Race Coverage

Smooth and Confident....

Monday, 24 August 2015 06:10

Photo - Women's Olympic podium (L-R) - Kelly Trom (3rd), Gaby Bunten (1st), Christina Roberts (2nd).

LIFE TIME TRI - MAPLE GROVE - Five men, starting with Kris Spoth (1:54:32), broke the magical two-hour mark last Sunday at the 7th annual Life Time Tri - Maple Grove Olympic Triathlon. Conditions would have been ideal, cloudy and mild, had the winds been a bit less blowy and gustful, but the times were improved by the necessity to take a few "K"s out of the bike course (from 40 down to 38).

Spoth owns this race, having won it outright on two prior occasions and claiming the Collegiate crown on another. He raced smoothly and confidently at the front from lake to line, which was also the way his totally serious girlfriend, Gaby Bunten raced en route to the biggest win of her career. Her time was 2:09:32, or the equivalent of 2:11 at full Olympic distance. Her legit PR is a 2:14:00, set at Nationals in 2014....

The men's Olympic podium was filled in by Brian Sames (1:56:30) and Larry Hosch (1:58:35), who like Spoth and Bunten, maintained their places throughout the entire race.

Gaby shared her podium with 2014 champ Christina Roberts (2:10:44), who fought hard despite, we're told by the magnanimous Bunten, "not feeling good," and Toughman Minnesota Half champ, Kelly Trom (2:12:39), who has her sights set on winning another half, i.e.next Sunday's Superior Man Half.

Roberts and Trom maintained their positions throughout the entire contest.

Highly caffeinated social media guy and late registrant, Devon Palmer became the first athlete to have won both the Maple Grove Olympic (2010) and the Life Time - MG Sprint. His time was groovy, a 57:32, and gave him a 1:58 margin of victory over runner-up Brett Lovaas, who has won 29 multis in his racing career. For Palmer, it was his 5th win of the season and 19th of his tri/du career.

Third place in the men's sprint was earned by Travis Miller (1:00:55).

Cheryl Zitur faced her stiffest competition to date in the Sprint, but managed to repeat as champ and collect her third W of the season. Duluth's Jess Rossing, coming off a victory at Brewhouse Sprint, claimed 2nd and Anne Grabowski, who won the first two Life Time Minnesota Series Sprint (Trinona and Minneapolis), took 3rd.

The recently added Maple Grove Duathlon, was won by super-nice people, Suzie Fox and Jordan Roby. For Fox, it was her 8th win of the year and 30th of the her career.

Over 1100 athletes participated at this annual classic / season finale of the Minnesota Triathlon Series. RESULTS