Epic is perhaps the best word indeed to describe today's inaugural Leadman Triathlon.
The new Lifetime Fitness race features a
- 5K swim
-223K bike and a
- 22K run...add all that up and you get 250K. Now you get it.
Which for non pro's can be raced as a three person relay with each person doing one full distance event leg.
Which in itself may not be so Epic when compared to an Ironman race, but when you combine today's heat, wind, and hills of the Nevada desert...you get what may be one of the toughest long distance triathlons in North America.
On the professional men's side...today's race was one by pro triathlete Jordan Rapp in a time of 9:32:19 with Troy Jacobson taking second in a time of 10:33:24.
On the women's side it was Canadian Angela Naeth who finally became the bride, instead of the bridesmaid second place finish of her last several races, to win inaugural Leadman Triathlon Lifetime Epic 250 in a time of 10:29:43.
The races web says the Epic 250, "throws down a gauntlet of challenge filled with new lengths of swimming and cycling, yet places less emphasis on what is considered the most physically damaging aspect of ultra-distance triathlons, the run. The Leadman was designed to completely challenge triathletes while showing utmost respect to their bodies."
It seems that the race has suceeded in that goal. Here are some tweets from the race's twitter feed that will give you an idea of just how tough the race was today:
"- weather update: 97 at the beach (transition) and around 101 on the asphalt (finish). "Epic" doesn't do justice. Go Leadmen!
- Hilary Biscay, from Tucson AZ, finishes her epic Leadman in 11:41:41
- update: @mattlieto is in medical tent at transition and not expected to attempt run portion of event.
- DNF update: @slowtwitch's Dan Empfield drops eight miles into run. Heat got to him, no injuries to report.
- Love it Troy! RT @coachtroyj: Finished Leadman Epic 250 Tri. Hardest race of my life. Put it on bucket list."
We wanted to make it epic! #Leadman250: 44 started this morning, nine have DNF-ed. Everyone agrees it's hard.
Photo Credit: Angela Naeth's twitter feed.
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Full Press Release and results below:
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (May 14, 2011) – An elite field of some of the fittest amateur and professional triathletes competed in the Leadman Tri - Life Time EPIC 250 May 14. Truly unique, the inaugural event provides a challenging 250-kilometer course through the desert outside Las Vegas.
Competing against a stellar field of world-class professionals on the event’s ultra-distance course, Angela Naeth (CAN) won the women’s professional division at 10:29:43 and Jordan Rapp (USA) won the men’s professional division at 9:32:19.
In the women’s full Leadman division, Tara Norton (CAN) finished second with a time of 10:56:06, while Katya Meyers finished third with a time of 11:39:24. In the men’s full Leadman division, Troy Jacobson finished second with a time of 10:33:24, followed by third-place finisher Kurt Holt with a time of 12:20:52.
For the women’s half Leadman division, Reenie Griffin finished with a time of 9:19:04. In the men’s division, John Sliney finished at 7:13:33, followed by second-place finisher Art Johnson with a time of 8:06:16 and third place finisher Jason Bezon with a time of 9:29:47.
Saturday’s Leadman relay division saw the team of Hugo, Perry and Cooper take first place in 10:04:28, thirty-three minutes ahead of Team Hileman, who came in second with a time of 10:37:34. The team of James, Cutts and Janess rounded out the podium with a time of 11:41:11.
The Leadman 250-kilometer ultra-distance triathlon includes a five-kilometer (3.1 mile) swim in the shadow of Dead Man’s Island, 223-kilometer (138.6-mile) bike through the Valley of Fire State Park, and a 22-kilometer (13.7-mile) run along a trail that once brought workers and materials to build Hoover Dam.