Simon Thompson and Teri Cady Take 5430 Sprint Titles

Simon Thompson and Teri Cady Take 5430 Sprint Titles

2009 Boulder Triathlon Series Gets Underway

By Lynn DeBruin

June 21, 2009 (Boulder, CO) — Boulder’s Mark Van Akkeren was trying to do something he had never attempted before — compete in back-to-back triathlons less than 24 hours apart.

Teri Cady
Teri Cady

But after being caught from behind Saturday in the last half-mile to finish second in the Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon, it was deja vu Sunday at the Boulder 5430 Sprint Triathlon.

“Dude’s an Olympian,” Van Akkeren said Sunday of overall winner Simon Thompson, who finished in 1 hour, 8 minutes and 56 seconds. “The guy just killed me on the run.”

Thompson, who competed for Australia in the 2004 Athens Olympics but spends his summers in Boulder, caught Van Akkeren about a mile into the 5K.

“I felt quite light on my feet,” said Thompson, 31, who was second after the half-mile swim and 17.2-mile bike ride but made up time in both transition areas and on the run. “I had sight of him straight away.”

He’d cruise to the finish, with Van Akkeren coming in at 1:10:08. Marek Dvorak of Boulder was third in 1:10:59.

After days of rain, Father’s Day at the Boulder Reservoir dawned with blue skies and temperatures in the upper 50s. By the time the final competitor finished, it was near 90.

A breeze that picked up early provided some relief, though it made things more difficult in the 5K.

“The headwind made it tougher on the run, but it was great on the bike. We had the wind at our back, and got going 40 mph,” said Thompson.

After winning the 5430 Long Course Triathlon last year, Thompson proclaimed himself “two for two” in Boulder. “I like this course,” he said with a smile.

He’ll be back in August to defend his title in the Long Course — a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile ride and 13.1-mile run.

Van Akkeren will be there, but probably won’t attempt another back-to-backer less than 24 hours apart.

“I was surprised I had some snap in my legs after yesterday,” he said. “It was welcome, but it was kind of hard to hold on. It definitely was a first-time experience. It was trying, but I basically just turned the brain off this morning and said don’t even think about it.”

Van Akkeren, who won last year’s event by less than a minute, said he thought he’d be sore after Saturday’s race in Loveland. “But I was really good about my recovery yesterday — good nutrition, massage, rest. I did it as a challenge. It was fun.”

What wasn’t to like, he said, what with snow-capped Indian Peaks to the west and the foothills green from all the rain.

He also had nothing but praise for Thompson, 10th at the Athens Olympics.

“He’s on a different level than I am. But I’m working to get to that level,” said Van Akkeren, who planned to compete next in the Pacific Crest Half-IRONMAN in Bend, Ore.

Teri Cady of Louisville, waged her own comeback Sunday in winning the overall women’s title in 1:18:07 — a minute and 46 seconds over Parker’s Steph Popelar.

Once an elite runner and pro 10 years ago, she took time off to have two children — daughter Morgan, now 3, and son Justin, 1.

“This year I decided I’d try to get fit and race,” she said.

“I didn’t expect (to win) at all. There’s so many great athletes in Boulder. But I came out of the water in first and held that (lead),” said Cady, head cross country coach at Boulder’s Fairview High School.

Amanda Durner of Colorado Springs took third.

Others were simply glad to be there.

Ed Weir, 53, Lafayette, crossed the finish line together with his daughter, Jessica, 24, the latter a smoker for six years.

To celebrate Jessica’s 1-year anniversary from giving up cigarettes, they entered their first triathlon.

“It was a family effort to get her to quit,” said Weir. “She challenged me (back), so we did this together. It is cool.”

Mike Adamson, 47, Broomfield, felt the same way.

Though his daughter, Nikki, 18, was able to compete only in the swim portion, they walked across the finish line together.

“She was almost killed in a car accident a year ago last month. It was cool we could do this together,” Adamson said.

For 79-year-old Lyle Langlois of Boulder, Sunday proved that age is relative.

He finished first for his age group, competing in his 83rd multisport event since he turned 70.
His goal is to do 100 by the time he turns 80.

Wife Kay Martin, 72, will be there with him — just don’t expect her to wait for him.

She caught him in the run portion Sunday and patted him on the rear as she went by.

“I said you’re good looking good from the back,” quipped Martin, who finished in 2:29:52, about 9 minutes ahead of hubby.

Langlois, who splits time between Manitou Springs and Phoenix, wasn’t fazed.

“It’s what she always does,” he said.

Then again, he added, “She’s much younger.”

Top 20 Women

PLACE FIRST NAME LAST NAME AGE SWIM T1 BIKE T2 RUN FINISH TIME CITY
1 TERI CADY 33 12:12 1:11 42:59:00 0:47 20:59 1:18:07 1:18:07 LOUISVILLE
2 STEPH POPELAR 42 13:47 1:20 43:50:00 0:36 20:22 1:19:53 1:19:53 PARKER
3 AMANDA DURNER 36 11:13 1:11 45:53:00 0:41 21:00 1:19:57 1:19:57 COLORADO SPRINGS
4 LAUREN IVISON 30 12:19 1:07 45:05:00 0:41 20:57 1:20:07 1:20:07 BOULDER
5 KELLY BERGKESSEL 28 12:32 1:33 44:25:00 1:10 21:35 1:21:12 1:21:12 LONGMONT
6 ELLEN HART 51 15:05 1:12 44:07:00 0:57 21:11 1:22:31 1:22:31 DENVER
7 BRYN MORALES 17 12:11 0:51 46:47:00 0:48 21:59 1:22:33 1:22:33 GOLDEN
8 HEIDI SMITH 30 13:44 0:57 45:22:00 0:51 22:14 1:23:05 1:23:05 BOULDER
9 JULIE THELEN 31 13:19 1:23 46:15:00 0:33 22:00 1:23:28 1:23:28 LAKEWOOD
10 SHARON HOOPER 28 13:19 1:00 45:57:00 0:58 22:45 1:23:57 1:23:57 BOULDER
11 JULIA PURRINGTON 34 13:55 1:01 46:26:00 0:37 22:47 1:24:43 1:24:43 EVERGREEN
12 MICHELLE STEINER 35 13:27 1:33 46:23:00 0:59 22:27 1:24:47 1:24:47 BOULDER
13 SELENE PEREZ 33 12:22 1:34 48:13:00 1:18 21:53 1:25:19 1:25:19 LITTLETON
14 JANE ESAHAK-GAGE 47 12:10 1:33 48:10:00 0:40 22:49 1:25:21 1:25:21 PHOENIX
15 MARIANNE BELLINO 29 14:20 1:34 46:46:00 1:29 21:44 1:25:52 1:25:52 BOULDER
16 CATHERINE WEBBER 40 14:06 1:58 47:41:00 0:55 21:35 1:26:13 1:26:13 COLORADO SPRINGS
17 LAURA EAKIN 28 15:41 1:23 47:27:00 1:26 20:24 1:26:18 1:26:18 COMMERCE CITY
18 MOLLY SMITH 29 16:09 1:13 46:41:00 0:42 21:50 1:26:33 1:26:33 DENVER
19 KATEY MORRIS 29 14:16 1:00 47:43:00 0:52 22:56 1:26:46 1:26:46 ARVADA
20 KRISTINE GEWIN 36 15:34 1:23 46:52:00 0:45 22:29 1:27:01 1:27:01 EVEGREEN

Top 20 Men

PLACE FIRST NAME LAST NAME AGE SWIM T1 BIKE T2 RUN FINISH CITY
1 SIMON THOMPSON 32 10:19 0:36 39:45:00 0:55 17:23 1:08:56 BOULDER
2 MARK VAN AKKEREN 29 9:49 1:00 39:12:00 1:00 19:09 1:10:08 BOULDER
3 MAREK DVORAK 30 10:31 0:48 40:58:00 0:51 17:52 1:10:59 BOULDER
4 JIM HALLBERG 32 12:10 0:53 38:57:00 0:50 18:35 1:11:24 LONGMONT
5 BRIAN SCHANING 27 11:45 1:03 39:47:00 0:53 18:12 1:11:36 MANITOU SPRINGS
6 CRAIG HOWIE 33 11:59 0:44 39:34:00 0:49 18:35 1:11:39 LONGMONT
7 TIM HOLA 35 11:38 0:34 40:44:00 0:41 18:21 1:11:57 HIGHLANDS RANCH
8 DAN MCINTOSH 25 11:36 0:48 41:51:00 0:35 17:34 1:12:22 BOULDER
9 KIRK FRAMKE 35 11:30 0:47 41:01:00 0:53 18:24 1:12:33 DENVER
10 ERIC PETERSON 38 10:18 1:10 41:24:00 0:45 19:58 1:13:33 COLORADO SPRINGS
11 GEOFFREY NENNINGER 30 11:41 0:42 41:17:00 0:52 19:44 1:14:15 BOULDER
12 ROBERT RUNCO 25 12:07 1:03 41:21:00 0:35 19:19 1:14:22 DENVER
13 MATT SMITH 33 11:38 0:42 42:31:00 0:59 19:21 1:15:09 DENVER
14 DANNY MILLER 47 12:16 0:50 42:23:00 0:48 19:01 1:15:16 BOULDER
15 WILLIAM GILLASPIE 34 10:28 0:38 44:23:00 0:51 19:38 1:15:56 GOLDEN
16 MAX LAWLER 31 12:07 1:07 42:46:00 0:51 19:15 1:16:04 BOULDER
17 ROBERT CRANNY 46 11:51 1:23 42:30:00 1:07 19:21 1:16:10 NIWOT
18 TODD DARLINGTON 28 11:36 1:24 43:39:00 0:41 19:07 1:16:25 BOULDER
19 TIM SANDELL 44 12:14 0:32 42:37:00 1:05 20:12 1:16:37 COLORADO SPRINGS
20 BRENT MORRIS 32 11:58 0:34 42:11:00 0:57 21:04 1:16:43 ARVADA