Race Coverage

Big Dogs...

Tuesday, 15 September 2015 00:10

4th Annual BLAINE TRIATHLON - Comfortable, pretty weather and a wonderfully swimmable lake (68.1 degrees) portended great performances at last Saturday's Blaine Triathlon. And that's what happened, starting with a breakout, though not unpredictable, winning effort for Blaine's own CHRIS TATTON. Chris, who was also victorious at Manitou in June, led from the get-go en route to the event's 3rd fastest time ever (1:11:08).

If you don't know Chris, he's a great guy whose wife Maggie is a HOOT! The Tattons have an eight-month-old Great Dane named STANLEY, who has paws the size of catcher's mitts. The dog, with whom event participants were encouraged to take selfies, kinda looks like the the one in the photo here.

Claiming 2nd right from the start was Minnesota multisport pioneer RICH HEILMAN, 50, who is being strongly considered for a Master of the Year nomination. His time (1:14:42), was the 2nd best clocking ever by a 40-plusser here, and an adipose 5:05 improvement on the previous 50-54M course best. Later at breakfast at The Grandview in St. Paul, Rich ate a couple of pancakes the size of bike wheels and four strips of Neuske's bacon.

Also looking strong throughout the entire race, DAVID CARNEY, 42 (1:16:13), claimed the final men's podium step....

MTN had predicted that 2014 Rookie of the Year nominee EMY EVERHART would claim her first career win at Blaine. She finished 7th here in 2014, when the race was held in frosty May conditions. On Saturday, she went almost ten minutes faster than in '14, but finished in 3rd place. It was her 2nd podium effort in the last eight days. The reason she didn't win was because possible Triathlete of the Year and Most Improved nominee CHRISTINA ROBERTS and North Dakotan MARNIE WALTH, who since 1999 has won most of Minnesota's major tris and dus, and was coming off a convincing W at Young Life Olympic, were late registrants.

Roberts was the first athlete, gender notwithstanding, out of the water, and hammered the rest of the way. Her win was her 3rd in her last four starts. Her only non-winning effort produced a 2nd at Maple Grove. (FYI, she was sick that day.)

Christina's time at Blaine was 1:16:59 and landed her in 5th place overall. FYI, only HEATHER LENDWAY has faster times on this course.

Roberts is fun to watch. She is powerful and aggressive. Conversely, runner-up Walth is an elegant racer, smooth and patient. She too was fun to watch. Her time was 1:20:23, a Masters record by almost four minutes.

Walth and Heilmen weren't the only ones to lower an AG CR on that near-perfect morning. North Dakota multisport pioneer (and brillant author of "Running With the Anteope") MELANIE CARVELL (50-54W), SPIKE MILLSLAGLE (65-69M) and NANCY BAUER (65-69W) also took voracious bites out of the previous records in their divisions.

The event was wonderfully produced and executed by NATE MONAHAN, who is a HOOT!, and his team from the City of Blaine. RESULTS

Photo - Race winners Chris Tatton and Christina Roberts.