Strong Pro Field To Race 30th Columbia Triathlon

On Sunday, May 19, nearly 2,000 athletes including more than 40 pros will race the 30th anniversary of the Columbia Triathlon in Columbia, Md. The race is the longest running triathlon in the Mid-Atlantic and is part of the 5150 series of Olympic-distance races.

Included among the pros in the men’s race are 2013 Ironman New Zealand and double Olympic medalist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand; 2012 Toyota Cup champion and defending Columbia Triathlon winner Cameron Dye; 2010 and 2011 Columbia Tri champ Andrew Yoder; and Canada’s Brent McMahon, who’s fresh off his Ironman 70.3 U.S. Pro Championship win over a deep field in St. George, Utah, last Saturday.

In the women’s race, the field is highlighted by top names such as Great Britain’s Leanda Cave, the reigning Ironman and 70.3 world champion; American Meredith Kessler, a multiple Ironman champion who just won in St. George as well; top 70.3 athlete Angela Naeth of Canada; former ITU athlete Annabel Luxford and American Margaret Shapiro, who won the Columbia Tri in 2006 and has had several podium finishes on this course. Other top contenders include Olympic-distance specialists Alicia Kaye, Laurel Wassner and Nicky Samuels.

The pros will be competing for a share in the $25,000 prize purse. The event will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Maryland Chapter. Organized by TriColumbia, the Columbia Triathlon’s 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run courses are considered some of the toughest on the Olympic-distance non-draft circuit. Also one of the oldest races in the nation, the Columbia Tri began in 1984 with 90 athletes. Now part of the 5150 series, the age-group athletes will be competing for one of 15 slots per age group to the 5150 Hy-Vee U.S. Championship in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 1.

RELATED: Brent McMahon Impresses In St. George

Pro Men:
Cameron Dye (USA)
Bevan Docherty (NZL)
Andrew Yoder (USA)
Brent McMahon (CAN)
James Seear (AUS)
Jason Pedersen (USA)
Tom Davison (NZL)
Eric Limkemann (USA)
Mark Bowstead (NZL)
Ryan Bates (USA)
David Kahn (USA)
Lawrence Fanous (JOR)
Sean Sullivan (USA)
Brooks Cowan (USA)
Dan Feeney (USA)
Chad Holderbaum (USA)
Jack Smith (USA)
Nicholas Stanko (USA)
Tom Wood (USA)
Ryan Kelly (USA)
Nate Buttrick (USA)
Make Caiazzo (USA)
Kaleb VanOrt (USA)
Ivan Kalashnikov (RUS)
Matthew Wisthof (USA)
Chris Foster (USA)

RELATED: Kessler On Biggest Race Of Her Career

Pro Women:
Leanda Cave (GBR)
Laurel Wassner (USA)
Margaret Shapiro (USA)
Meredith Kessler (USA)
Angela Naeth (CAN)
Anna Cleaver (NZL)
Nicky Samuels (NZL)
Anna Battiata (USA)
Suzanne Serpico (USA)
Kat Baker (AUS)
Alicia Kaye (USA)
Catherine Sterling (USA)
Lauren Dance (RSA)
Maxine Seear (AUS)
Radka Vodickova (CZE)
Katie Hursey (USA)
Kristin Andrews (USA)
Annabel Luxford (AUS)
Robin Sandos (USA)
Jasmine Oeinck (USA)

Visit Tricolumbia.org for more information.

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