates.

Pro Race
The men’s race is highlighted by American ITU stars including Hunter Kemper, who’s raced triathlon in four Olympic Games; Jarrod Shoemaker, a 2008 Olympian; and Matt Chrabot. Other top competitors include Ben Collins, Dustin McLarty and Stuart Hayes.

In the women’s race, Canada-born Alicia Kaye will be the favorite, as she was second overall in the LTF series last year behind Sarah Haskins. Her top competition will come from Helle Frederiksen, an ITU racer who’s had top finishes this year in both Olympic and 70.3 racing; Annabel Luxford; Sara McLarty and Daniela Ryf.

Pro Men
Jon Bird
Barrett Brandon
Matt Chrabot
Ben Collins
Brooks Cowan
Nathan Dressel
Robert Duncan
Nickolaus Early
Kevin Everett
Stuart Hayes
Dan Hedgecock
Hunter Kemper
John Kenny
Alex Libin
Hunter Lussi
Joe Maloy
Dustin McLarty
Reeven Nathan
Patrick Parish
Peter Robertson
Kevin Ryan
James Seear
Jarrod Shoemaker
Jason Smith
Jens Toft
Denis Vasiliev
Ivan Vasiliev
Chris Wiatr
Scott Wilkinson

Pro Women
Lauren Barnett
Fernanda Bau
Moka Best
Lauren Brandon
Kyla Chapman
Helle Frederiksen
Abby Geurink
Zara Guinard
Amanda Hahn
Alicia Kaye
Leanna Lee
Annabel Luxford
Sara McLarty
Michelle Mehnert
Michelle Mighdoll
Jillian Petersen
Shannon Radle
Kathy Rakel
Daniela Ryf
Maxine Seear
Lesley Smith

RELATED – Photos: 2012 Life Time Chicago Tri

Rev3 Maine

Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 – Old Orchard Beach, Maine
1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run//1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run

Offering both Olympic and half-iron-distance races, the Rev3 Maine course features a wetsuit-legal, cool ocean swim and shaded, scenic bike and run courses through mostly residential areas. Much of the run for the half-iron race is an out-and-back on the Eastern Trail. Last year, the event drew 1,200 athletes for the inaugural race. To top it off, you can upgrade your post-race meal to a lobster bake. Pros will be racing the Olympic-distance race for their share of a $50,000 prize purse and points in the overall Rev3 Series rankings, while age-groupers will be racing both distances.

Pro Race
In the men’s race, there are several top athletes who could vie for the title, including American Eric Limkemann, who won Rev3 Williamsburg this year; David Thompson (USA); Ben Collins (USA); Kyle Leto (USA); Chris Foster (USA); and Leon Griffin (AUS).

In the women’s race, defending champion Lauren Goss (USA) is the favorite, as she’s also won Rev3 Knoxville and the Olympic-distance Rev3 Wisconsin just a few weeks ago. She’s familiar with this course and is best at this distance. There are several top women who could challenge her for the title, including Laurel and Rebeccah Wassner (USA), both Olympic-distance non-draft specialists; Caitlin Snow (USA), who’s used her run speed for top-10 finishes in Kona; and Magali Tisseyre (CAN), a top 70.3 athlete. Other podium contenders include Jenna Parker (USA), Jennifer Speildenner (USA), Radka Vodickova (CZE) and Tenille Hoogland (CAN).

RELATED – Triathlon Tour Guide: Old Orchard Beach, Maine

Pro Men
Alex VanderLinden (CAN)
Alex Willis (USA)
Brendan Halpin (USA)
Brett Nichols (USA)
Brian Fleischmann (USA)
Chris Braden (USA)
Chris Foster (USA)
Craig Evans (USA)
Dan Feeney (USA)
Dan McIntosh (USA)
Daniel Tigert (USA)
Darby Thomas (FIN)
David Thompson (USA)
Eric Limkemann (USA)
Jake Shoemaker (USA)
James Burns (USA)
Jason Frank (USA)
Jason West (USA)
Justin Roeder (USA)
Kalen Darling (USA)
Kyle Leto (USA)
Leon Griffin (AUS)
Mark Bowstead (NZL)
Matthew Wisthoff (USA)
Michael Poole (NZL)
Mike Caiazzo (USA)
Nick Brodnicki (USA)
Rudy Kahsar (USA)
Samuel Douglas (AUS)
Tim Snow (USA)
Tom Eickelberg (USA)

Pro Women
Amber Ferreira (USA)
Alice Henriques (USA)
Anne Fallows (GBR)
Bethany Handley (USA)
Brianna Blanchard (USA)
Cait Snow (USA)
Camille Delamarre (CAN)
Catherine Sterling (USA)
D’Ann Arthur (USA)
Jenna Parker (USA)
Jennifer Spieldenner (USA)
Jessica Barton (USA)
Jessica Broderick (USA)
Katie Hursey (USA)
Kyla Chapman (USA)
Laurel Wassner (USA)
Lauren Goss (USA)
Lindsey Jerdonek (USA)
Magali Tisseyre (CAN)
Megan Riepma (USA)
Meghan Newcomer (USA)
Radka Vodickova (CZE)
Rebeccah Wassner (USA)
Tara Ross (CAN)
Tenille Hoogland (CAN)
Zana Buttermore-Baca (USA)

RELATED – Photos: 2012 Rev3 Maine

Challenge Penticton

Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 – Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run

Starting this year, the Challenge Family series of races has taken over the former Ironman Canada course in Penticton. This race will mark the first ever Challenge series event on North American soil—the series began in Roth, Germany, and now has races all over the world. Pro athletes will be competing for their share of a prize purse of more than 54,000 Euro (or $75,000 CAD), which pays out to 10^th place in the men’s and women’s races.

The course travels through the heart of B.C. wine country and along stunning lakes. It’s a challenging course due to both the geography and climate—it’s known for its single loop course through the mountainous B.C. landscape. The swim takes place in the pristine Okanagan Lake. The bike course features two significant climbs at Richter Pass and Yellow Lake with elevation ascents almost 700 feet high. The run includes an out-and-back section along the gorgeous Skaha Lake. The climate, as the Okanagan region is the only desert region in Canada, makes the race especially difficult—temperatures average 80 degrees F, and can reach highs of more than 100 degrees in August.

Pro Race
Highlighting the pro men’s race is Aussie Chris “Macca” McCormack, who will be competing for the first time in Penticton. The two-time Ironman world champion’s biggest competition will come from Jamie Whyte of New Zealand, who won the iron-distance Challenge Wanaka in 2011; Lothar Leder of Germany, a veteran pro and five-time winner of Challenge Roth and other iron-distance races in Germany. Top North American athletes include Scott DeFillippis (USA), who’s had a podium finish at Ironman Florida; Chris Bagg (USA), who finished fourth in Pentiction in 2011; Andrew Langfield (USA); and Anthony Toth (CAN), who was fourth overall in Pentiction in 2012.

In the women’s field, the woman to beat will be Aussie Carrie Lester, who won the 2012 Ironman Cairns and 2012 Rev3 Cedar Point. Canadian Janelle Morrison will be looking to improve on her third-place finish from last year. Other top competitors include Erin Furness of New Zealand, who finished top 10 at Ironman New Zealand this year; and Trish Deim (USA), who’s had top-10 finishes at Wildflower and Ironman Coeur d’Alene in her second year as a pro.

Follow along with three of our editors as they participate in Challenge Penticton.

Subaru Ironman Canada

Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 – Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run

This Sunday’s Ironman Canada is the final chance for pros and age-groupers to punch their tickets to the 2013 Ironman World Championship. The race offers a $75,000 prize purse and 100 age-group qualifying slots. More than 2,900 athletes will be racing, with 43 countries, all 50 U.S. states and 11 Canadian provinces represented.

While this is the 31^st year of Ironman Canada, the previous 30 years the race has been held in Penticton, British Columbia. The course in Whistler will include a two-loop swim in the clean, shallow waters of Alta Lake at Rainbow Park. The one-loop bike course travels south on the Sea-to-Sky Highway before climbing into the Callaghan Valley, which was the site of the Nordic skiing events during the 2010 Winter Olympics. After descending back to the highway, athletes pass through Whistler on their way north to Pemberton, then an out-and-back section gives athletes scenic views of glaciated peaks. The route back to Whistler on the Sea-to-Sky Highway is over rolling terrain. Then the two-loop run course follows the meandering Valley Trail past Lost Lake and Green Lake before a finish next to Whistler Olympic Plaza.

Pro Race
In the men’s race, top names include defending champion Matthew Russell (USA), who won last year’s Ironman Canada (on the Penticton course) in a time of 8:48:30. Since this is the inaugural race on this course, however, he won’t have any advantage over the other athletes in familiarity with the course. His top competition will come from athletes such as Brit Daniel Halksworth, the 2013 Ironman UK champ who just ran his way to a fourth-place finish last weekend at Ironman Mont-Tremblant in Eastern Canada; Belgian Bruno Clerbout, who’s finished fourth the last two years at Ironman France; Kiwi Bryan Rhodes, a five-time Ironman champion; and Canadian Trevor Wurtele, who was fourth at the 2012 Ironman New York.

In the women’s race last year, age-grouper Kendra Lee beat all the pro women with her 9:44:58 finish. Pro Uli Bromme (USA) will be the favorite this year, as she’s had multiple podiums at full Ironman races. Her top competition will come from fellow American Lisa Ribes, whose top finishes include third place at 2013 Ironman Los Cabos and fourth place at 2013 Ironman France; and Canadian Christine Fletcher, who’s had top-five finishes at some Ironman 70.3 races.

Pro Men
Matthew Russell (USA)
Paul Amey (GBR)
Bryan Rhodes (NZL)
Bruno Clerbout (BEL)
Matthew Sheeks (USA)
Paul Hawkins (GBR)
Matt Lieto (USA)
Trevor Wurtele (CAN)
Brendan Naef (CAN)
Thomas Maliszewski (USA)
Stephen Kilshaw (CAN)
Jim Lubinski (USA)
Andrew Russell (CAN)
Nathan Birdsall (USA)
Dominik Berger (AUT)
Mike Schifferle (SUI)
Daniel Halksworth (GBR)
Jonathan Caron (CAN)
Dan Litwora (USA)
Nigel Gray (CAN)

Pro Women
Uli Bromme (USA)
Olesya Prystayko (UKR)
Kristyn Tobey (BER)
Julie Van Veelen (CAN)
Christine Fletcher (CAN)
Christine Anderson (USA)
Martina Wan (CAN)
Beth Walsh (USA)
Gillian Moody (CAN)
Lisa Ribes (USA)
Sarah Baker (CAN)
Christina Jackson (USA)
Keiko Tanaka (JPN)
Annett Kamenz (GER)

RELATED – Course Recon: The New Ironman Canada Course

ITU WTS Stockholm

Aug. 24-25, 2013 – Stockhold, Sweden
1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run

As the second-to-last race of the 2013 World Triathlon Series, the biggest ITU stars will be showing up in Sweden this weekend. The course includes a pontoon start and two 750-meter laps in Stockholm’s harbor, a transition in front of Stockholm Palace before a nine-lap 4.5K technical course that circles through the Old Town of Stockholm, and then another transition in front of the palace before a four-lap 2.5K run course. Last year, when this course debuted, it was a sprint-distance race but will be a full Olympic this year.

Pro Race
Both the men’s and women’s fields boast almost every athlete within reach of claiming the 2013 overall series title (the final race will take place in London Sept. 11-15). In the men’s race will be all three men’s 2012 Olympic medalists—Alistair Brownlee (GBR), Javier Gomez (ESP) and Jonathan Brownlee—plus top men such as Richard Murray (RSA) and Sven Riederer (SUI). Due to their late start, neither Brownlee brother has led the overall rankings, but both are still within reach, especially with extra points on offer at the London Grand Final next month. A key to the race will be doing well on the technical bike course, which is riddled with cobblestones in the old Gamla Stan area of Stockholm. Expect both Brownlees, Gomez and Reiderer to be in the lead pack and push the pace, while others like Alessandro Fabian (ITA), Ryan Sissons (NZL) and Henri Schoeman (RSA) could stay in the pack. If they’re close off the bike, the run could suit Murray, Laurent Vidal (FRA) and Vincent Luis (FRA). It should be noted that no one outside the Brownlees and Gomez has won a WTS race this year.

In the women’s race, Olympic silver medalist Lisa Norden (SWE) will be defending her Stockholm title after spending the early part of the season racing longer distances. Racing against her will be Germany’s Anne Haug, who’s currently leading the rankings after her win at home in Hamburg last month, as well as other 2013 WTS winners Jodie Stimpson (GBR), Gwen Jorgensen (USA) and Non Stanford (GBR). Others to keep an eye on include Kiwis Kate McIlroy and Andrea Hewitt, who have fourth-place finishes in the last two WTS races; Maaike Caelers from The Netherlands, who did well on this course last year; and Ireland’s Aileen Reid, who just had her first major podium for the 2013 season at the Tiszaujvaros World Cup.

RELATED – ITU Photos Of The Year: Stockholm

TriRock Asbury Park

Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 – Asbury Park, N.J.
500-meter swim, 10-mile bike, 3.1-mile run

Formerly SheROX Asbury Park, TriRock Asbury Park features an ocean swim, a flat and fast bike course and finishes with a run on the famous Asbury Park boardwalk. The town of Asbury Park is located on the Jersey Shore and boasts a one-mile-long boardwalk, located 60 miles south of New York City and 90 minutes north of Atlantic City. The beachside community is famously known as the music venue where Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi started their careers. Springsteen’s debut album was “Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ.”

The race features sprint-distance event, a relay and a “race within a race”—a women’s only competition that’s a tribute to the former SheROX Triathlon.

RELATED – Preview: 2013 TriRock Triathlon Series

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